Not a lot of rappers can hold a candle next to Eminem. For nearly 20 years, he built himself a reputation for being a diabolical lyricist. Only a few have been able to square up to Marshall toe-to-toe without crashing and burning. Of those few, one hails from Em's own hometown: Royce Da 5'9".
Both men primed themselves to be marquee emcees by constantly sharpening their lyrical swords. They pushed each other. Every time they joined one another on a track, they each delivered fearsome verses, hoping to outperform the other. Their consummate effort most always resulted in a lyrically-driven rush of adrenaline. The name for the two-headed monster is Bad Meets Evil, officially established in 2011. Under that moniker, Bad (Royce) and Evil (Em) released one album but many classic tracks.
Brace yourself for some of the hardest verses from the elite Motor City emcees on the latest edition of Who Had The Better Verse. We tell you our picks with each recap, but make sure to vote for either Royce or Em on each of the six ensuing songs. Let's see who comes out on top!
Stretch & Bobbito Freestyle
Before Royce & Eminem were crowned lyrical behemoths, they were merely hungry rhymers from the D scrapping and clawing for respect in the rap game, in which their hometown is often ignored. As newcomers, the pair showed flashes of brilliance when they stopped by the now-famous Stretch and Bobbito Show and freestyled for 12 minutes straight.
The early raps of Marshall Mathers were as crudely imaginative as those he would become famous/infamous for years down the road. "Got a blowjob from Paula Jones, and stuffed it so far in her mouth / My balls broke both of her collarbones / Told Maya this shit was all about me-ah / Gave Alyssa Milano syphilis, mono and gonorrhea / And all three of my main girls said see-ya / Cause Brandy and Monica walked in and caught me fucking Aaliyah,” rapped a young Shady.
Royce's bars were a tad less vulgar, though equally compelling: "Dancing with the Devil leading - I won't die, I'm never leaving / I pledge allegiance to forever breathing / Street niggas with nuts, what? My meat's bigger / Fake-ass thugs with toy guns and cheap triggers." With both men going balls-out bonkers, we had to rule this one a tie.
Winner: Tie
"Bad Meets Evil"
Let's take it all the way back to Eminem's first major-label release: 1999's The Slim Shady LP. He and Royce first tag-teamed for "Bad Meets Evil," the title of which would later become the name for their joint effort as a duo. The Shady LP is way up there as far as debut albums go, but in our opinion, Royce happened to outshine his fellow Detroiter on "Bad Meets Evil," the album's penultimate track.
Here's a snippet: "The disaster with dreads / I'm bad enough to commit suicide / And survive long enough to kill my soul after I'm dead / When in danger, it's funny, actually my flavor's similar to a waiter / Cause I serve any stranger with money." This one goes to Royce.
Winner: Royce da 5'9"
"Fast Lane"
Now let's visit a standout track on Bad Meets Evil's first and only project, Hell: The Sequel, released in 2011 on Shady and Interscope Records. Royce had been quiet in the game before reuniting with Em, but he was able to channel some extra motivation and go toe-to-toe with his longtime collaborator on most every track -- "Fast Lane," especially.
"You've been warned if you've been borned or if you conformed / Slap up a cop and then snatch him outta his uniform / Leave him with his socks, hard bottoms and bloomers on / And hang him by his balls from the horn of a unicorn," rapped Royce, who snags the trophy on this one in a closely contested bout. Though we'll give Royce the victory, the track is also notable for Em's casual shout-out to Nicki Minaj: "Let me tell you what this pretty little dame's name is cause she's kinda famous And I hope that I don't sound too heinous when I say this / Nicki Minaj, but I wanna stick my penis in your anus."
Winner: Royce Da 5'9"
"Vegas"
First off, R.I.P. to Iggy Azalea because Em had his crossbow on deck when he nailed her in the heart on "Vegas," which appeared on the 2014 compilation album Shady XV. When it comes to dissing the most vulnerable celebrities, there's no one more ruthless than Slim Shady. "And I think with my dick so come blow my mind / And it tastes like humble pie / So swallow my pride, you're lucky just to follow my ride,” rapped the Shady Records boss.
Royce didn't slouch here, either, dropping a verse in which he compares women to fruity hard candies: "Treat every women in my stable like flavors / Lick her like she kryptonite and I get weak after like 7 days / And 7 nights in the Days Inn, it's Hot Vegas / We roll in circles and packs, we the lifesavers."
Winner: Eminem
"Raw"
Eminem produced the soundtrack to last year's Jake Gyllenhaal-starring "Southpaw," and he was able to reunite Bad Meets Evil for the track "Raw." It's a perfect counterpart to the bloody boxing film, as both rappers go back and forth pummeling the beat, with a bevy of TKO punches between the two of them.
For me, the competition was neck and neck until Em stole the track with these lines: "Get a couple of 50 watt bulbs with a hot tub / Fill up them buns with a hot dog / And be frank these other motherfuckers ain't even in the Ball Park / Then she pulled out the condiment drawer / She must heard this is where the condoms get stored." Sheesh!
Winner: Eminem
"All I Think About"
Here's another standout track on the "Southpaw" soundtrack. Many have watched Em slow down in recent years while Royce has managed to step his game up, most notably on his 2014 joint album with DJ Premier, PRhyme. As with "Raw," though, Em can't be touched on "All I Think About." He clearly saved some of his best work for film he was so invested in.
These bars are particularly reminiscent of the "old Marshall": "I never rapped for bitches, how's it that my audience now is broader? / Devil without a cause, rebel without a pause / I am a kaze without the kami / You wouldn’t be a G if it cost me a thousand dollars."
Winner: Eminem