50 Cent has now responded to Grandmaster Melle Mel’s recent comments that Eminem is only popular and finds a place on several people’s lists of favourite rappers because he is white. Several people have come to Eminem’s defences since Melle made the claim, and now Curtis Jackson, one of Em’s closest friends, is fighting his corner too.
Mel had said, “Nobody wants to rap like Eminem. Obviously, he’s a capable rapper. If you was talking about sales, he’s sold more than everybody. If you were talking about rhyme style, okay, he got a rhyme style. But he’s white. He’s white! So now if Eminem was another n***a like all the rest of us, would he be Top 5 on that list when a n***a that could rhyme just as good as him is 35? That had records and all that? He’s 35. He’s white.”
The Grandmaster Flash singer then said that someone like Royce Da 5’9 ought to be considered just as good as Eminem, but he isn’t because he’s black. “And anybody could be as mad… They could feel how they wanna feel.”
He continued, “If you don’t think that race plays a part in the equation of how great he is — I heard one of the dudes that’s down with him, Royce Da 6’9 [sic] or one of those – I heard he’s just as good as Eminem. Why he ain’t as big as Eminem? Because he’s Black! Ain’t none of that shit hard to figure out. Eminem gets a top spot because he’s white.”
50 Cent’s retaliation was: “There was more money selling dope than being in Hip Hop when [Melle] Mel was popping, the culture has grown so much. I am not sure if it would be what it is today without artist like Eminem. Shit I am not sure I would be who I am without him but you know it is competitive so n***as gonna hate. LOL fuck outta here ! We sucker free.”