Image via Getty / Paul Archuleta
After the release of Music to Kill – Side B, Eminem sat down for an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music to reflect on his career. Em talked about the infancy of hip-hop as well as the discovery of Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys, and due to the evolution of the genre, there will never really be anyone who will claim the title of ‘best rapper of all time’ do not claim.
“Hip-hop has gone through too many different transitions for anyone to really be the best rapper of all time,” Eminem told Lowe during the 20:40 interview after talking about his appreciation for rap pioneer Rakim. “It evolved. Now people do things with streams that I could never see happen. But at the same time, rappers from that era meant so much more to that era, just because there were so many innovators and there were so many rappers.”
Reflecting on the evolution of rap as a whole, he said the ‘golden age of hip-hop’ was his personal favorite, because it was new at the time. “You’ve never heard of it,” Marshall remarked. “I know I’ve seen a lot of people and heard that it’s not going to be anything. You know what I’m saying? Like it’s not going to last, or whatever. Here we are what, 40, 50 years later? It’s “And it’s the greatest music. If I’m not mistaken, it’s the greatest genre.”
Em also said he does not think anything he has done so far is as influential as those who have influenced him. He does have many current favorites and mentions Lil Wayne, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Joyner Lucas as people who are ‘the best rapper’. If he were to name his favorite rappers, who prefer to do it per era, he would mention Tupac, Rakim and KRS-One, among others.
Later in the interview, he touched on Pete Davidson’s parody of ‘Stan’. SNL, for which Em provided a short como. “His delivery was definitely really on point,” he said of Pete’s beating, adding that he was not so sure of the sketch after reading the lyrics. “The whole thing was wonderful.”
Music to Kill – Side B falls just before Christmas, and Billboard reported the record was raised from number 199 to number 3 due to the luxury reissue. Taylor Swift’s second album of the year, Always, is expected to cling to No. 1 spot for the second week, while Paul McCartney’s McCartney III debut at number 2.
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