Benzino and Eminem had a prominent beef in the early 2000s after The Source gave the latter’s 2002 album The Eminem Show a four-mic review. The former Source co-owner recently revealed that he intentionally did not give the rapper a perfect score.
The 58-year-old multi-hyphenate appeared on Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion podcast on Monday (Aug. 21) where he opened up about the thought process behind his decision. “I was the top of my muthaf**kin’ food chain,” the Boston rapper said. “Even [Russell Simmons], Lyor [Cohen], all these ni**as, Steve [Stoute] and everybody, they all had to answer to somebody. I was the top of a damn near $75 million company when ni**as wasn’t getting money like that. I got that big money first, and I was the top of that.”
“So, when the Eminem thing came through The Source, at this point it’s getting disrespectful,” he continued, addressing his issues with Marshall Mathers. “So how the f**k am I gonna have this ni**a in my magazine? Would you? You’re not gonna put nobody in your magazine to give this ni**a five mics after this ni**a’s being disrespectful. You wouldn’t do it, man. Nobody would.” Check out the clip below.
Prior to the contentious rating of The Eminem Show, The Source highlighted Eminem in their “Unsigned Hype” column in 1998 and gave his 2000 album Marshall Mathers LP a four-and-a-half-mic rating. Still, his frustration at The Eminem Show being snubbed led to him and Benzino exchanging diss tracks with one another.
“When the ‘Unsigned Hype’ column in The Source was like our only source of light/ When the mics used to mean somethin’, a four was like/ You were the sh*t, now it’s like the least you get/ Three-and-a-half now just means you’re a piece of sh*t/ Four-and-a-half or five means you’re Biggie, Jigga, Nas,” the Detroit rapper said on “The Sauce.”
He continued, addressing Benzino by name: “Or Benzino — sh*t, I don’t even think you realize/ You’re playin’ with muthaf**kas’ lives/ I done watched Dre get f**ked on The Chronic/ Probably ‘cause I was on it/ Now you f**ked me out of my mics twice, I let it slide.”
Their beef persists decades later, as back in February 2022 Benzino reiterated his disdain for Eminem and his fans, even inviting them to come to his Atlanta restaurant and handle their differences in person. “To all you pu**y a** Stans, we all know y’all are the most corniest non violent coward fan base Hip-Hop has ever seen,” he said on Twitter. “I have a restaurant in Atlanta 5071 Peachtree industrial boulevard Chamblee GA. Stop tweeting and pull up on me you pu**ies.”
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