Eminem names his 12 favourite diss tracks of all time
Eminem‘s had what can only be described as a breathtaking journey in his career. From being homeless, working fast food jobs and battle-rapping in the grimiest parts of Detroit, the young man was quickly flung into fame and was soon a Diamond-certified artist.
The rapper has remained open about his struggles and has always been brutally honest with himself and others. From his tenuous relationship with his mother, Debbie, to his battles with addiction, the rapper had tribulations.
At the turn of the millennium, The Slim Shady LP exploded into the mainstream and rose to become certified triple platinum by the end of the year. From here, Mathers became unstoppable and, for a decade, was one of hip hop’s best-selling artists.
Despite all of the success, there is no denying Mathers’ career has seen dizzying heights and god-awful lows. Still, he didn’t succeed for no reason. Prior to blowing up, Eminem studied the art of rapping. Shortly after getting introduced to hip-hop by his uncle, Em quickly fell in love with what he heard and started absorbing the music of significant hip-hop artists like the Beastie Boys, Rakim, Masta Ace, LL Cool J, and N.W.A.
Of course, as he was listening to the likes of N.W.A., Ice Cube and KRS-One, he learned a thing or two about diss tracks and fell in love with a particular handful of songs.
Rappers like Eminem write diss tracks for a pretty straightforward reason: hip-hop thrives on competition. Every now and then, you need that fearless artist to challenge others and fight for the number one position. It’s like a competitive sport, and in the world of rap, if you’re not keeping an eye on your rivals and watching your back, you can quickly go from being on top to at the bottom.
Grabbing the hip-hop crown isn’t a walk in the park, especially when your rival is ready for you. More often than not, it turns into a fierce battle. Diss tracks have been a huge part of hip-hop history, and a solid one can catapult you to the top of the game. So, if you’re riding high on fame, get ready for some lyrical punches. Whether it’s Biggie Smalls or 50 Cent, being the best in hip-hop definitely has its price.
Over the years, there have been tons of rivalries and clashes for the number one position. But the funny thing is, the culture doesn’t always agree on who has actually come out on top. Battles can get pretty heated, with hip-hop fans often picking sides. These battles have even split entire nations by region, like the East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry in 1990s hip-hop, which sadly led to two notorious deaths.
Eminem has even been involved in quite a few beefs himself and has been forced to pen some diss tracks. However, whether it’s Benzino or Machine Gun Kelly, the MCs who try to take him down never come close to winning.
That said, for a Christmas show on his Sirius XM Shade 45 radio station, Eminem, his longtime manager Paul Rosenberg, and DJ Whoo Kid sat down for a segment entitled “12 Days Of Diss-Mas,” during which the Detroit legend named his five favourite diss tracks of all time. You can see his interesting choices in a list compiled below.
Eminem’s favourite diss tracks of all time:
- Boogie Down Productions – ‘The Bridge Is Over’ (1987)
- Roxanne Shanté – ‘Roxanne’s Revenge’ (1985)
- MC Lyte – ‘10% Diss’ (1988)
- LL Cool J – ‘Jack The Ripper’ (1989)
- N.W.A – ‘F*ck The Police’ (1987)
- Ice Cube – ‘No Vaseline’ (1993)
- Dr Dre – ‘F*ck wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)’ (1992)
- Tim Dog – ‘F*ck Compton’ (1991)
- Common – ‘The B*tch In Yoo’ (1997)
- Eazy-E – ‘Real Muthaphuckkin G’s’ (1993)
- YZ – ‘Diss Fe Liar’ (1990)
- 2Pac – ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ (1996)