N.O.R.E. says that after decades away from the battle rap scene, Eminem may not have the showmanship skills as he did before.
The battle rap arena is a whole different ballgame than the mainstream scene, and there are only select artists who can thrive in that space. There are only a few rappers who float back and forth between the two stages, and in a recent appearance on Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion, Noreaga chatted with the hosts about how showmanship is the cornerstone of battle rap.
“Like Joe Budden. I believe that Joe has the lyrics, but when stood up there, ‘Y’all I’m not gonna be quiet,’ he lost! That’s not battle rap,” Noreaga recalled as he spoke about a previous match-up. “Again, Joe is my friend. It’s the showmanship.” He added, “It’s about the showmanship and that’s something, unfortunately, in battle rap, you can’t teach. That’s a experience.” The rapper was met with a bit of resistance as there were others who chimed in that showmanship may be a quality that some artists can build and strengthen.
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“For a seasoned artist that has been twenty years in the game as a artist, it’s hard for that man to go back and [battle],” N.O.R.E. retorted. “And I think Eminem lyrically could beat a lot of people but I think the showmanship is going to kill him, bro.” Considering Eminem‘s roots in rap begin with battle rap, many didn’t agree that Em would struggle if he decided to return.
You can check out Noreaga speaking about battle rap below.