Royce Da 5’9″ has set the record straight on the notion that Eminem dissed JAY-Z on his latest single “Tobey.”
Released on Tuesday (July 2), the Big Sean and BabyTron-assisted track found Slim Shady taking issue with his No. 5 ranking on Billboard and VIBE‘s Top 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time list that was published last year.
After asserting his status as a G.O.A.T., the Detroit rap legend spits: “Ain’t feelin’ your top five favorite rappers/ So I know they ’bout to be pissed at me/ But this, to me, is a mystery/ How rappers I’ve already ripped could be/ Higher up on a list than me.”
Some interpreted these lyrics as a shot at JAY-Z, who topped Billboard and VIBE‘s list, followed by Kendrick Lamar (No. 2), Nas (No. 3) and 2Pac (No. 4).
Of course, the pair joined forces on “Renegade” back in 2001, leading to Nas famously claiming on his diss song “Ether” that Em “murdered” Hov on his own track.
The speculation made it to Royce Da 5’9″‘s Instagram page, with one user asking him: “You not gonna answer this but…. They saying Em was throwing a shot at Jay in that Tobey joint. Is that true??”
The Bad Meets Evil MC definitively shut down the chatter, replying: “Of course not.”
“OF COURSE NOT”
— Royce when asked if Eminem was throwing shots at Jay-Z in 'Tobey'. pic.twitter.com/5ZaOl8HGoa
— The Eminem Bible (@Shadyind) July 4, 2024
“Tobey” marks the second single from Eminem’s upcoming 12th album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), which is set to be released July 12.
It follows “Houdini,” which arrived in late May along with a whimsical video that calls back to Em’s classic 2002 single “Without Me.”
Directed by frequent collaborator Rich Lee, the superhero-themed visual followed the 51-year-old as he battled his Slim Shady alter ego who had teleported to the present day from the early 2000s.
It also boasted cameos from the likes of Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, The Alchemist, Jimmy Iovine, Pete Davidson and Em’s longtime manager Paul Rosenberg, as well as the rapper’s three children.
The song itself channeled the irreverent, rabble-rousing spirit of Em’s early career with playful jabs aimed at Megan Thee Stallion and R. Kelly, among other targets.
“If I was to ask for Megan Thee/ Stallion if she would collab with me/ Would I really have a shot at a feat?” he rapped, making light of the 2020 Tory Lanez shooting that left her with bullet fragments in her feet.
Referencing the alleged sex tape of Kelly urinating on a minor, he spat: “In the coupe, leaning back my seat/ Bumpin’ R. Kelly’s favorite group, the Black Guy Pees.”
A tracklist for The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) has yet to be released, but Dr. Dre previously confirmed that he has production on the album.