Melle Mel's Eminem Comments: Twitter Reacts

While opinions were pretty split on Melle's take, a top five rappers conversation is always a fun one to jump in on.

BYGabriel Bras Nevares
Link Copied to Clipboard!
4.3K Views

Twitter lit on fire after Melle Mel said that Eminem's only considered a top five rapper because he's white. “Obviously, he’s a capable rapper. If we was talkin’ about sales, he sold more than everybody, if you talkin’ about rhyme style, okay, he got a rhyme style. But he’s white! He’s white!” said Mel. “So now, if Eminem was just another n***a like all the rest of us, would he be Top 5 on that list? When a n***a that can rhyme just as good as him is [No.] 35? That had records and all that. He’s 35. He’s white.”

After Mel made these comments, people took to social media to vehemently disagree or dig at Marshall even further. Also, some took the Furious Five member's lead on what things might look like if other rappers were white. “And the point is this: if I was white, n***a, I’d be greater than [Elvis Presley]. N***a be like, ‘Melle Mel is greater than Elvis. Melle Mel is the greatest white man that has ever lived. He came up with a culture, he was a part of a culture that changed the whole world. That is a great ass white man right there.’ But I’m not white. I’m one of the n***as.”

Twitter Reacts To Melle Mel Saying Eminem Is Only Top 5 Because He's White

“So, you know, anybody can be as mad as they want," he continued. "They can feel how they wanna feel. If you don’t think that race plays a part in the equation in how great he is—I heard one of the dudes that’s down with him, [Royce Da 5’9”], I heard he’s just as good as Eminem. Why ain’t he as big as Eminem? Because he’s Black! None of that s**t [is] hard to figure out!”

Regardless of your take on Mel's assessment, it does open an age-old interesting conversation on how race is a factor in these conversations. As one of the most successful artists in a Black-rooted art form, the "Lose Yourself" star is not in an easy position. However, one thing that Twitter reacts confirmed in this situation is that it's not as black-and-white as some might assume. Check out Twitter's reactions to Melle Mel's view of Eminem and return to HNHH for the latest on hip-hop's legends.

  • Link Copied to Clipboard!
About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.