By now, Bad Meets Evil fans are likely aware that a particularly heated Clubhouse conversation took place last week, one that found Royce Da 5'9" defending Eminem's honor against his old rival Dave Mays. While many were left unpacking the fallout, Royce appeared unbothered, content to keep the Clubhouse grind active. In a recent conversation, ostensibly meant to roast YK Osiris' notorious Gucci fit, Royce once again found himself speaking on Dave Mays and Benzino, receiving a pinch of advice from his Lupe & Royce Show collaborator Lupe Fiasco.
"You have no idea what I've been going through these past few days," laughs Royce. "You do this shit to yourself, Royce," replies Lupe. "I told you not to frolic with these muthafuckas! You down there with random n***as talking shit, Eminem getting you in trouble." Royce argues that he hasn't been on the frontlines, prompting his podcast partner to look to the heated Clubhouse conversation that transpired with The Source creator Dave Mays -- during which Royce pledged to "bring death to his doorstep."
"Lupe, if a muthafucka come to my room and start to spread hurtful anecdotal derogatory narratives, what am I supposed to do?" asks Royce, leading to some advice from Fiasco. "Sometimes you gotta let Eminem fight that shit. Fuck these n***as man," he reasons. "Pay them n***as no mind. They're upset, in their feelings. Fuck it."
Royce maintains that he wasn't arguing with Mays to defend Em's honor per se (though many did in fact praise Nickle's loyalty), but rather because Benzino called him a bitch. "When Slaughterhouse signed to Shady, he wanted us to do an interview with Hip-Hop Weekly magazine," explains Royce, revealing that his manager's wife had been embroiled in a lawsuit with The Source at the time. "We didn't do the interview. We did not know this man would be mad. He did a little video with N.O.R.E, basically dissing us, calling us names. He said hurtful things about me, made a song about me, started pulling out guns on camera to threaten me with them. I probably shouldn't say this on this app."
After the possibility of a mediated conversation between Royce and Benzino is raised, Royce seems to consider it -- at least, until his trollish spirit reveals itself. "He's already started weaponizing his catalog," says Royce. "I don't think it's fair. You're going to challenge me to a duel and you have "I See Bootee" and "Rock Da Party.'" Though Lupe doesn't seem to think Royce's tension with Benzino is a good idea, Nickle has never been one to take disrespect in stride. And seeing as he clearly values loyalty, don't expect him to look the other way when Eminem slander is being hurled so wantonly.
