Why Eminem Probably Won't Beat Rick Ross in a Battle

By now it's been pretty widely reported on hip-hop sites that Rick Ross has called Eminem out. Believing himself to be the victor in his feud against 50 Cent, he claims he wants to battle "a bigger and better artist."

Eminem probably won't win if he takes the bait.

The main reason why? Revisit the climax of Eminem's 8 Mile. How do you defeat someone who refuses to allow themselves to be humiliated?

50 has done everything possible to embarrass the man, from overt threats to relatives of Miami associates to downright humiliating video footage. But Ross refuses to let any of this faze him. It's actually kind of ridiculous, like the fighter who just won't stay down even though he's clearly already suffered brain damage. Except in this arena, there are no judges looking for technically superior fighting (in which case, clearly the brain-damaged fighter should throw in the towel). In this arena, there are fans and there are dollars. Ross' album was not shelved. He has not been dropped from his recording contract. He still performs at packed venues. The ability to still stand counts for something here.

G-Unit rapper Lloyd Banks' diss record Officer Down was a lyrical massacre (and 50 dropped a couple of catchy records himself). The problem though for 50 and now for Eminem is that this beef is not a matter of lyrics. Even Rick Ross would probably admit privately that Marshall Mathers has it all over him in terms of skills. Nor is this a regional thing. This is no East-Coast West Coast beef nor is it a challenge for the throne of New York. This is a test to see who backs down the quickest.

So then you have to ask yourself: after his long hiatus, does Eminem have his sea-legs back?

Musically, so far it's a toss-up. The Relapse freestyle was one of his most biting verses since The Marshall Mathers LP. But then we heard him on Crack a Bottle; his verse, while technically strong, was as shallow as a typical 50 verse. And he can, I suppose, be forgiven for We Made You, since its part of his formula (it's another My Name Is, another The Real Slim Shady, another Without Me, another Just Lose It). 3. A.M., his most recent single is lyrically excellent, the kind of horrorcore rap from The Marshall Mathers LP, but he's still rapping with that weird Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (from Conan O'Brien)/Arnold Schwarzenegger accent. So it remains to be seen whether he can still deliver the kind of music that won't leave him an easy target.

As far as rap battling: we all know he's nasty (see Nail in the Coffin, among other records). But:

He has been admittedly emotionally fragile since his battle with drug addiction and the death of his best friend Proof. Does he have what it takes to withstand another protracted battle, particularly if some of 50's enemies decide to rejoin the fray (specifically Ja Rule and Benzino)?

Assuming he does, (which I do), what exactly will be the response? Ross has had his credibility shredded continuously and, in response, stepped up his own futile attacks. What can Eminem say that will stop Ross? What is there left to say? Sure, Shady'll probably drop a scathing response, but Ross will just dismiss it and as he has done with 50, and insist that his own response is better. And if unlike Ja Rule, people keep buying Ross' records, how do you call that anything but a draw?

Perhaps there is still some huge skeleton in the closet yet uncovered that would alienate Ross fans, but given that Ross is still standing even now, I think at this point he'd have to be dropped off of Def Jam before he stops. Although the way 50's mind works, I wouldn't be surprised if he were quietly working towards that now.

Sources:

Remmie Fresh, Rick Ross Challenges Eminem, Says He Defeated 50 Cent, AllHipHop.com

XXL Staff, NEWS: Eminem Speaks On Drugs, The Death Of Proof & Praises T.I. & Lil Wayne On New XXL Cover, XXL