Mariah Carey has finally addressed longstanding speculation about the origins of her infamous feud with Eminem during a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live.
The pop icon reluctantly confirmed that the beef may have indeed stemmed from the rapper’s approach about casting her in his 2002 film 8 Mile.
Host Andy Cohen pressed Carey during a game of ‘Plead The Fifth!’ about claims made by music producer Damion “Damizza” Young earlier this year. Young had alleged that Eminem wanted Carey to portray his character’s mother in the semi-autobiographical film, despite her being only four years older than the Detroit rapper.
“From what I heard there is truth to that,” Carey responded when Cohen asked about the casting claims. “But I don’t think that he actually — well, who knows who approached who.”
When pressed further about whether this ignited their notorious feud, Carey remained characteristically dismissive. “Um, no. I mean, maybe. It depends what he’s thinking. I really don’t care. Like, whatever he’s said, then I’m that, fine. Not really. But that’s a rap lyric.”
The beef between the two artists has persisted for over two decades, beginning in the early 2000s when Eminem claimed he had been romantically involved with Carey for several months. The singer has consistently denied these allegations, leading to a series of musical exchanges that captivated hip-hop and pop culture observers.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.
Eminem initially referenced Carey on tracks including “When the Music Stops” and “Superman”, prompting her to respond subtly on 2002’s “Clown” with the lyrics: “You should’ve never intimated we were lovers / When you know very well we never even touched each other.”
The feud escalated significantly in 2006 when Eminem released “Jimmy Crack Corn”, featuring the pointed line: “Your mind’s on us like mine’s on Mariah / And y’all are just like her, you’re all fucking liars.” He continued targeting both Carey and her then-husband Nick Cannon on “Bagpipes From Baghdad”.
The conflict reached its peak in 2009 following Carey’s “Obsessed” music video, where she dressed as a character resembling Eminem. The rapper responded with “The Warning”, a brutal track that threatened to release alleged voicemails from Carey.
“I’m obsessed now? Oh gee, is that supposed to be me in the video with the goatee,” Eminem rapped. “Wow Mariah, I didn’t expect her to go balls out. Bitch, shut the fuck up before I put all them phone calls out you made to my house when you was wild ‘n out before Nick.”
Producer Young’s recent revelations on the TFU podcast provided new context to the feud’s origins. He claimed that Carey “did not like that shit at all” when approached about the 8 Mile role, adding that “her insecurities kicked in big time.” The role of Eminem’s mother ultimately went to Kim Basinger, who is 19 years older than the rapper.
