LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 01: Rapper Eminem performs at the launch of “DJ Hero” hosted by ActiVision held at The Wiltern on June 1, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

The song is over two decades old.

Eminem has moved on from rap beef. He closed out his 2023 song “Guilty Conscience 2,” by recounting all the feuds he’s had over the years. He wants to close the book on conflict, and focus on positivity. The universe felt as though fans needed another Eminem, diss, however, so a song from the vault was leaked online. “Smack You,” a song that Slim Shady allegedly recorded in the mid-2000s, made the rounds on Monday. It sees the rapper go after Death Row co-founder Suge Knight. It also sees him take aim at Ja Rule, which makes a lot of sense given their relationship at the time.

Eminem knows his way around a diss, and his bars for Suge Knight are brutal. He implies that Suge had something to do with Tupac’s fatal shooting, which is a rumor that has continued to gain traction over the years. “I’m holding Suge responsible for the death’s of the two greatest rappers to ever grace the face of this planet,” Eminem spits. “If only the late great mister Christopher Wallace could talk. He could tell you himself. I’m holding Suge responsible for the death of Ja Rule or anyone else down with the Row.” There is a lot of Suge slander littered throughout the track. Eminem repurposes the chorus to Tupac’s “Against All Odds.” He also vows to “expose the truth” “even if it kills” him.

Eminem Implies Suge Knight Was Involved In Tupac’s Death

“Smack You” is billed as a Suge Knight diss. Most of Eminem’s bars, however, apply to Ja Rule. The two rappers were going at it repeatedly during the aughts. Em inherited the beef that 50 Cent struck up with Ja, and took it ten steps further. We’ve already heard how brutal the rapper was toward Ja, and “Smack You” is right in line with the rest of them. The very first verse sees Eminem make fun of Ja and Irv Gotti’s manhood. “I’m holding Irv responsible, the Cookie Monster of Rap,” he spits. “Won’t give Hailie back her Oscar, they lost it up Ja Rule’s a*s. We forgot an Oscar’s a statue of a naked man. We told her if she goes to take it back that he’ll break her hand.”

It’s bizarre to hear an Eminem diss, for the first time, two decades after the fact. The rapper has taken strides to stop beefing with others. He even makes references to Ja Rule disses in the aforementioned “Guilty Conscience 2.” That said, “Smack You” is an entertaining lyrical bombing from a rapper who, at the time, had a lot of grievances to air out.