Benzino, the outspoken hip-hop figure and former co-owner of The Source, has reignited his long-standing feud with Eminem. This time, he’s not only targeting Slim Shady but also dragging the legendary 2Pac into the mix. In an exclusive interview clip with The Art of Dialogue, Benzino minced no words as he dissected Eminem’s production work on the 2004 posthumous album, Loyal to the Game. The album featured new Slim Shady beats layered over previously unreleased 2Pac vocals.
Benzino specifically takes issue with the decision to blend 2Pac’s vocals with Eminem’s beats, suggesting that this fusion was inappropriate and insulting. He sees it as disrespectful to manipulate 2Pac’s voice in such a manner and feels that it undermines the integrity of 2Pac’s musical contributions and overall legacy.
Overall, Benzino’s comments reflect his strong opinion that Eminem’s collaboration with 2Pac’s recordings was not only artistically flawed but also disrespectful to 2Pac’s memory and the hip-hop community as a whole.
““I think the sh*t that he did with ‘Pac was horrible,” Benzino asserted. “I think that was a disgrace.” His criticism didn’t stop there. Benzino questioned the decision to blend 2Pac’s lyrics with Eminem’s beats, suggesting it was an insult to both the culture and community. “That was trash,” he continued. “He should have never got the okay to play with Pac’s voice like that, and his legacy.””
This renewed clash between Eminem and Benzino harks back to the early 2000s. Em first took aim at Benzino on “Doomsday Pt. 2” in late January, mocking his rival’s financial woes and physical stature. The self-proclaimed Rap God playfully riddled:
“What is the opposite of Benzino? A giraffe. How can I go at something he doesn’t have?”
Benzino retaliated with two diss tracks, “Vulturius” and “Rap Elvis.” The feud escalated further when Benzino broke down discussing it during a Drink Champs interview. But he didn’t stop there. Just days later, he labeled Eminem “overrated” and declared,
“I think he sucks as a rapper.”
Benzino isn’t alone in his critique of Loyal to the Game. Suge Knight, the former Death Row Records boss, also expressed disdain for the project. During an episode of Collect Call With Suge Knight, he discussed the pitfalls of posthumous releases. According to Knight, there was only one 2Pac project that flopped before, and that was the one Eminem worked on.
As the feud rages on, fans are left wondering: Is this a genuine clash of artistic visions or just another chapter in the ongoing saga of hip-hop rivalries? One thing’s for sure: Benzino isn’t backing down, and Eminem’s legacy remains a hot topic in the rap world.
Watch full interview below.