Eminem Drops a Controversial Rhyme at BET's Hip-Hop Awards

Last night, BET aired their annual Hip-Hop Awards show, which featured a series of "cyphers" showcasing rappers like KRS-One, Wale, Nicki Minaj and Joe Budden trading verses and rhymes. Mos Def, the Roots' Black Thought and Eminem passed the mic in one of the three segments, and although all three MCs killed it when their turn came up, Em's short verse included a controversial statement that was bleeped by the censors: "My dick is so big if I add another inch to it you would swear when I raped you that you was actually into it."

The crowd emitted an audible "oh no he didn't!" gasp as Slim Shady finished his verse. The fact that even the semi-edited line made it to air is surprising, since BET is owned by Viacom, the parent company of MTV and VH1 — two networks who have famously censored videos and artists whose lyrics include violent imagery. (Even Madonna's "What It Feels Like For a Girl" clip was banned for excessive violence after it showed a fiery car crash).

Do you think Em's rhyme should have been broadcast? Let us know in the comments.

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Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

More Song Stories entries »

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