Billboard’s top 50 rappers of all time list has shaken the hip-hop world up. Ja Rule came out and asked why he was left off the list, and Lil Wayne has even voiced his displeasure saying that he should have been put number 1. Melle Mel recently criticized the list in a recent interview, not because of his no. 48 ranking, but of Eminem’s no. 5 ranking, saying that Eminem is ranked so high because he’s white.
Obviously, he’s a capable rapper. If you was talking about sales, he’s sold more than everybody. If you were talking about rhyme style, okay, he got a rhyme style. But he’s white. He’s white!” Melle Mel said of the 8 Mile rapper.
“So now, if Eminem was another nigga like all the rest of us, would he be Top 5 on that list when a nigga that could rhyme just as good as him is 35? That had records and all that? He’s 35. He’s white.”
He said, “And anybody could be as mad … They could feel how they wanna feel. If you don’t think that race plays a part in the equation of how great he is — I heard one of the dudes that’s down with him, Royce Da 6’9″ [mislabelling Royce Da 5’9″] or one of those – I heard he’s just as good as Eminem. Why he ain’t as big as Eminem? Because he’s Black! Ain’t none of that shit hard to figure out. Eminem gets a top spot because he’s white.”
You can watch the full clip below.
