Are Suge Knight’s accusations against Eminem justified?

You want to piss me off? Ok, bring up two stereotypes that some people like to apply to Marshall Mathers: sexism and racism!
As a single mom of two bi racial kids, do you really think that I would buy Eminem’s records if I thought that he was a blatant racist and a misogynist?

Suge Knight, the founder of Death Row recently implied that Eminem was a racist and a misogynist:
“When Eminem came out, I liked him. I thought he could rap, and I thought he was funny… But when you start saying black women are nigger bitches and gold diggers, then I’ve got a problem because I’ve got a mother, I’ve got daughters.
You cross a line when you start stereotyping a race. Eminem is making his money off black people and black culture, then turning around and degrading black women. He’s a racist.”

It is funny to see people like Irv Gotti and Suge Knight who spread a degrading image of black women through their lyrics point fingers at Marshall Mathers, calling him a sexist person. Don’t fall into their trap if you’re not familiar with rap music and hip hop culture: rap music lyrics might often have a misogynistic content, but the rules of rap also allow female emcees to bash males in their lyrics.
Ice Cube’s lyrics are at least as sexist as Eminem’s and I would never call O’ Shea Jackson a sexist person, because I make a difference between a character and real life.
Eminem is not the first nor the last rapper to call women sluts, hoes and bitches. Many people have called Eminem a misogynist out of ignorance. It is clear that Marshall Mathers doesn’t hate women. A misogynist wouldn’t add in a song like Kill You « I’m just playing ladies, you know I love you ». Eminem is a man who has a dark sense of humor, he plays with words and people gotta learn how to read him between the lines.
People such as Suge Knight, Irv Gotti , Ja Rule and Benzino (and the list goes on…) should learn how to respect black women’s image first before claiming that Eminem is degrading them. Because they are black, is it ok for them to call them down ass bitches? Is it ok for them to show nudity and to sell sex in their videos and magazines? Is it ok, because of their skin color to sell « big booties » and « hip hop honeys » in the same hip hop mags?
Eminem did a regrettable mistake in his past. I don’t think that his Foolish Pride song is defendable. However, I think that anybody who calls Marshall Mathers a racist is very wrong. Shady people like Suge Knight, who have blood on their hands and who were involved in dark affairs, would like the public to believe that Eminem is a racist man who takes advantage of Blacks by making money out of their music.
I have said it many times, but I will repeat it as much as needed: Eminem has spent most of his life with black people. He embraced their culture and has a passion for their music. Marshall’s best friends are black. A black man, Andre Young aka Dr Dre, who you can count among his best friends, signs his checks.
On the local Detroit scene, Eminem collaborates with many black artists. Eminem is not a culture stealer, he is an enrichment to rap music, because he is an amazing lyricist who sounds like nobody else.
As for his former tapes, Chaos Kid, has totally situated a context that the Source owners wanted to misrepresent for their own commercial interests.
Not only had Eminem broken up with his black girlfriend in a context of high racial tensions that was typical to Detroit in the early 90’s, the Foolish Pride song is one of the songs that belongs to those « suckering rhymes » (the name says it all) created by Eminem and his fellow wite emcees in reaction to a rejection against a black community that didn’t really want to hear about white emcees.
My readers also need to acknowledge that the whole  Eminem is a racist thing is part of a big commercial plot.
A greedy emcee from Detroit, Aroc and two accomplices, have sold Eminem’s former tapes to Benzino for a record deal. Eminem’s former tapes were not intended to publication. The lyrics to those songs have never been written down. Benzino, who has proven to be a big opportunist and a person with no ethics, has used those tapes in order to break Eminem’s career and to get noticed as a « rapper ».
Today, the man who bashed Eminem has resigned from the Source that currently faces bankruptcy. The man who claimed that he defended black women’s image faces some sexual harassment charges.
I think that violent and dishonest people like Suge Knight, Irv Gotti and Benzino should keep their mouth shut about Eminem.
Eminem has already apologized for his former mistake. Now Suge wants Eminem to participate to a summit and justify himself again? I don’t see any logical reason for Eminem to participate to such a reunion, unless Suge intends to trap him. This wouldn’t be the first time a dangerous man like him tried to get somebody knocked out (Suge paid somebody to assault Dr Dre at the 2004 Vibe Awards) or killed for his own dirty interests.
Eminem was clever enough to stay out of his beef with Dr Dre. Why would he meet a person that has obvious bad intentions?
Besides his murder charges, Suge Knight has done horrible things in his life. I think that his own sins don’t allow him the right to judge one single mistake of a man who lives for hip hop and who has not the big bad wolf role some people would like him to endorse in order to serve their own interests.

40 thoughts on “Are Suge Knight’s accusations against Eminem justified?”

  1. I went through my whole career without ever mentionin’ suge
    Now it’s just out of respect for not runnin’ my mouth
    And talkin’ about something that I knew nothing about
    Plus Dre told me stay out, this just wasn’t my beef
    So I did, I just fell back, watched and gritted my teeth
    While he’s all over t.v. down talkin’ a man who literally saved my life
    Like fuck it i understand this is business
    And this shit just isn’t none of my business
    now it is.. i hope he smashes that bully

  2. i completely agree with everything that you said … i grew up listening to Eminem and like one of his songs i listened religiously pretty much and i didnt understand why people were trying to drag him down … every song that i listen to has a great story to tell and i love that Eminem raps about his life and not about sex drugs money and girls like todays rap, which i think sucks … not that Eminem didnt rap about sex drugs money or girls because i know he did, but each time he did, it was for a reason. To tell others , to get it out of his head, to make sure everyone knew where he was coming from.
    yea so basically … im glad you wrote what you did …

  3. That was such a great blog!
    I completely agree with everything you have written. Eminem is a diamond in the rough in the hip hop business to me, he is unique and has taken rap to a new level. He amazes me with how he can write songs like ‘ass like that’ to demonstrate his sense of humour and fun side then write songs like ‘toy soldiers’ and ‘mockingbird’ to describe his life and put meaning into rap. I love listening to Eminem as he comes out with the best songs that are deep and have meaning. I hated rap until i heard Eminem, he truly is unlike any other.
    I love the bit where you wrote: “Because they are black, is it ok for them to call them down ass bitches? Is it ok for them to show nudity and to sell sex in their videos and magazines? Is it ok, because of their skin color to sell « big booties » and « hip hop honeys » in the same hip hop mags?”
    It is true, the only reason why they think it is racist is because Eminem, a white man, is saying them, and that in itself is racist on Suge’s behalf. If it were a black man saying those things he (suge) would think it is alright? Hypocritical.
    Anyway, i enjoyed his very much thank-you 🙂

  4. Well, i would like to start by saying that i agree with alot of what this blog says. Its been years since this has surfaced, and i have many opinions on this topic. First off…i am the Aroc you refer to as being greedy!….The purpose of uncovering this tape has totally been interpreted out of the eyes of the media, so before i even touch this, i must say that you dont have your facts straight, and your opinion has been directly tainted by what you beleive from media sources!….I got wrapped up in that whole fiasco, not out of the greed or wanting of money…but by more personal emotional issues. I have been an emcee in the Detroit area for nearly 20 years, and respect the hiphop culture for what it is….not what the media has made it out to be….Eminem was one of the true hiphop lovers that ive known in my life, and was one of my biggest influences in music way before any Dr. Dre, or 50 centz came along….way before the glitz, and glamour, and a fan base of millions. Marshall was an ill ass , raw emcee outta St. Clair Shores, Michigan when i met him…and he helped me realize what passion for music was all about. In life sometimes people make mistakes that they can NEVER take back. Some people have drug addictions, some domestic or internal problems that they have made that can never be rectafied…..My issue was ever being snaked by certain people in the industry that wanted vengance and self gain! I would hope to talk to Marshall face to face one day and offer my appologies for being wrapped up in that whole crap situation that was done for media purposes. A man never finds life, or walks un-blurred until he walks with our savior Jesus Christ…..Through God, everythang is revealed…and sometimes its a good look at yourself and your own actions. Good luck to you…great blog. I think you were right on in 99 percent of it……To Em, have a great, and prosperous career my old friend….you have worked hard for what you have earned, and i have nothing but respect for you. Dont let a retarded action speak for the moral and backbone of a man. Take care!…..EMCEE AROC, SOLDIER OF GOD

  5. As much as white people would like to justify a white man (EM) for saying ignorant words as he did…it can’t be done. The main issue is not whether he’s sexist…but racist and for a white man to say degrading things like that….wake up people…he’s racists. Da Truth is eminem emulates black people to the degree that I believe he really wants to be one. If you take a look at some racists and ask them who’s their favourite ball player, musician or just role model they’ll suprisly name someone who is black…which in itself is odd and makes being racist all the more ridiculous. I somewhat agree with the blog but it seems to bias. If he indeed said those thjings which he admitted…then he’s a racist regardless of the situation. The only thing that would excuse him is that he was young at the time. (Hell, I can honestly say I have a different mentality when I was 15 to now) but what bothers me is that time and time again our (BLACK) culture is being raped by white people who in turn show no respect and attempt to steal and covet it as their own…and continue to do so.
    Do I forgive, not really, he said it he thinks it and now it came to light he’s very sorry. But if the tape didnt surface would he of came out and said I used to think like this?…NO…it would of been his dark secret but now it got exposed and now he’s sorry. No Im sorry, Im just one tired black man that cant take the foolishness anymore from these cowardly, pale-skin people that have fighting against my people from day one…and now find it socially acceptable to emulate us…sorry I will not forgive the ignorance of this so-called “rapper”.

    1. I’d be glad if you could drop the black and white thing for a moment…first of all i am not defending him because he is white…i myself am white, been living a great part of my adult life within the black community, i am a mom of two bi racial kids, so i dare anybody here to call me a racist LMAO…i think that what Em said as a teenager has no excuses, he shouldn’t have said that, period. But he did…anybody can make mistakes, particularly in our teenage years we can happen to act foolishly or to say crazy things, sometimes out of provocation.
      One should also consider that there was a lot of racial tension in Detroit in the 90’s and that he was a white emcee trying to emerge…he wanted some attention and maybe thought he’d get it that way, because he happened not to be taken seriously as a white person trying to rap, as much difficult it can be for me as a white woman writing about black music and gangsta rap in particular…it is difficult for people to understand that a white mom can love gangsta rap out of Compton…
      if you are calling him a racist, you are ignorant yourself…he has lived in the black hood, has himself suffered from racism, has been bullied at school by black kids…his best friend, Deshaun Holton aka Proof was black…most of his current true friends are black, the people he is hanging out with are black, the ones he is working with are black, his producer is black and he’s always been a huge fan of his music, so how can you call Em a racist…his life proves the contrary…h’s skin is white, but he is “black inside”…see i might be white, but i get on with black people better…
      As for the black culture being raped, i agree to some extent…some white people are trying to take advantage of it…this is how rock’n roll, originally invented by black people, became ” white music”…there are loads of people with bad intends, but you cannot make it a rule…
      but you cannot judge people BY their color…you have good and bad people in EVERY community.
      I have mad love for black folks:)

  6. Very well written, i hope you’re proud of this
    EMINEM IS A LEGEND AND I HOPE DRE DOESN”T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SUGE IN THE FUTURE

    1. thanks for the compliment, Chris:)
      and yea, Em is a legend…he’s done some amazing work over the years:)))

  7. hey thats ok
    Eminem is a great MC and i hope for peace in hip hop and the world, i think things will work out for those who deserve it.

  8. Fully agree with Da truth.. It’s only an issue now with people trying to defend his actions because we all learned of the tape. If the tape was never leaked…we wouldve never heard Feminem come out and randomly admit he did such a song. Im sure he wouldnt have put his hand up after all these years of making money from his dre produced albums and say “oh yeah by the way…when i was a teen this is what i thought of black women,but i was young so it doesnt matter now”…lol???? The racist pig simply wasnt making a song from boredom…as to talk about such a subject was very directed and aimed. I suppose you idiots are the type that would also agree if ex KKK members started to suddenly say “oh hell…maybe what we did was immature,but we were young so it’s not an issue anymore”…????? Grow up you fools and realise….he’s a racist faggot. Plain and simple. And yes…he’s been so successful that he’s one of the foremost reasons the rap-hip hop scene has turned into a radio and tv friendly “pop-rap” genre for young children and try hard internet gangsters. A real inspiration…sure…haha what a joke..!!!!!

  9. OMG why do you get so bloody defensive about your culture, Rap is not “YOURS” and if you say that it is, then you have absolutely no right to be calling anyone a racist. Eminem is a musician, a talented lyricist and came from nothing to be what he is today. If anyone has a right to be racist (which they don’t) then its him after suffering racist attacks every day, most notably at the hands of D’angelo Bailey who put him in a coma!?
    Music cannot be the property of a certain race, and its certainly ridiculous to say that black culture is “being raped” by white people. rap cannot inherently be Black Culture, its music for god’s sake.

  10. Wow, that was an amazing essay. I’ve been writing for years and never put out something that great. Your 100% right about the finger pointing game. Eminem is not a racist and doesn’t hate women. If he hated women he wouldn’t date them,marry them or take care of his daughter. He’s just been hurt a lot but women he loves and is venting. People say things they don’t mean when there hurt. I’m a black man and dated white women I called her a trailer trash whore in the heat of the moment and later dated another white girl. Rappers always call women bithches and whore in their rap they also talk about selling drugs,rapeing women that noone cares but as soon as they hear a white person say black women are gold diggers and whores he crossed the line. Suge Knight is a bully he bullied Vanilla Ice out of his money and withheld money from Dre,Snoop and 2pac which they end up leaving Death Row. Suge Knight is jealous that Dre’s label is successful and Suge doesn’t have a record label anymore. You can find me on twitter and Facebook under Steven Lamarr

  11. eminem is not racist… wtf are you talking about? he respects everyone and is extremely talented. regardless of what anyone thinks, eminem is the greatest rapper that has ever lived

  12. what’s up with this complainin’ ass fool; em explained why he made those tapes; he broke up with some girl that did him wrong; i’ve said things about people plenty of times that I didn’t mean, so whats the big deal. em is the man… leave him alone

  13. EMINEM- FOOLISH PRIDE –THEN WRITE THIS —maybe he was just a kid but when i was a kid racisn wasnt a big deal but he says at the end dont date a black chcik date a WHITE chick –that may not be racist in your book but it is to the rest of us. there is a thing called selective racsim many people have it here in america and arounf the world and he has been throught alot of racsim during his child but what about many of the BLACK people who’ve been through it i have yet to hear a BLACK OR HISPANIC RAPPER ASIAN OR ANY OTHER RACE RAP BOUT IT—I’d rather he say fuck black girl alicia or rebecca bcuz it says i hate you i’d rather he burn her house down with her in it bcuz it says i hate you not i hate all black women thats crap –but i hear that he has a crush on rihanna so i guess maybe he was just mad but that doesnt mean the track it self wasnt racist–and he a white man said fuck us black women –and i LOVE eminem or at least i did now im not so sure

  14. Are people serious? When eminem started his career, the whole hating gays and women are just part of the gimmick. EVERY rapper needs one. The guy has 3 daughters, who seem very happy with him, he keeps them out of the spotlight unlike other parents, you don’t think if he hated women he would have given up his first born? and instead of adopting two other GIRLS, adopt two BOYS? jeez.
    And how can he be racist when he created SHADY RECORDS so d12 can join him in the rap game?

  15. Okay in response to Eminem, i believe everyone has some degree of racism (everyone), but out of love for your own, and i don’t think he sees white people as his own, nor really love them exclusively like that. So it’s harder to say he’s racist now (even though i do think that song is super-foul.)
    Now in response to the idiot named “Dave”:
    What is up with you people and slyly trying to take everything out of Black and native hands and say its yours too? Seriously?? YES music CAN belong to a people, just like other artforms, dress, food, language, and lifestyle can belong to a people. INFLUENCES can still happen within music of a region/genre, but it’s still music of a people. Is it that hard to give credit where it’s due?? Not only have white people historically STOLEN people’s lands, resources, epistemology, some of you want to take the arts then when caught be one some “cmon lets share, it’s ours too” shyt? Excuse you? DO A LITTLE MORE BLACK HISTORICAL RESEARCH. Please! MTV/BET isn’t going give it you. *smh* The arrogance of some people….

  16. FUCK EMINEM , AND TO MUTHA FUCKA WHO WROTE THIS SHIT TOO . EMINEM SAID BLACKS HOE’S WHEN OTHER RAPPERS LIKE 2PAC OR ICECUBE SAY BITCHES AND HOE’S THEY DON’T SAY COLOR BUT EMINEM DID YOU GET THE POINT NOW DUMB FUCK . ITS NOT A BLACK AND WHITE THING EITHER GET THAT SHIT STRAIGHT FIRST . EMINEM SAID BLACK ICE CUBE SAYS HOE’S THATS MEANS IF THE SHOE FITES WEAR IT ALL WOMEN THAT ARE HOE’S . MEXICAN BLACK WHITE ASIAN RAINBOW COLORS I GIVE A FUCK . NOW DO YOU GET IT PEEP GAME NIGGA OAKLAND C.A. WESTSIDEEEEEEEEEEE .

  17. i am in lov wit eminem but wen i heard dat song my heart took him out he is 2faced black ppl helped him become dat man he is today so he should be thankin dem not fuckin em eminem should lose all his black friends

  18. I agree with you in the fact Eminem is a great rapper the guy basically revived rap single handedly.but the bit I don’t agree with is you said Suge knight has been charged with murder which is untrue he’s been named by people as being involved in the murders of tupac and biggie and the disappearance of his then girlfriend Melissa Isaac but has never officially been charged or arrested for any of them but other than that good post and just in case anyone is wondering I despise suge as much as every other decent rap fan peace out R.I.P Tupac Shakur.

  19. wow you’re fcking retarded
    eminem is a misogynist, just because he says “i’m just playing ladies…” is only added so that dumbass women fall for it.

  20. Why don’t we all as americans be one happy family? America is a free country and is made up of a diverse community of races. Share the culture just as we share the love. LIKEE A SOMEBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODAYYY!!

  21. Funny thing is he NEVER dated a black girl! That’s made up! And as for the Ice Cube comment- he has said “WHITE CAVED BITCH” in his song and makes several other “white” comments. Does that make him a racist??????

  22. And if you Dig deep enough in ANYONES past I’m sure EVERYONE has said, joked, had thoughts, told jokes etc. of some sort of racisim towards another race/ sex/ gender in some form weather its out of anger of a situation, sarcastic or not! No matter what race we are! GUARENTEED!!

  23. Aroc, I remember the summer of 96 you and Eminem stopped bye to see me and Gino and you had the pic for the cd cover on top of ren center down town. Funny how everyone believes everything they hear. Eminem Didn’t grow up in “the hood” or Detroit for that matter. He mostly lived in Warren, went to Lincoln which was 90% white through the 90’s. And didn’t live on 8mile, he lived off of 9 mile and van dyke! Sure he met blacks while in the industry and networking along the way but he didn’t Grow up with many of them. I enjoy his music. As well as arocs. But its SO funny how everyone puts this Mostly fabricated life story together because of what’s said in songs

  24. Aroc, I remember the summer of 96 you and Eminem stopped bye to see me and Gino and you had the pic for the cd cover on top of ren center down town. Funny how everyone believes everything they hear. Eminem Didn’t grow up in “the hood” or Detroit for that matter. He mostly lived in Warren, went to Lincoln which was 90% white through the 90’s. And didn’t live on 8mile, he lived off of 9 mile and van dyke! Sure he met blacks while in the industry and networking along the way but he didn’t Grow up with many of them. I enjoy his music. As well as arocs. But its SO funny how everyone puts this Mostly fabricated life story together because of what’s said in songs. Its called IMAGE

  25. Pointing out Suge Knight’s hypocrisy or giving examples of other rappers calling women derogatory names does not refute the fact that Eminem is a racist misogynist. I’m not sure why you think the mixed heritage of your children is even relevant. Did you think that would give your argument clout? Because it doesn’t!
    Just because one has a black partner, friends or even half black children doesn’t mean they’re not racist. Racism is the belief that one race is superior to others or certain qualities or behaviours are exclusive to a particular race. Eminem explicitly stated that black women were gold digging hoes as opposed to white women who are good. Therefore he’s racist! Many white people emulate black culture but have no respect for black people!

    1. Listen…uk Lady or whoever you are…you don’t know me, ok…i have lived nearly all my adult life in the black community…i think that is sufficient!

  26. Justified yes,(he’s the self proclaimed elvis and jesus christ king of the latter days saints(Renegade) but necessary for you to write an article about it, perhaps not. What you need to do is treat these so called men like the images they are and ignore them. Your claim to fame is sparking a race debate. Your the racist. Looking at the mirror of these ugly creature that have given up their own names to become someone or something they are not. In addition, being racist and misogynist doesn’t really bother me, that’s been around for centuries. What get’s to me is these people including the author of the blog would much rather point out the obvious, then to display the real character of a rapper or producer they are all greedy and hurting and scared. If we would just learn to keep our faith strong and not bash on each other, Jesus said to love your brother, and to love your enemy. That’s assuming that the enemy is a brother and not just a color then maybe like that they can change. They all played the same game on all of us. We have been had, 2pac is dead and so is biggie and dr dre son,-but remember this they were already dead to us, we didn’t know them it was their image not god’s image. I thought I was listening to leaders come to find out they worship money and all that it can bring them, emptiness. I found out they are nothing but bottom feeders, Now I find out that all these creatures are walking around like they are God. “KIss my feet I made a song, it’s got a nice beat, kiss my feet” but you’ve kissed their feet and they went down in defeat Killing each other, robbing each other, being false witnesses and coveting each others things. Wake up world, the image of the beast is upon us. BTW all women are not hoes and bitches or after your riches. The virgin mary believed God. Regardless of your skin color we all turn to dust. It’s our spirit that lives. So the next time you see a rapper talk to him like a person and see if they have a soul cause if they dont what’s that point of listening to the wind blow. Thanks for your time.

  27. As for the accusations of racism, they are totally unjustified. As a music journalist, I have been in touch with Detroit insiders for nearly a decade, from the black and white community. I have talked to DJ Butter, Chaos Kid, Bob Claus, MC Hush, Uncle ILL and many more, i have interviewed many of them artists from the Detroit hip hop scene…they have ALL know Eminem in his pre rapping days….if he was racist, they would have pointed it out in some way or another…pulling the race card is so easy…sorry, here people are WRONG if they think he is a blatent racist, period.

  28. If you make a song bashing black women then you’re a racist. Point blank, period. Only a white woman would say he’s not racist because he knows a lot of black people -_- Ok so you’re a mother of bi- racial children. By your logic if you were to call a black person the N word you can’t be racist because your kids are black. Does that actually sound logical to you?

  29. I have nothing to prove to you…i’ve been living with black people( i am not talking about theoretical knowledge) over 20 years, i have two bi racial kids,so that’s my life, what are you going to do…I am not using the N word, period…as for Eminem i don’t think he did….and that song goes back to his teenage years, so why all the fuss…anyway, people are entitled to their opinion…if you think he’s a racist, good for you, go for it, I don’t really care lol

    1. It matters in this way: he is a multi-mullionaire artist selling in a field that is usually a black music field.

Comments are closed.