LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z: Who Held Their Own Against Eminem?

Retired battle rapper Math Hoffa once said that there is just one rule to working with Eminem: never try to out-Eminem Eminem.

Math Hoffa offered some explanation for why so many musicians find it difficult to stay up with Slim Shady when they collaborate on a song.

“Don’t attempt to do the Eminem thing if you go on a track with him. In a recent interview with DJ Vlad, Math Hoffa clarified, “He’s going to smoke you every single time.” He brought up Eminem’s reputation for having an unrivaled ability to rhyme quickly and intricately. “He rhymes quickly when he wakes up every morning. He simply acts in that way. To put it another way, trying to match Em’s lightning-fast flow is a losing game.

While giving LL Cool J credit for competing with Em on their most recent song, “Murdergram Deux,” Math Hoffa emphasized that playing to your talents is the key to surviving on a track with Marshall. Hoffa cautioned, “Don’t try to do that shit with him.” He also brought up Jay-Z’s classic song “Renegade,” which started a never-ending discussion about whether Em was better than Hov. Although Jay-Z and Eminem had similar substance, Math Hoffa conceded that Jay’s rapping technique was not nearly his typical flow, which may have given Em the advantage.

How about Busta Rhymes, too? Hoffa claims that although Busta can maintain Eminem’s tempo, the true skill lies in the punchlines and bar structure. Hoffa stated, “Em is doing that fast shit, but he’s also putting in punchlines and shit,” indicating that Em is unmatched in the realm of lyrical gymnastics.

So, who could maybe compete with Eminem head-to-head? Math Hoffa acknowledged Royce 5’9 as one of the few rappers who might be able to match up after giving it some serious thought. Regarding the other competitors, Hoffa gave Young M.A. credit for her collaboration with Eminem on “Unaccomodating” from “Music to Be Murdered By,” pointing out that she distinguished herself by being true to her style rather than trying to mirror Em’s.