Prepare to dive into a timeline of a feud between two of the music world’s biggest names
Eminem and Mariah Carey have been feuding since the noughties and in several moments, it’s gotten particularly personal.
The real Slim Shady may’ve just restarted his beef with one of his oldest rivals by releasing a new diss track, however, since the early 2000’s, he’s also been spitting bars about the Queen of Christmas.
Prepare to dive into a timeline of a feud between two of the music world’s biggest names.
2002
It all began back in the early 2000’s when the rapper started mentioning Carey in his tunes, one song ‘Superman’ – released in 2002 – seeing him spit: “What you trying be? My new wife? / What, you Mariah? Fly through twice.”
And again in ‘When the Music Stop,’ the lyrics read: “What the f–k you take me for, a joke? You smoking crack? ‘Fore I do that, I’d beg Mariah to take me back.”
The songs sent fans of the duo into a frenzy, many taking the lyrics to mean the pair had once dated, however, Carey has always denied there was any romantic relationship between the duo.
One of her songs ‘Clown’ even seemingly claps back at Eminem’s lyrics: “You should’ve never intimated we were lovers/ When you know very well we never even touched each other.”
Getty Images/ Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic Inc
Oh, and the rumors she flew her plane to see Eminem?
Her lyrics continue: “I gotta break it to ya delicately, dunny/ Taking my G5 twenty minutes wasn’t nothin’/ But I guess you wouldn’t know that’s the way I roll/ “Consequently now your ego’s fully overblown/ You don’t want the world to know that you’re just a puppet show/ And the little boy inside often sits at home alone.”
Carey also denied the relationship in interviews and not just in song – telling Larry King she ‘hung out with’ Eminem and ‘spoke to him on the phone’ but was ‘probably with him a total of four times’.
“And I don’t consider that dating somebody,” she added.
You’d think that would be that then, but no, the feud was only just getting started.
Getty Images/ Jim Spellman/ WireImage
2003
Carey clearly hadn’t finished with denying the rumors, taking to the stage to perform a rendition of ‘Clown’ at the United Center in Chicago in July 2003 as part of her Charmbracelet World Tour.
And who should join her on stage but two masked men and woman dancer dressed up with a blonde wig and Detroit Pistons jersey – a popular choice of clothing with, you guessed it, Eminem.
MTV reported at the time the human puppet came on stage as Carey sang: “You should’ve never intimated we were lovers/ When you know very well we never even touched each other.”
Alongside a similar font used in Eminem’s show being used for the text on the stage’s giant screen, Carey also hinted at the performance being a dig at a certain someone by telling the audience: “It’s all in fun. We’re just having a good time with the show up here.”
Getty Images/ Scott Harrison
2005
Despite there having been two years of peace and quiet, Eminem then decided to spark the beef back up again by taking to the stage and playing private voicemails he’d allegedly received from Carey.
According to In Touch Weekly, a voicemail played: “Why won’t you see me? Why won’t you call me?”
Carey’s representatives swiftly denied it was her in the recordings.
By this point, surely they could squash their issues right?
2006
Wrong. Eminem then went even more personal, rapping about Carey and the pair’s alleged sexual history in 2006 release ‘Jimmy Crack Corn’.
The graphic lyrics read: “Meanwhile, your minds on us, like mine’s on Mariah/ And y’all is just like her, you’re all f**king liars/ But I’ll just keep f**king you like I f**ked her/ Right in the a** with K-Y, yes, sir!”
He also took to the radio on Shade 45 to claim he and the ‘Emotions’ singer did have a relationship for ‘a good six, seven months’.
2009
In his tune ‘Bagpipes from Baghdad,’ Eminem yet again rapped about Carey, this time fully claiming they’d even gone through a ‘break up’.
The lyrics read: “Mariah, whatever happened to us? Why did we have to break up?”
Oh, and he also added in a few lines dissing Carey’s then-partner and baby daddy Nick Cannon too.
“Nick Cannon better back the f*** up/I’m not playin’, I want her back, you punk … I mean, I really want you bad, you c***/Nick, you had your fun, I’ve come to kick you in your sack of junk,” he rapped.
Getty Images/ Dan MacMedan/ WireImage
Carey then seemingly hit back with her 2009 release ‘Obsessed,’ wearing a black hoodie and tracksuit ensemble during a performance of the song – eerily reminiscent of Eminem’s typical attire.
Eminem then released another diss song titled ‘The Warning’, which saw him diss Cannon and Carey yet again.
Part of the song goes: “Oh, gee, is that supposed to be me? In the video with the goatee? Wow Mariah, I didn’t expect you to go b**** out. B****, shut the f*** up before I put all them phone calls out you made to my house when you was wildin’ out before Nick, when you was on my d*** and give you something to smile about.”
Cannon, alongside rappers Ja Rule and Busta Rhymes hit out against Eminem’s diss track, however, Carey remained silent.
Getty Images/ Tim Mosenfelder
2010
Thankfully, in 2010, Eminem told Vibe magazine he didn’t ‘want to talk about’ Carey ‘anymore’ and was ‘done with that whole situation’.
2019
Alas, a whole nine years later, Eminem featured on Fat Joe’s song ‘Lord Above’ and tore down the white flag he waved in 2010.
He rapped: “I know me and Mariah didn’t end on a high note / But that other dude’s whipped — that p—y got him neutered.
“Tried to tell him this chick’s a nut job before he got his jewels clipped / Almost got my caboose kicked / Fool, quit / You not gonna do s–t / I let her chop my balls off too before I lose to you, Nick.”
2020-1
Despite Cannon frequently speaking about his mentions in Eminem’s tracks, Carey didn’t hit back.
The only hint of a response came when she discussed her book The Meaning of Mariah Carey and was asked by Vulture whether the real Slim Shady would make a feature.
She responded: “There [are] some songs that I can sing in response to that, but I will not do it. … If somebody or something didn’t pertain to the actual meaning of Mariah Carey, as is the title, then they aren’t in the book.”
*Mic drop*
There’s not been much of a squeak from either Carey or Eminem since – other than Carey’s single ‘Obsessed’ rearing its head within TikTok trend ‘Wipe Down’ and the singer sharing her version on Instagram in 2021.
So, let’s hope that means the feud is squashed for good and the Rap God’s newly ignited beef with Benzino doesn’t give him any ideas.
UNILAD has reached out to Eminem and Carey’s reps for comment.
