Canibus shared rare insights into his journey in hip hop and why dissing Eminem was a lesson learned over time.
Hip hop legend Canibus sat down with Van Styles, sharing his unique perspective on the game, past battles, and lessons learned. Known for his powerful freestyling and lyrical prowess, Canibus reflected on breaking into the hyper-competitive scene of the 1990s and how his intense love for the craft shaped him as both an artist and a person.
He gained fame with his debut album “Can-I-Bus” in 1998. He now recalled his experiences navigating multiple beefs in his career, including the infamous back-and-forth with Eminem. Their feud dated back to 1998, sparked by rumours that Eminem had ghostwritten for LL Cool J in his response to Canibus’ “Second Round K.O”. Eminem took offence with how Canibus dealt with the situation and diss tracks and jabs at Bis would follow on “The Slim Shady LP” and “The Eminem Show”, not counting multiple freestyles and mixtape numbers, until Canibus called off the rivalry in 2005.
Reflecting on it now, Canibus has a different outlook:
I don’t take it seriously anymore. I’m half a century years old.
He acknowledged the backlash that comes with taking on a figure as beloved as Eminem, noting:
It’s not cool to diss Eminem. Everybody who has ever dissed him knows that. Everybody who has ever dissed him knows that it’s not cool to diss Eminem. Not because of blackballing or somebody making a phone call. It’s just, if you threaten something that so many people love, then you inadvertently put yourself in the [hot] seat.
He mentioned how even Benzino — a personality known for his own public beef with Eminem — had come to a similar realisation.
And Canibus is right about the attention and pressure that come with going against Eminem. It’s been almost 20 years since his feud with Em died out – and still, this is the question everybody wants to ask him.
