Eminem is not one of Snoop Dogg‘s favorite rappers. Sitting down with Charlamagne Tha God on Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club earlier this week, Snoop explained that while he acknowledges that Em is an incredible lyricist, he doesn’t compare to ’80s MCs.
The conversation began by discussing the ’90s rap scene, the music Snoop made while signed to Death Row Records, and Dr. Dre — particularly how Dre’s leaving N.W.A and Eazy-E’s Rutheless Records, then signing with Death Row gave him space to show off his skills.
“Dr. Dre was never the greatest producer in the world when he was with N.W.A and he was making the greatest music in the world,” Snoop began. “But, they wasn’t giving him that. So, when he finally got the chance to get with Death Row Records and have a breath of fresh air and some new MCs and a new light, he was definitely gon’ show his ass.
“From that point on, I feel like Dr. Dre put his stake down as like, ‘I’m the dopest producer in hip-hop. I don’t give a fuck where you from. You can’t fuck with me. I can give you my track record and show you better than I can tell you…and I started careers that ain’t never die.’”
Snoop then attributes Eminem’s success to Dre, who first met the Detroit rapper back in’97 and then produced The Slim Shady LP in ’99. “Eminem, the great White hope,” Snoop comments. “White rappers had zero respect in rap. Let’s keep that one thou-wow. None. He [Dr. Dre] has probably put Eminem in the position to where he could be one of the top 10 rappers ever. I don’t think so, but the game feels like he’s top 10 lyricists and all that that comes with it. But, that’s just because he’s with Dr. Dre and Dr. Dre helped him find the best Eminem that he could find.”
He continues, “’Cause it’s some niggas in the 1980s that he can’t fuck with…like Rakim, like Big Daddy Kane, like KRS One, like LL Cool J, shall I go on? Like Ice Cube. You understand me? I ain’t got no time to play. It is what it is. Cuz did that. He did that to the fullest. That’s one of my teammates. That’s one of my brothers. He did that, but when you talking about this hip-hop shit that I can’t live without, I can live without that.”
Watch the conversation at the 14:50 mark in the video below.