Rapper Rhymefest appeared on the It's Just My Opinion podcast on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, and discussed Eminem among other things. During the podcast, he recalled how the Mockingbird rapper was the first white guy who called him the n-word during a rap battle in 1998.
The Dynomite rapper recalled how he and Eminem were at a competition called the Scribble Jam in Cincinnati. He noted that it was the "biggest battle in the midwest and one of the biggest rap battles in the country." Rhymefest told the podcast host that Scribble Jam had several rappers, DJs, and breakdancers in attendance.
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Rhymefest continued to say that he battled Eminem during the competition when the latter called him the n-word.
"I battled Eminem and that was the first time a white guy ever called me a n***a. He said, 'I'll let my razor split you 'til they have to staple stitch you / This n***a took my facial tissue and turned it to a racial issue.' ... You couldn't even be mad," Rhymefest said.
The Familiar Faces rapper explained that he had no issue with Eminem's racial slur, claiming that he respected that it was added to the rhyme of his rap verse. He added that it was the day he "realized something about racism."
"I realized something about racism that day-- it's why 'Family Guy' works. It's only good when it's funny. It only is non-offensive when its dope. Had you said that sh*t and not been dope, it would've been a problem," he said.
However, Rhymefest also emphasized that artists shouldn't escape accountability merely because of their talent. He said that rappers should dig deeper to add more meaning to their verses.
Per the Weaponized rapper, the Scribble Jam incident ended with him winning the battle, while Eminem won the war.
Eminem's documentary, STANS, will premier at the SXSW London Screen Festival
Rhymefest's podcast appearance comes a day after the announcement that Eminem's documentary STANS will premiere on June 2, 2025, at the SXSW London Screen Festival in Shoreditch. The documentary will be released on the opening night of the festival, which is scheduled to be held from June 2 to June 9.
The documentary has been named after his 2000 hit track, Stan and is produced by Shady Films. A directorial project of Steven Leckart, STANS will explore the psychology behind the multilayered relationship between an artist and their fans.
In 2024, the Superman rapper announced his involvement in the documentary as he called on his diehard fans to participate in it.
Em's 2000 track, which sampled Dido's Thank You - was released as a single from his third studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP. It peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Stan has over 1.3 billion streams on Spotify.
Over the years, the term "stan" became a common vernacular in the music world, used to depict an obsessed and delusional fan and their relationship with an artist. Social media's advent has only further amplified the "stan" impact, to the point of the term being included in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
Some of the Role Model rapper's most devoted followers and collaborators are featured in the documentary. Following the premiere at the SXSW London Screen Festival, the documentary will be released on Paramount+ in the US later in 2025.
