Whelp, time to put this nonsense to bed. A resurfaced recording has officially dispelled a long-standing rumor surrounding Eminem’s legendary 1998 Scribble Jam battle against Rhymefest, putting to rest claims that the Detroit rapper used a racial slur during the showdown.
Get this, the allegation gained renewed attention after Rhymefest appeared on the It’s Just My Opinion podcast, recalling the now-iconic freestyle faceoff held in Cincinnati, Ohio. “I battled Eminem in ’98 at this competition called Scribble Jam in Cincinnati,” Rhymefest said. “It was the biggest battle in the Midwest and one of the biggest rap battles in the country. And a lot of famous rappers, DJs and breakdancers came out of Scribble Jam.”
In the actual interview, Rhymefest recounted what he believed to be a boundary-crossing moment during the clash: “I battled Eminem and that was the first time a white guy ever called me a n-gga. I realized something about racism that day – it’s why Family Guy works.”
He continued by explaining how the moment played out for him: “It’s only good when it’s funny. It only is non-offensive when it’s dope. Had you said that sh*t and it not been dope, it would’ve been a problem. But you so cold and courageous that you did it and got away with it. But when I say I won that battle… he won the war!”
But according to newly surfaced evidence, that recollection does not align with the actual events. A full audio recording of the battle, recently shared by D12 member Kuniva and published by AllHipHop, clearly reveals that Eminem never used the racial slur in question.
The actual lyric captured on the recording is: “I’ll let my razor split you ’til they have to staple stitch you/ And everybody in this place will miss you/ If you try to turn my facial issue into a racial issue.”
This confirmed quote shows that the line centered on intricate rhyme schemes and battle-style bravado rather than any offensive language. The crowd’s response in the clip further reinforces that the moment was driven by Eminem’s skillful wordplay, not controversy.