Eminem Acknowledges He's a Guest In The House Of Hip-Hop
Eminem sat down with Kxng Crooked for the latest episode of his “Crooked Corner” series. During the hour-long conversation, the Detroit rapper addressed Lord Jamar’s criticism about him being a guest in the house of hip-hop.
“How do you feel about the concept of white rappers being a guest in the house of hip-hop?” Crooked asked Em around the 20-minute mark.
“I don’t know if I’ve got a chance to say this yet, but the funny shit is with the whole beef with a certain person, I never said I wasn’t a guest,” he said without naming Jamar.
Em went on to acknowledge his place in the culture. “I’m absolutely a guest. I never said I wasn’t. I never said I was king of anything,” he added. “I never want to be the king of hip-hop. Who the fuck is the king of hip-hop? Like, is there a king of hip-hop? … I care more about the craft than any of the other shit.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Slim Shady paid tribute to the late Juice WRLD, whom he collaborated with on “Godzilla” on Music to Be Murdered By. “That kid was so talented, like his freestyle he did on Tim Westwood — what the fuck?” said Em of Juice, who died from an accidental overdose in December. “To be so young, he mastered that so fucking quickly. His potential was so off the charts.”
He also shined praise on MCs including DaBaby, YBN Cordae, and Kendrick Lamar. “He’s such a chameleon of styles and he can do pretty much everything and he’s so proficient at it and you don’t know what you’re gonna get,” he said of the Compton MC. “That, to me, is a top-tier lyricist. You can get your ass kicked any day.”
Watch the full interview above.