Remember that whole thing with Symba saying he’s better than Eminem? It turns out there’s more to the story than that headline. Symba is back with some clarification, and it’s all about respect for the Rap God.

A couple of years ago, Symba, the Cali rapper co-signed by Dr. Dre, caused a stir when he claimed he could name five rappers better than Eminem. In a recent interview on the Connect the Dots podcast, he clarified that this came from a place of competitive spirit, not disrespect. He compared it to NBA players – nobody questions MJ’s greatness, but competition is still fierce. Symba gave a shout-out to Marshal Mathers before explaining:

If you ask any NBA player who’s better than him, they gonna say nobody. It’s a competitive spirit that we have. Now, that does not take away from the legend and an icon and all the work Eminem has put in. But I was asked the question, and they cut the clip up in a certain way that made it look like I was going at one of the GOATs. But it was not that at all.

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Speaking on the podcast, Symba emphasises that the media spun his original statement into a “Symba vs. Eminem” thing. He says it wasn’t about dissing a legend, just about his own confidence as a rapper:

I respect Em. I’ve learned a lot from him. I worked with Dr. Dre, and Dre told me a lot about Em. But when they asked me, I didn’t feel like nobody in this world is better than me as a rapper. That’s just how I feel. But shout out to GOAT Em.

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Symba even goes on to name his favourite Eminem verse, highlighting Em’s ability to navigate the industry with a strong character. This, he says, is something he learned from Shady himself:

Reggie, Jay-Z, 2Pac and Biggie
André from OutKast, Jada, Kurupt, Nas, and then me
But in this industry, I’m the cause of a lot of envy
So when I’m not put on this list, the shit does not offend me
That’s why you see me walk around like nothing’s botherin’ me.

Eminem taught me how to have character. So, the whole narrative of “Symba doesn’t like Eminem” is false. That’s cap. I learned a lot from Em.

So, this narrative is now officially debunked by the rapper himself. Yet still, we can point out that Symba didn’t learn from this quote from “’Till I Collapse” how to put other greats before his own name and stop being bothered by ego.