Eminem’s latest single, “Tobey,” released on Wednesday, has sparked fan speculation about whether the rapper is taking aim at Jay-Z. In the song, the 51-year-old seems to assert that he is a better rapper than the 54-year-old hip-hop billionaire, challenging the title of “Greatest Rapper of All Time” awarded by Billboard and V.
Eminem, ranked fifth on the publication’s list, leads listeners to believe that “Tobey” could be a direct punchline.
In the song, Eminem raps: “The rappers I rapped with (What?) // Higher than me on the list (Ha).” This sentence got fans buzzing on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), wondering if Eminem was questioning Jay-Z’s popularity.
One fan posted, “Did Eminem just diss Jay-Z in his new song ‘Tobey’? ‘I don’t like your top 5 favorite rappers so I know they’ll be mad at me, but to me, It’s a mystery, why are the rappers I’ve rapped with ranked higher than me on the list?’
Other fans added, “The Empire State Building bar right in front of the Billboard diss list? Come on, Eminem, you’re not smart… How do we feel about the fight between Eminem and Jay-Z in 2024???”; “Did you see Eminem diss Jay-Z with the Empire State list and top 5 rappers? By the way, the length of #Tobey is exactly 4:44, a nod to Jay-Z’s album
Some comments include, “Eminem claims he raps better than Jay-Z on his own track ‘Tobey'”; “Never expected to see Eminem attacking Jay-Z in 2024, damn…”; “Pretty sure Eminem just put Jay-Z down but maybe I’m reading too much
Eminem fans were initially disappointed on Monday when the rapper delayed the release of “Tobey.” After revealing the single’s release date at midnight, fans had to wait for many hours and the song was still not released.
The delay led to a wave of disappointment on X, with comments such as, “I keep refreshing to see Tobey’s song and realize Eminem hasn’t released it yet”; “Eminem, we’re waiting. It’s almost 4 am”; “Hey, where’s the new single, man? We’re civilized men, don’t move like this, Kanye @Eminem”; “WHERE IS TF????”; and “Wait, wasn’t Eminem supposed to release it
Eminem’s most recent track “Houdini,” released last month, features his daughters Hailie Jade Scott, 28, Alaina Scott, 31, and Stevie Laine Scott, 22, although one some shocking lyrics calling them “bad kids”. The rapper’s children appear in the music video, seemingly unfazed by the game.”Houdini” is the first single from the 15-Grammy winner’s upcoming album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) , which will be reissued.
In one verse, Eminem raps: “If I asked Megan Thee Stallion to do a collab with me, would I really have a chance to do it?” This caused an immediate backlash on social media, with fans condemning the rapper for mocking Megan’s traumatic experience.
One fan posted, “F*** this guy. Men love bringing up women’s traumatic moments for attention. Leave Megan alone,” while another wrote, “This so random and rude, what does he think he did here?” Another user added, “Eminem’s career has largely been built on shock value and provoking certain audiences… At 51, he’s still critical of Megan Thee Stallion Star?
