As Benzino and Eminem’s feud continues, unsettling tapes from the Detroit rapper’s early career have resurfaced, suggesting his music stems from racism.
Not long after the former publisher of The Source released the Eminem diss “Vulturius,” a video chronicling Benzino and Eminem’s clash over Em’s racist raps more than 20 years ago began circulating on Twitter (X). According to the clip—which stitched footage from Eminem’s 2003 apology following the emergence of a mixtape he recorded with racist lyrics and recent interviews—Em released several racially prejudiced records.
“Yup. The original was called ‘foolish pride’. But there was another one that Benzino had a tape of and he was paid to not release it,” an X user wrote in the thread below the video.
Eminem had racist rap songs? 👀🤔 pic.twitter.com/6Dmk66TgOc
— Networking The Streets (@ntsmonopoly) February 2, 2024
That particular claim contradicts Eminem’s 2003 apology in which he described his choice to record racially insensitive material as a lapse in judgment following a failed relationship. Rumor has it, Em’s former girlfriend was a Black woman and wasn’t faithful to him during their relationship—and that’s what sparked his racial rap epithets.
“Vanilla Ice would Never !” another X user remarked.
It’s worth noting Eminem did address the controversy and narratives about him being racist and a vulture on the track “Yellow Brick Road,” which was released in 2004 via his Encore album.