Nick Cannon is cleaning out his closet.
During an interview for T.I.’s new “expediTIously” podcast, the rapper-turned-daytime talk show host revisited his decade-old feud with Eminem.
“This is Mariah’s fault too,” began Cannon, referring to his ex-wife Mariah Carey and her beef with Marshall Mathers.
Despite being shut down by Em, Nick said he was prepared to battle the “Rap God,” who Tip called “one the greatest wordsmiths/rappers known to man.” “He didn’t want to battle me. It could’ve went down,” said Nick. “I was like, ‘Whatever he wanna do, I’m wit it.’”
It all started after Em dissed Mariah on “Bagpipes from Baghdad” f his 2009 album Relapse (“Nick Cannon, I wish you luck with the fucking whore,” he rapped). Nick decided that he needed to defend his wife, whom he had recently married.
“I wrote this long-ass letter pretty much saying, ‘Listen, I respect you as an artist. I’m actually a fan. I think you’re one the best to ever do it, but from man to man, you’re talking out pocket to my wife, you gotta be held accountable for that. So I need to see you face-to-face.’”
Nick said he tried to get in touch with Em to no avail. “I said that, ‘I know I’m not gon’ be able to outrap you, but I will woop your ass.’ Those were the exact words.”
However, he thinks Mariah won when she released her 2009 hit “Obsessed,” inspired by Slim Shady. “I feel like Mariah won the battle because she put the ‘Obsessed’ song out, she put Gucci Mane on the remix], Gucci was going at him.”
Despite the lyrical shots (Eminem fired back at “Obsessed” with his diss track “The Warning”), Nick believes that Em wouldn’t have been so tough in person. “They like to build up these superhero characters, but if you’ve ever seen Marshall Mathers in person, he’s not someone who looks like he really wants smoke with most,” he said.
Nick says Eminem eventually apologized and he remains in his top 5.