As one of the few loving legends of rap music, Eminem hardly needs an introduction. The rapper has sold millions of records, has had notable feuds, and has made headlines with his performances on stage.
Speaking of feuds, Eminem has never shied away from speaking his mind about another celeb, no matter their status in Hollywood. That said, people were still shocked to see that Eminem once had some problems with...Weird Al Yankovic? Yeah, you read that correctly!
Let's take a closer look at Eminem, and learn why he had some issue with the guy that gave the world "White & Nerdy."
Eminem Left His Legacy In Rap As One Of The Greats
Compared to many genres, the history of rap music is relatively young. That said, there have been a number of figures who have left an indelible mark on the genre, including none other than Eminem.
The Detroit rapper became a sensation as Y2K was rolling around, and his brand of raw, authentic lyrics caught the attention of fans everywhere. While Slim Shady always had the talent, linking up with Dr. Dre changed everything, and the former N.W.A. mainstay spearheaded Eminem's rap game takeover.
In the years since becoming a breakout success, Eminem has developed into a legend. He's a legitimate master of his craft, and he's known as one of the most lyrically-gifted MCs to ever do it. What's more, is that Eminem currently stands tall as the biggest-selling rapper of all time, a feat that will be almost impossible for others to topple, now that physical album sales are a thing of the past.
Mathers has done a bit of everything in music since breaking out, including engaging in some notable feuds that have received plenty of media coverage.
Eminem Had Countless Altercations In The Past
When it comes to notorious rap beefs through history, Eminem's name is one that frequently pops up. He's never been one to simply brush things aside, and he's had a war of words with a number of popular figures.
In 2020, NME compiled a pretty comprehensive list of all the people that Eminem has feuded with. Some of the names are shocking, to say the least.
For example, as the '90s were coming to a close, Eminem had some problems with Christina Aguilera.
"After Eminem married longtime girlfriend Kim in 1999 in a secret ceremony, Christina Aguilera leaked the information during her MTV special What A Girl Wants, and also warned women about the consequences of physical abuse in relationships. Em didn’t take to kindly to her spilling the beans so aired his frustrations on ‘The Real Slim Shady,'" the site wrote.
Eminem also engaged in beefs with people like Machine Gun Kelly, Everlast, Will Smith, Nick Cannon, Mariah Carey, Ja Rule, Joe Budden, and a whole lot more.
Eminem's big-name beefs are the ones that people remember the most, but he has had a few that some have forgotten about. This includes a beef with none other than Weird Al Yankovic, who's long been known as one of the nicest guys in the business.
Weird Al And Eminem Had Some Minor Heat
So, how in the world did Eminem find himself embroiled in a beef with the guy who sang "Amish Paradise"?
"The trouble started innocently enough, when Yankovic decided to make one of his classic parody songs based on Eminem’s Academy Award-winning track, “Lose Yourself.” Eminem agreed and thus the song “Couch Potato,” which satirized TV-obsessed Americans, was born. But when it came time to make a music video for the song and promote it as the lead single on Yankovic’s upcoming album Poodle Hat, Eminem was suddenly concerned the parody “would be harmful to his image or career,” and put the kibosh on the whole thing," The AV Club wrote.
Al was asked about the situation by EW, and he gave an honest answer.
"I’m not mad at Eminem. He’s entitled to his feelings. I thought it was unusual because he’s a funny guy and he’s done funny parodies in his videos. In fact, he did that great parody of ”Purple Rain” — what was it, ”8 Mile”? I loved that movie," he said.
Al then "interviewed" Eminem, and the segment, while funny, was sued to poke some fun at Slim Shady. The clip has been available online for ages at this point, and admittedly, some of it has not aged too well.
All in all, this was one of Eminem's tamer beefs, but one that people were still surprised by. I mean...it's Weird Al Yankovic, after all.