Stars Who Can't Stand Eminem

Eminem is Slim Shady (yes, he is the real Slim Shady), and he's never imitating; however, that doesn't mean everyone stands up when he walks into a room. In fact, he developed his fair share of haters over the years — including many music industry peers and other well-known individuals. Sometimes, the beef is squashed; other times, it lingers on for years and boils over into a proper feud that shows no sign of letting up.

The man born Marshall Mathers doesn't seem to be bothered, though, since not only is he one of the richest rappers in the world, but he also often uses these quarrels as fuel for his lyrical content — and no one does a diss track quite like Em. (After all, there's a reason Eminem has so many Grammys, and it doesn't seem like a trend that will stop in the near future, despite Drake and Kendrick's best efforts.)

Nonetheless, it's fascinating to look back at why the likes of Ja Rule, Machine Gun Kelly, Iggy Azalea, and even Donald Trump Jr. won't be adding the self-proclaimed rap god to their Christmas card list. Each one of them has their reasons — and that is what's set to be uncovered here. Look, Em did sing: "Now, this looks like a job for me. So, everybody, just follow me, 'cause we all need a little controversy, 'cause it feels so empty without me." And controversy is exactly what he delivers each and every single time he drops a bar.

When someone asks how Machine Gun Kelly really became famous, the answer can be traced back to his feud with Eminem. It all kicked off in 2012, when MGK posted a now-deleted message on X (formerly known as Twitter) about how attractive he found Em's daughter Hailie, while adding that he respected Em. In a 2015 interview with HOT 97, MGK alleged that many people in the industry all but shadow-banned him after that social media post, but he still didn't understand what was so wrong with what he said to begin with. In 2018, though, Kelly fanned the flames by throwing a subtle shot at Em on the Tech N9ne track "No Reason" that he featured on.

Finally, this song caught Em's attention, and Slim Shady responded through the song "Not Alike," when he challenged MGK to come at him directly and not through passive-aggressive digs. Kelly responded with his own diss track, "Rap Devil," an obvious play on the title of Eminem's own song, "Rap God." Of course, Em didn't do like Elsa from "Frozen" and let it go, escalating it further with his retort, "Killshot," calling MGK a "Stan" and making fun of his man bun.

Appearing on "The Breakfast Club" in September 2018, Kelly bemoaned the fact that Eminem doesn't want to speak to him to hear his side of the story. "He doesn't want to have a conversation," MGK said, before adding: "I wish he would shut the f*** up."

The most head-turning comments made about Donald Trump are an ever-growing list — and Eminem made sure to add his own two cents here as well. Em isn't a fan of Trump's politics, and let rip on the 45th U.S. president on a track titled "The Storm" during a performance at the BET Hip Hop Awards in 2017. In an interview with Vulture a month later, Eminem said he had also pre-written a few words about Trump in case the then-American president had anything to say about the real Slim Shady.

Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. took to X soon thereafter to criticize Em for these comments, writing: "It's a bit odd that he's admitting to having prepared heavily to take on a 70 year old politician. Probably not the best look. So much for freestyle. #WillTheRealLoserPleaseStandUp." Junior and his family weren't likely pleased by Eminem's actions during the 2020 U.S. election season either, as the rapper allowed Trump's rival, Joe Biden, to use the track "Lose Yourself" on the campaign trail.

In June 2024, Trump Jr. reignited the feud by taking to X to poke fun at Eminem. Quoting a post that featured a photo of Em with a claim that he would leave the country if Trump were to be re-elected, Junior wrote: "Are you really telling me that's not Ellen DeGeneres?"

Eminem doesn't shy away from parodying or outright mocking other celebrities. On his 2004 single "Just Lose it," which is off the album "Encore," he took aim at a number of public figures, such as Madonna, MC Hammer, and Michael Jackson, through the lyrics and visual imagery of the music video. Jackson didn't find the funny side of it because Em's lyrics and video content centered around the child abuse allegations the singer was dealing with at the time.

Speaking to a radio station (via The Guardian), Jackson said, "I am very angry at Eminem's depiction of me in his video. I feel that it is outrageous and disrespectful. It is one thing to spoof, but it is another to be demeaning and insensitive." The singer's spokesperson added that he was exploring legal options to take against Eminem.

In 2007, there were rumors that Jackson bought Eminem's catalog as a form of payback for the "Just Lose It" music video; however, Snopes revealed the story to only be half true. Jackson held a 50% stake in a company that acquired Em's catalog, but there's no conclusive proof this was done out of retaliation. Jackson died at the age of 50 in June 2009.

In 2010, South African rap outfit Die Antwoord exploded in popularity around the world. Everyone wanted a piece of the unusual group and their novel sound — except for Eminem, presumably. On the track "Untouchable," off his 2017 album, "Revival," Em rapped: "I'd rather hear 'em say 'Die N-word' than Die Antwoord." Of course, this attracted the band's attention.

In a now-deleted video posted on social media (via HotNewHipHop), Die Antwoord's Yolandi Visser made fun of Eminem for mispronouncing the band's name to fit his bar. In addition, vocalist Ninja chimed in by making a derogatory comment about how they could do the same.

Em fired back at the pair in the song "Greatest," which is from his 2018 album, "Kamikaze." He owned up to not being able to pronounce the name, but also threw shade at the band and for Visser's relationship with Cypress Hill's DJ Muggs. At the same time, he also made sure to remind them of who he is. Not too long afterward, Die Antwoord responded in the form of their own diss track on YouTube, where Ninja told Em that Visser isn't his girlfriend while adding: "Em, you slipping. You used to rap better on drugs."

Nick Cannon was dropped deep into Mariah Carey and Eminem's feud by the proxy of being her husband at the time. Em brought him into the mix by dropping the track "Bagpipes From Baghdad" — which is from the 2009 album "Relapse" — and proceeded to disparage both Cannon and Carey. In a now-deleted blog post (via MTV), Cannon addressed Eminem and threatened the following: "So, Miss Marshall, I'm going to make you wish you never spoke my name and regret the ungodly things you said about my wife."

After Cannon and Carey divorced, Cannon attempted to squash the beef with Eminem. He explained how he saw him as one of the best of all time, but he had to stand up for his then-wife and fight back. Later, Cannon claimed that Eminem apologized to him in private.

However, that wasn't the final sting in the tail, as Em appeared on the Fat Joe and Dre track "Lord Above," where he directed more jabs in Cannon's direction. Cannon responded with his own diss track called "The Invitation," then tried to get Em canceled by uncovering a previously recorded song that featured controversial lyrics. In 2020, Cannon told Billboard that he respects Eminem as a performer, but he will always stand up for himself against him. "I think he knows better now," he said. "If he keeps talking about me, I'm gonna keep talking back."

To find out more about Detroit's favorite son, check out Eminem's insane real-life story.