Just as hip-hop turned 50 years old (Aug. 11), two of the genre’s undeniable legends certified their beef. It all began when Melle Mel, lead vocalist for the iconic rap group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, gave a fiery quote during a March interview with The Art of Dialogue. When touching on Eminem’s No. 5 placement on Billboard‘s Best Rappers of All Time list, Mel asserted that Em’s whiteness equated to more success, even though he was still a “capable rapper.”
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“He’s white. So now if Eminem was another n***a like all the rest of us, would he be top five on that list when a n***a that could rhyme just as good as him is 35?” Mel asked. “That had records and all that?… The point is this, If I was white, I’d be greater than Elvis. N****s would be like, ‘Melle Mel is greater than Elvis.'”
Em would finally respond to this when he hopped on the song “Realest” by up-and-coming emcee Ez Mil, signed to Em’s Shady Records. Refuting Mel’s claims, Em actually insisted that his whiteness holds him back in hip-hop conversations.
Guess I’ve really no right to complain much hip hop has been good to me huh
But when they say that I’m only top five ’cause I’m white why would I be stunned
My skin color’s still working against me ’cause second I should be to none
Being white ain’t why they put me at five it’s why they can’t put me at one
Additionally, later in his explosive verse, Em gave an even more direct diss, praising Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five but singling out Mel for his brolic build and out-of-place criticism.
Shout to the Furious Five and Grandmaster Flash but boy
There’s someone who really is furious stay out his path his wrath avoid
And I’ll be the last to toy with a juice head whose brain is like half destroyed
Like a meteor hit it well there went Melle Mel we lost his ass to roids
On Tuesday (Aug. 8), Melle Mel would finally respond to Eminem, unleashing the video “Melle Mel’s Response to Eminem’s Latest Diss” on his YouTube channel, which contained a minute-long verse from the 62-year-old. In it, Mel jokingly refers to Em as Pee-Wee Herman, just days after Paul Reubens’ death, as well as insisting that Em’s time might be better spent responding to Los Angeles rapper The Game, who has been sending disses to Em for years now.
The Top 5 is cap
You the piss that’s on the floor in the elevator of rap
Why you ducking on The Game when you shit on my name?
Why they put Pee-Wee Herman in the hall of fame?
I would give you a pound, but I’d break your hand
I got a lawyer so white, he will take your land
Yo, check your man, come and look at your friend
‘Cause I think that Eminem is popping pills again!
Check out Mel’s verse below.
Photo by Jerritt Clark/FilmMagic
