No, Eminem did not do anything. It is just a confirmation that no hip hop conversation can avoid discussing Em, whether they like it or not.
This time, the conversation was sparked by an off-hand remark that Jay-Z made talking to Alicia Keys in her Twitter Spaces room. HOV acknowledges many displays of power that rappers such as Jadakiss showed on Verzuz, but he categorically denied that he would even consider taking part in this show. Just because he does not see the match. Jay-Z said:
No one can stand on that stage with me. It’s not a chance in hell that anyone can stand on that stage with me.
Of course, it did not take a minute for hip-hop Twitter to start proving Hov wrong and trying to find him a sparring partner. People mentioned all the usual suspects: Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Drake, Nas. But when Marshall’s name was brought up, the hell broke loose. Some account opposed it so vehemently that conversation between them and those who responded to haters’ resentment with common sense and numbers made Eminem trending again.
The XXL magazine official Twitter account jumped on the hype wagon and posted a prompt for discussion, having picked Eminem out of all hypothetical Hov’s opponents:
Who would win in a Verzuz: Jay-Z or Eminem?
Meanwhile, the answer to this question is simple. The listeners would win in the Jay-Z vs Eminem battle because it would be a rare treat to see two GOATs playing their music. But we all know that it will not happen. Both of them are more invested in making music that would last generations than in dog fights.
And for those who repeat “Nobody listens to Eminem”. Well, somebody listened to his music on Spotify over 4.5 billion times only this year. He has over 50 million followers on Spotify and over 50 million subscribers on YouTube. His most recent album is still charting almost two years after its No.1 debut. Your ignorance doesn’t change the fact that Eminem is one of the most popular artists in the world and has been for 20 years.
