Melle Mel Addresses Backlash To His Eminem Criticism

BYCole Blake3.5K Views
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65th GRAMMY Awards - Red Carpet
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 05: Melle Mel attends the 65th GRAMMY Awards on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Melle Mel has responded to the backlash to his interview with "The Art of Dialogue."

Melle Mel has addressed the backlash he's been receiving in response to his criticism of Eminem. Speaking on his Hip Hop Corner podcast, Mel denied being "jealous," "bitter," or "intimidated by" anyone in hip-hop. Mel had argued that Eminem is only considered an all-time great in hip-hop because he's white. He made the comments during an interview with The Art of Dialogue.

“Melle Mel has nothing against nobody in hip-hop,” he said in the video while lifting weights in the gym. “I’ve been in hip-hop for 40 years. Very competitive, really have nothing against nobody. I’m not jealous of nobody, I’m not intimidated by anybody or anything, and I’m not bitter. I just come across as I come across ’cause I’m a man and I say what I say, and when I say what I say, basically, I mean what I say.”

Melle Mel At The Grammys

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 05: Melle Mel performs onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for The Recording Academy )

He continued: “Everything that I said, that I commented on, it was to comment on what he wrote and who he put on this said list. And I think Billboard is not known for Hip Hop, of course, they’re known for records. So obviously, Billboard is more leaning toward guys that made records, compared to guys like myself that put in all the time in hip-hop. We’re responsible for the genre. We’re the biggest influences in the genre, and if you ask anybody that knows anything about true hip-hop, they will tell you that. If you ask anybody that calls themselves an MC, they will be the first to tell you that there is no modern day rap or hip-hop of that nature if it wasn’t for Grandmaster Flash, if it wasn’t for the Furious Five, if it wasn’t for Melle Mel, if it wasn’t for [Keef] Cowboy.”

The backlash for Mel's original comments on Eminem came from more than just fans. 50 Cent, Fat Joe, Kevin Gates, Papoose, and more all spoke out in disagreement in the days after the take went viral on social media. While they all showed respect for Mel, they couldn't help but disagree with his opinion on Eminem's legacy.

Melle Mel's Response

[Via]

About The Author
Cole Blake is a current staff writer at HotNewHipHop based out of New York City. He began writing for the site as an intern back in 2018 while finishing his B.A. in Journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s covered a number of breaking stories for HNHH. These include the ongoing YSL RICO trial, the allegations surrounding Diddy, and much more. His work also extends outside of hip-hop, having written extensively about a myriad of topics including politics, sports, and pop culture. He’s attended several music festivals to provide coverage for the site as well, such as Rolling Loud and Governors Ball.
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