Snoop Dogg and Eminem: From beef to brotherhood

A tale of two titans in hip-hop

2022 MTV VMAs – Show
2022 MTV VMAs – Show | Dimitrios Kambouris/GettyImages

In the vast universe of hip-hop, where rivalries and lyrical battles often take center stage, there’s one story that recently shifted from animosity to amity. We’re talking about the legendary feud between Snoop Dogg and Eminem – two iconic artists who’ve left an indelible mark on the rap game.

The feud that rocked the mic

Let’s rewind to last year when Snoop Dogg, in an interview on The Breakfast Club, made waves by suggesting that Eminem didn’t quite make his personal Top 10 list of all-time great rappers. Eminem, never one to shy away from a lyrical duel, fired back in his song “Zeus,” rapping,

"Last thing I need is Snoop doggin’ me/Man, Dogg, you was like a damn god to me/Nah, not really/I had ‘dog’ backwards"

The tension simmered, and fans wondered if this rift would escalate into a full-blown war of words. But behind the scenes, something unexpected was brewing.

The apology heard around the world

In a surprising twist, Snoop Dogg revisited The Breakfast Club on Wednesday (October 27) and shed light on how he and Eminem reconciled their differences. He disclosed that they engaged in a "lengthy conversation" where Snoop took the opportunity to apologize to Eminem for his previous remarks.

"Man, I love Eminem!” he said. “The thing is that we love Hip Hop so much, we competitive, we battle rappers, so that was supposed to trigger that in him. But we brothers and we family so we learned to appreciate each other for what we do and how we get down, and we had a long conversation about the respect that we have for each other and the way we need to talk in public about each other."
"I felt like I was out of pocket. I apologized to him and I let him know that I’m just bettering myself. I make mistakes, I ain’t perfect, I’m Snoop Dogg."

And just like that, the feud dissolved into thin air. Snoop and Eminem, both veterans in the game, realized that their shared love for hip-hop was more significant than any disagreement. They were brothers, after all.

Brothers in rhyme

The private reconciliation didn’t stop there. Snoop and Eminem joined forces to record a new track for Snoop’s supergroup, Mt. Westmore. Ice Cube, Too $hort, E-40, and now Eminem – a powerhouse lineup that promises to deliver fire.

Snoop described the collaboration as a challenge.

"Eminem really shot at me,” he said. “He shot his shot. And as a rapper, that’s what you want when you get a feature – to have to work your a** off. You want somebody to come to the playing field, putting up points, to where you got to rethink your shit and say, ‘Well, damn, this is what he thinks of me."

The bigger picture

But beyond the bars and beats, there’s a lesson here. Snoop and Eminem remind us that even in the cutthroat world of hip-hop, respect and understanding can bridge gaps. They’re brothers who’ve weathered storms, just like real siblings do.

So, next time you bump their music, remember that behind the bravado lies a bond forged by passion, creativity, and a shared journey through the rap cosmos.