Nearly three decades after an iconic rap battle at Scribble Jam, Eminem has been cleared of allegations that he used a racial slur during his showdown against fellow emcee Rhymefest.

The controversy surfaced recently when Rhymefest appeared on the It’s Just My Opinion podcast and recounted the 1998 lyrical clash in Cincinnati, Ohio, describing it as both a pivotal moment in battle rap and a personally significant encounter.

“I battled Eminem in ’98 at this competition called Scribble Jam in Cincinnati,” Rhymefest said. “It was the biggest battle in the Midwest and one of the biggest rap battles in the country. And a lot of famous rappers, DJs and breakdancers came out of Scribble Jam.”

Rhymefest

Rhymefest attends The Hollywood Foreign Press Association and InStyle Party during 2018 Toronto International Film Festival at Four Seasons Hotel on September 8, 2018 in Toronto, Canada.

In his recollection, Rhymefest claimed Eminem crossed a line by using the N-Word during their verbal exchange: “I battled Eminem and that was the first time a white guy ever called me a n-gga. I realized something about racism that day – it’s why Family Guy works.”

He went on to explain the context: “It’s only good when it’s funny. It only is non-offensive when it’s dope. Had you said that sh*t and it not been dope, it would’ve been a problem. But you so cold and courageous that you did it and got away with it. But when I say I won that battle… he won the war!”

However, that version of events has now been disputed with hard evidence. AllHipHop recently obtained a complete audio recording of the battle, provided by D12 member Kuniva, which paints a very different picture. In the actual rhyme, Eminem never used the N-Word.

Eminem

Eminem attends the ‘Southpaw’ New York Premiere at AMC Loews Lincoln Square on July 20, 2015 in New York City.

The full line, according to the tape, went: “I’ll let my razor split you ’til they have to staple stitch you/ And everybody in this f**king place will miss you/ If you try to turn my facial issue into a racial issue.”

This crucial clarification reveals that Rhymefest had not only misremembered the lyric but had also inserted the N-Word where it was never spoken. The crowd’s reaction in the recording further supports that Em’s bars relied on technical skill and wordplay—not racial provocation.

With the release of the unedited footage, Eminem’s name has been cleared in a controversy that threatened to revise a significant moment in underground hip-hop history.

See Rhymefest’s It’s Just My Opinion podcast below.