Despite everything Eminem has given the game, it feels as if there are still some unwilling to give him credit. Though widely beloved by the mainstream audiences, it sometimes feels like serious hip-hop discourse tends to tense up when Slim's name is involved. Insofar as the media is concerned, he's been all but written off by many critics, his Music To Be Murdered By project a rarity on several prominent Album Of The Year round-ups (he made ours). Even when rappers bring Em's name up, it's not uncommon to see a few defiant "buts" tossed around.
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For KXNG Crooked, the Eminem slander is futile -- as much as his haters will loathe to hear it. When he spoke with HNHH for our 12 Days Of X-MAS interview special, Crook took a moment to reflect on the emcees that actually posed a threat to his verse of the year ambitions. Singling out Black Thought, Benny The Butcher, Royce Da 5'9", and more, he quickly looked to his "I Will" collaborator Eminem and proceeded to lay down a celebratory assessment.
"Eminem is always in the talks," reflects Crook. "I don’t care, they love to hate him. And a lot of people have been trying to push my homie out of the culture. They been making sly remarks - people with platforms. And this ain’t just me speaking from a homeboy level, this me speaking as a fan and a technician myself. You can’t push Marshall out the game. He’s one of the greatest pens to ever exist in Hip-Hop, and it ain’t gon change no time soon. They always get me when I talk about Em. But Eminem is one for sho."
And this ain’t just me speaking from a homeboy level, this me speaking as a fan and a technician myself. You can’t push Marshall out the game. He’s one of the greatest pens to ever exist in Hip-Hop, and it ain’t gon change no time soon. They always get me when I talk about Em. But Eminem is one for sho.
While it's unclear as to who he was specifically referring to, if anyone other than the generalized haters, it's clear that Crooked has much admiration for Shady's pen game. Unsurprising, given their shared prowess as lyricists, not to mention their stylistic similarities; though both emcees are indeed distinct, they both appreciate multisyllabic rhyme schemes, internal rhyming, and seeking out unconventional pockets. Therefore, whenever you do hear them on the same track, seldom is one outshining the other.
Check out KXNG Crooked speaking on Eminem below, and for more where that came from, check out the entire interview right here.