20 Of The Harshest Disses Eminem's Ever Dished Out
Vote on your favorite studio-recorded and released diss tracks by Eminem.
Eminem has never been one to shy away from controversy, and his many feuds have only fueled the flames of his legendary career. When it comes to lyrical takedowns, the best diss songs by Eminem showcase his sharp wit, cutting delivery, and an uncanny ability to get under his enemies’ skin. These tracks aren’t just about airing grievances; they’re musical knockout punches that have left a lasting impact on both his fans and the targets of his ire.
Whether it’s the brutal jabs thrown in “The Real Slim Shady” or his seething rebuttal in “Killshot,” Eminem’s diss tracks have become some of his most iconic work. Songs like “Without Me” and “Quitter/Hit Em Up” highlight his knack for mixing biting humor with scathing criticism, proving that Marshall Mathers is a master of verbal warfare.
As you listen to these tracks, consider which ones stand out as Eminem’s finest takedowns. Vote on your favorites and let us know which diss songs hit the hardest. Eminem’s feuds have provided hip-hop with some unforgettable moments, and now it’s your turn to weigh in on the best of the best.
- 1
Eminem Vs. Machine Gun Kelly: 'Killshot'
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Dankest Diss: "Insult me in a line, compliment me on the next, damn, I'm really sorry you want me to have a heart attack, Was watchin' 8 Mile on my NodricTrack, Realized I forgot to call you back. Here's that autograph for your daughter, I wrote it on a Starter cap, Stan, Stan, son, listen, man, dad isn't mad, But how you gonna name yourself after a damn gun and have a man bun?"
Eminem responded to Machine Gun Kelly's "Rap Devil" with "KILLSHOT." "Rap Devil" was a response to Shady's Kamikaze track "Not Alike," and Eminem makes sure to address every single one of Machine Gun Kelly's grievances on the track. He really goes in with lines like "I'm 45 and I'm still outselling you," and "I'd rather be 80-year-old me than 20-year-old you."
On point? - 2
Eminem Vs. Mariah Carey: 'The Warning'
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Dankest Diss: "Wow, Mariah, didn't expect you to go balls out. B*tch shut the f*ck up before I put all them phone calls out you made to my house when was Wild'n Out before Nick. When you was on my d*ck and give you something to smile about."
Arguably, one of Shady's most publicized feuds was with pop star Mariah Carey. Eminem claims that he and Mariah dated, even going so far as to play voicemail messages he claims are from her live at shows on tour. Carey claims to have never had any sort of relationship with Marshall. Carey released a track called "Obsessed," which was understood to be about Eminem and his "delusional" obsession with her. Of course, Shady couldn't let her diss go unanswered, and released his own track entitled "The Warning." In the track, Marshall pops off about Mariah and her new (at the time) husband Nick Cannon, in typical savage Shady fashion.
On point? - 3
Eminem Vs. Ja Rule: 'Hailie's Revenge'
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Dankest Diss: "You on Pac's d*ck, you a replica guy. If he was still alive, you would never get by. All you do is cry, b*tch, keep it real. Life is more than imitating n*ggas and eating pills."
Shady's beef with Ja Rule was inherited through his crew, specifically 50 Cent. Before Marshall and Dre signed 50 Cent to their record label, 50 already had a pretty intense past with Ja, including physical altercations that resulted in 50 punching Ja, and 50 and crew getting stabbed in a club (on two separate occasions).
Ja Rule was pretty pissed that Em and Dre would sign someone he clearly had beef with, and things spiraled from there. Ja came after Em with lines like “Em, you claim your mother’s a crackhead and Kim is a known sl*t / So what’s Hailie gonna be when she grows up?". A furious Shady geared up his crew and fired back with the brutal track "Hailie's Revenge."
On point? - 4
Eminem Vs. Benzino/The Source: 'The Sauce' Or 'Nail In The Coffin'
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Dankest Diss: "What the f*ck you stop for dummy. If you slew some crack, you'd make a lot more money then you do from rap."
Despite having sold an absurd amount of units within the first week of the release of The Marshall Mathers LP, the venerable rap magazine The Source only awarded the album a 2/5 rating. With the success of the album, the negative review was just a blip on Shady's radar, until co-founder of The Source, Benzino, released a diss track aimed at Shady entitled "I Don't Wanna."
In 2002, Eminem responded with his own track called, "The Sauce," and from there the situation escalated. Eminem released a second diss track entitled "Nail in the Coffin," which has been widely recognized as one of the best recorded disses of all time. In 2012, Benzino acknowledged that his feud with Shady probably wasn't in his best interest, and said he regretted at least some of his statements.
On point? - 5
Eminem Vs. Debbie Mathers: 'Cleanin' Out My Closet'
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Dankest Diss: "My whole life I was made to believe I was sick when I wasn't, 'til I grew up, now I blew up it makes you sick to your stomach, doesn't it? Wasn't it the reason you made that CD for me, ma? So you could try to justify the way you treated me, ma? But guess what? You're getting older now and it's cold when you're lonely and Nathan's growing up so quick he's gonna know that you're phony. And Haile's getting so big now, you should see her, she's beautiful. But you'll never see her, she won't even be at your funeral!"
If you couldn't tell from his songs, Marshall Mathers has just a few issues with his mom, Debbie Mathers. An angry Slim Shady seems to place the blame for a large portion of his dysfunctional childhood squarely on the shoulders of his mother. Debbie was still just a teenager when she gave birth to Marshall, and the two moved frequently, making it difficult for Marshall to make any long-lasting relationships.
Debbie also struggled with addiction and mental health issues throughout the majority of Marshall's youth, so it's hard to imagine she was winning any parent of the year awards. After Debbie released her own CD in an effort to explain her side of the story, Marshall released "Cleanin' Out My Closet," in which he not only rebuffs her attempts, but puts her on blast even more so than in previous tracks. Eminem ultimately apologized to his mother in 2014.
On point? - 6
Eminem Vs. Everyone: 'The Ringer'
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Dankest Disses: "Lil Pump, Lil Xan imitate Lil Wayne, I should aim at everybody in the game, pick a name, I'm fed up with being humble, And rumor is I'm hungry, I'm sure you heard bumblings, I heard you wanna rumble like an empty stomach, I heard you mumbling but it's jumbled in mumbo-jumbo, The era that I'm from will pummel you."
When Eminem surprise-dropped Kamikaze overnight on August 30, 2018, people anticipated some slams, and Shady delivers by going hard straight out the gate. The album's opener, "The Ringer," eviscerates a slew of rappers and public figures Marshall Mathers has even had an inkling of a beef with. The song starts with a spoken bit in which Slim Shady says he feels like "I wanna punch the world in the f*ckin' face right now" - and then he does.
He rips on Soundcloud rappers like Lil Yachty, Lil Pump, and Lil Xan at the beginning of the track, saying:
Get this f*cking audio out my audio, adios, I can see why people like Lil Yachty, but not me though, Not even dissin', It just ain't for me, All I am simply is just an emcee, Maybe "Stan just isn't your cup of tea.
He then calls out Charlamagne tha God, who said Eminem's BET Hip Hop Awards cypher was "just okay" back in 2017. Eminem retaliates, rapping: "Charlamagne gonna hate anyway, Doesn't matter what I say, Give me Donkey of the Day."
Who else does Eminem verbally destroy? He continues with President Donald Trump, someone he has openly hated since his 2016 song "Campaign Speech." Eminem spits:
And he's too scared to answer me with words, 'Cause he knows that he will lyrically get murdered, But I know at least he's heard it, 'Cause Agent Orange just sent the Secret Service, To meet in person, To see if I really think of hurtin' him, Or as if I'm linked to terrorists.
He closes by going after the media, citing the fact critics generally panned his last release, 2017's Revival:
'Cause they been pannin' my album to death, So I been givin' the media fingers, Don't wanna turn this to a counseling sesh, but they been puttin' me through the ringer, So I ain't ironin' sh*t out with the press, BBut I just took this beat to the cleaners.
On point? - 7
Eminem Vs. Everlast: 'Quitter' Or 'I Remember'
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Dankest Diss: "So he picks the guitar up, and he strums a few notes. He can't rap or sing, but he wants to do both."
This battle began when Everlast felt snubbed by Eminem when they ran into one another backstage at an event. After that, Everlast released a verse on a Dilated Peoples track in which he made a thinly veiled reference to Eminem in the line "Cock my hammer, spit a comet like Haley, I buck a .380 on ones that act shady."
Eminem responded in a B-Side called "I Remember," released on a D-12 vinyl. In Everlast's follow up, he made a reference that implied Hailie might not actually be Marshall's child. This brought out the Real Slim Shady, who hit Everlast with the track "Quitter," where he tore Everlast to shreds on both a personal and professional level by attacking his career and his heart condition.
On point? - 8
Eminem Vs. Limp Bizkit/Fred Durst: 'Girls'
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Dankest Diss: "After I gave you props in that song, you on national TV, talking about Everlast going to whip my ass when he sees me? Come on dawg, you were supposed to be on that song, talking about how bad you hate him, now you all on his thong? What's wrong? You scared? And Fred, you said you was dissin' him too. I should of knew better than to listen to you. You f*cking sissy, up on stage, screaming how people hate you. They don't hate you, they just think you're corny since Christina played you."
During a feud with the group Everlast, Eminem invited Limp Bizkit (specifically Fred Durst) to participate in a song dissing Everlast. Limp Bizkit agreed at first, but then bailed on Em and crew at the last minute. Not too long after, Shady became irate when DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit gave an interview stating that Everlast could beat Eminem up in real life. Eminem fired back for both offenses with his track, "Girls." When you hang out with Eminem, feuds and diss tracks just tend to sprout up like weeds.
On point? - 9
Eminem Vs. Canibus: 'Can I B*tch'
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Dankest Diss: "His album came and it was not good. I think it went lead or double copper, wood."
Eminem and underground rapper Canibus came up in the hip-hop scene together in Marshall's early years. Considering Marshall is massively successful and Canibus is still underground, it makes sense that Canibus is more than a little salty over the way things turned out. The two have periodically taken lyrical jabs at one another, with Shady even releasing an entire diss track dedicated to roasting Canibus, called "Can I B*tch."
On point? - 10
Eminem Vs. Christina Aguilera: 'The Real Slim Shady'
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Dankest Diss: “Sh*t, Christina Aguilera better switch me chairs, so I can sit next to Carson Daly and Fred Durst, and hear ‘em argue over who she gave head to first."
Christina unintentionally began this feud in 2000, with an interview she gave during an MTV special. The pop diva chose "My Name Is" as one of her favorite music videos at the time, and went on to say that she heard Em married the girl he talks about killing on his record.
Although this actually was true, Shady was more than a little pissed at having that information shared through a rumor on such a public platform. So, the Real Slim Shady stood up and revealed some rumors he had heard about Christina in his famous line regarding her relationship with Fred Durst and Carson Daily.
On point? - 11
Eminem Vs. George W. Bush: 'Mosh'
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Dankest Diss: "Let the president answer a higher anarchy. Strap him with an AK-47, let him go fight his own war. Let him impress daddy that way."
While it's not unheard of for rap lyrics to contain political themes, it is relatively rare that they garner the attention of the United States Secret Service. In 2003, a bootleg version Shady's track "We as Americans" popped up online. The line which most likely drew the attention of G.W.'s team was “I don’t rap for dead presidents, I’d rather see the president *dead* It’s never been said, but I set precedents.”
A representative from the Secret Service Office of Public Affairs acknowledged that the rapper's threatening lyrics were being investigated, but Em was exonerated relatively quickly. Apparently, the incident didn't intimidate Eminem, because he want after President Bush again in his 2004 track, "Mosh."
On point? - 12
Eminem Vs. Kim: 'Kim'
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Dankest Diss: "Quit crying, b*tch! Why do you always make me shout at you? How could you just leave me and love him out the blue? Oh, what's the matter Kim? Am I too loud for you? Too bad, b*tch, you're going to finally hear me out this time. At first I'm like, 'Aight, you wanna throw me out, that's fine.' But not for him to take my place, are you out your mind? This couch, this TV, this whole house is mine!"
Eminem's most twisted love song, "Kim," only appeared on the explicit version of the Marshall Mathers LP. Shady has never been shy about the volatile nature of his relationship with his baby momma, and in "Kim" he takes it to the extreme. He scream-raps about killing Kim, her new boyfriend, and his four-year-old son all while Em's daughter sleeps.
Kim (somehow) was able to look past all of the shade Eminem threw her way in the track and they reconciled, but it all came flooding back when she saw him perform it live. It definitely didn't help that he was abusing an inflatable version of Kim on stage at the time. Kim was so distraught by Eminem's performance, and the crowd's overwhelmingly positive reaction to it, that she went home that night and slit her wrists. Sometimes, diss tracks can have very real, tragic consequences.
On point? - 13
Eminem Vs. Eminem: 'Not Afraid'
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Dankest Diss: "You said you was king, you lied through your teeth. For that f*ck your feelings, instead of getting crowned you're getting capped."
No one is safe from the dank disses of Eminem, not even himself. In probably his most intensely waged war, Eminem takes on himself in the track "Not Afraid." He talks about how Relapse was a mediocre release, and offered up an apology to fans. Shady takes on his own shortcomings, his psyche, and his issues with addiction frequently throughout the course of his rap career, but he really lets himself have it with this track.
On point? - 14
Eminem Vs. Cage: 'Get You Mad'
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Dankest Diss: "Wagin' wars, went on stage and sprayed Cage with 'Agent Orange' underground Cage single, and wiped my ass with his page in Source."
Cage was an underground New York rapper who claimed that Eminem had bit his style and lyrics while creating his Slim Shady persona. Shady never honored Cage with a dedicated diss track, but he did take shots at him in a couple of his tracks. Cage must not have had any evidence to support his claims, considering he is still Cage(d) and Slim Shady reigns supreme.
On point? - 15
Eminem Vs. Snoop Dogg: 'Cold Wind Blows'
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Dankest Diss: "I’m nuts Michael Vick in this b*tch, dog fall back you mutts.”
The Eminem and Snoop Dogg feud seems to be more sensationalized than serious. Although it does seem that there was some jealousy early in Eminem's career, when Dre started paying more attention to his new protégé than his old friend Snoop. Snoop seemed to be discrediting Eminem in his "2 Minute Warning" lyric, “Pop a beam like a M&M so strong yet a n*gga thin. Rappers stay sayin' Slim so Shady but ain’t talkin Eminem. So f*ck you, him, and him. I was gangbangin befo’ a n*gga entered in. No facade, I went from the yard to a three-car garage to, instant ménage.”
Shady responded in his track "Cold Wind Blows," but neither party has thrown much shade since. Snoop has actually said that the reason he wouldn't put Em on one of his tracks was because Shady tends to steal the show as a feature. Sounds like Snoop respects Em's game now.
On point? - 16
Eminem Vs. The NRA: 'Nowhere Fast'
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Dankest Diss: "And the NRA is in our way, they're responsible for this whole production, they hold the strings, they control the puppets, and they threaten to take away donor bucks so they know the government won't do nothing, and nobody's punching, gun owners clutching their loaded weapon, they love their guns more than our children."
Eminem laid into the NRA during the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards, launching into a verse inspired by the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, before performing "Nowhere Fast." Parkland survivor Alex Moscou introduced him at the event, saying, "School is a place where we should feel safe, and if those elected to represent us won't do what's right and keep us safe, then we're gonna be too loud for them to ignore."
On point? - 17
Eminem Vs. Donald Trump: 'The Storm'
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Dankest Diss: "Racism's the only thing he's Fantastic 4 'cause that's how he gets his rocks off, he's orange."
Eminem unleashed a no-holds-barred freestyle at the 2017 BET Awards, laying into President Trump's policies and persona. There are too many incredible disses to include all of them, but some highlights include Eminem calling Trump "a kamikaze that will probably cause a nuclear holocaust," slamming him for wasting taxpayers' dollars on near-constant trips to golf resorts, and labeling him a "racist 94-year-old grandpa."
On point? - 18
Eminem Vs. Donald Trump: 'No Favors'
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Dankest Diss: "I'm anti, can't no government handle a commando. Your man don't want it, Trump's a b*tch, I'll make his whole brand go under."
In 2017, Eminem spit a track about the president for the first time since calling out George W. Bush in 2004. Once again, Eminem had nothing positive to say about POTUS, and let him have it in his verse on Big Sean's album I Decided. The track touches on issues like the Flint water crisis, racism, and police brutality, all issues the Trump administration would rather not associate with. In his typical style, Eminem didn't pull any punches in his profanity-fueled verse and really put the President on blast. Better be careful, Shady, or the Secret Service might be back at your door.
On point? - 19
Eminem Vs. Iggy Azalea: 'Vegas'
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Dankest Diss: “So swallow my pride, you’re lucky just to follow my ride. If I let you run alongside the Humvee, unless you’re Nicki, grab you by the wrist, let’s ski. So what’s it gon’ be? Put that sh*t away, Iggy, you don’t wanna blow that rape whistle on me.”
In 2014, Rah Digga and Snoop Dogg started stoking a rap feud fire, by asserting that Australian born rapper Iggy Azalea should be considered a hip-hop artist. During the resulting flames, it was rumored that a feud was also brewing between Iggy and Nicki Minaj.
Eminem decided to weigh in on the situation with a line in his track "Vegas," off his Shady XV album, in which he makes a joke alluding to raping Azalea. Iggy took to Twitter to respond, claiming to be bored with old men threatening young girls and pointing out that her 14-year-old brother (who's apparently a big Em fan) will be the one to suffer when he hears his idol discuss raping his sister.
On point? - 20
Eminem Vs. Gen Z: 'Houdini'
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Dankest Diss: "My sh*t may not be age-appropriate / but I will hit an 8-year-old in the face with a participation trophy / 'cause I have zero doubts, that this whole world's 'bout to turn into some girl scouts."
There have been waves of people on TikTok complaining about Eminem lyrics, so this lyric seems to be his response to all of the backlash.
On point?
