Poppy Bilderbeck
Warning: This article contains discussion of racial discrimination which some readers may find distressing.
Benzino has opened up about his and Eminem's beef off the back of the pair both releasing new diss tracks about one another.
Despite previously doubting whether he'd release any more music past the age of 50, there's nothing like a good, old diss track to get the vocal chords warm.
Eminem - real name Marshall Mathers - hit out at one of his oldest rivals Benzino in a brand new track for friend Lyrical Lemonade's album All is Yellow released last month.
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It didn't take long for Benzino - real name Raymond Scott - to respond and he's now reflected about the pair's issues in an interview too.
In Lyrical Lemonade's album released 26 January, Eminem performed on the track 'Doomsday Pt. 2'.
As well as poking fun at Benzino's neck, Eminem also took aim at the music producer's financial struggles and his daughter too.
Benzino hit back with a diss track of his own released two days later called 'Vulturius', mocking Eminem's drug overdose and accusing the 51-year-old of 'invading' Black culture and then 'insulting us' - eluding to the time he exposed Eminem on a voice recording saying the 'n' word in the early 2000s, which the rapper later apologized for.
Oh and he asked poked at the death of Eminem's friend and fellow rapper Proof - DeShaun Dupree Holton - and questioned the 'Mockingbird' singer's sexuality.
However, in an interview with REVOLT's Drink Champs, Benzino reflected on his relationship with Eminem in a very different manner.
In the interview, shared to YouTube on February 17, Benzino clarified he doesn't 'hate' Eminem despite all the diss tracks and beef they have going on.
"Eminem ain't no bad person, he belongs in hip-hop," he said. "There's a big racist problem in America right now and Eminem could probably stop half of it, like bro, all he's got to do is come to the table and that's the message. "
Benzino continues: "There's Eminem fans that hate me so much I could be the next n***a that get assassinated.
"Every person that speaks up for Black culture on a major level got assassinated. [...] I'm from Boston bro, nobody lives this long. I don't care about it.
"God gave us hip-hop to save us when when cracking drugs came and destroyed all. All I'm saying is man, I'm not the enemy."
Benzino notes ultimately he doesn't 'hate' Eminem because he doesn't 'know him'.
"I don't hate white people because my father who I love very much taught me at 12, 13 to deal with Irish and Italian people and sell drugs and I looked at these people as great men.
"I got stabbed by a white dude in Boston Tech my first year in high school 'cuz of race s**t in Boston.
"[...] White and Black people, hip-hop brought us together. I don't hate Eminem and I don't hate white people."
Talking about how people don't need to 'kill each other anymore' and how hip-hop was brought here to 'save us' and 'give us a chance,' the rapper then breaks down in tears, also reflecting how his daughter came into the industry desperate to be 'cool with Eminem' because everyone was 'against' Benzino.
Warning: Explicit language and footage some may find distressing:
Earlier in the podcast, he also spoke about getting 'shot at' at his mom's funeral and not being able to be there when she died.
Benzino resolved: "Hip hop was given to us by god to save us. The bottom line of this is we have to come together and stop bulls***ting with each other, stop criticizing each other and disrespecting each other, we got to unify together. Even if we're wrong, we make mistakes, we got to come together man, enough is enough. They're using it against us.
"[...] There's no reason to be killing each other, going against each other, we all come from nothing. [...] We are great people and [...] white people are great people too, they give us s**t and we give them s**t, every culture gives everybody s**t."
UNILAD has contacted Eminem and Benzino's reps for comment.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.