The Ghost of Christmas Past
Why you should start following the MGK vs Eminem vs G-Eazy rap beef...
Few things get me as excited as rap beef. I was all-in rooting for fellow Philadelphian Meek Mill in his 2015 beef against Drake. When Pusha T came for Drake’s head earlier this summer, I had “Story of Adidon” playing on a loop. I remember where I was when I learned that “Ether” by Nas was a product of rap beef (probably the first time I heard the explicit version). I always enjoyed the song but learning the lyrics and discovering its diss roots unveiled a whole new level of appreciation. It wasn’t just a song, it was an attack, and knowing the stakes made it all that much more powerful.
“Beef is when I see you, guaranteed to be in ICU. ”
Social media was buzzing with MGK vs Eminem takes on Tuesday. Some of the posts mentioned G-Eazy, a third white rapper with bleached blonde hair. I’m always looking for evidence to rationalize my distaste for Geazy. I knew exactly what I was doing after work. I returned to my apartment and put on “Rap Devil,” MGK’s diss-track against Eminem, before my cat could even get his obligatory nuzzles. Five mesmerizing minutes later, I needed to know everything about the feud.
What happened in 2012? Where did this come from? Who started it? Was that a Halsey reference? What’s gully mean?
The Youtube algorithms really hooked it up, auto-playing a diss-reaction video produced by “No Life Shaq.” The rap enthusiast breaks down the song line by line, examines just how deep each lyrical stab cuts, and provides all the necessary backstory. He reacts to the song the same way I did, the same way I think we all should: with giddy excitement as we immerse ourselves in this artistic display of timeless conflict.
Here’s a Sparknotes timeline:
- 2012 – MGK tweets about Eminem’s daughter. Em doesn’t appreciate it and blacklists the young rapper from appearing on his radio station.
- July 2018 – Rumors emerge of a love triangle between MGK, G-Eazy, and Halsey after pictures emerge of MGK and Halsey on a beach together. Halsey, recently reunited with rapper boyfriend G-Eazy, puts the rumors to bed by dating the photos as from 2016.
- August 30th – MGK records a freestyle with Funkmaster Flex on Hot 97. In the freestyle, MGK accuses G-Eazy of swagger stealing.
- August 31st – G-Eazy releases an MGK diss, “Bad Boy,” in response to the Funkmaster freestyle
- August 31st – Eminem releases a surprise album, Kamikaze, on which he includes an MGK diss, “Not Alike.”
- September 3rd – MGK responds to Eminem’s “Not Alike” diss with his own, “Rap Devil.”
- September 4th – I listen to “Rap Devil,” watch No Life Shaq’s reaction, and then consume all aforementioned songs.
- September 7th – USA Today publishes a piece by Maeve McDermott titled: “Why Eminem and Machine Gun Kelly's rap beef is uniquely terrible”
The USA Today article is well written, funny, and draws all the wrong conclusions.
“Unluckily for the rest of us, the feud probably isn’t over yet, with Eminem still needing to respond to MGK’s “Rap Devil” claims. And, as the two men’s race to the bottom continues, it’s hard not to be nostalgic for Pusha T, whose evisceration of Drake earlier this year with “The Story of Adidon” had everything that MGK and Eminem’s limp drama was missing — musicianship, lyricism, newsworthy gossip and, most importantly, actual stakes… In comparison, nobody cares how MGK and Eminem’s story will end. So it’s probably time we all stop paying attention.”
Would this be more interesting if it were a continuation of the Drake vs Push feud? Probably. Wouldn’t Drake vs Kendrick Lamar be even better? What if we dedicated all our efforts in the field of artificial intelligence towards creating Tupac and Biggie rap-robots? We could bring the greatest beef of all time into the 21st century, wouldn’t that be great?
I’m into all these things, but that’s not what we’ve been given. What we have been given is Dickensian drama. “A (2018) Christmas Carol.” It’s not the timeless classic we need, but it might be the version that 2018 deserves.
This is probably a good time to disclose that I never read “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. My understanding of the story comes from the countless times I watched “The Muppet Christmas Carol” as a kid, which probably explains a lot.
“I gotta respect the OGs and I know most of ‘em personally
But you’re just a bully actin’ like a baby
So I gotta read you a nursery
I’m the ghost of the future
And you’re just Ebenezer Scrooge
I said on Flex anyone could get it
I ain’t know it would be you”
MGK knows his role in the story. He is the Ghost of Christmas Future, our villain. Eminem has been there, done that, cashed the checks, lived the life, received the fame and adoration… and he’s bitter. In “Rap Devil” MGK admits that Em is one of the greats, a rap god. The song reads much like the warning given by Dickens’ Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Appreciate what you’ve been given, or the future will leave you with nothing.
“I’m sick of you bein’ rich and you still mad, let’s talk about it
Both of us single dads from the Midwest, we can talk about it
Or we could get gully, I’ll size up your body
And put some white chalk around it”
“Gully - Something from the streets, gutter, and/or gangsta”
G-Eazy slots nicely into the Ghost of Christmas Present metaphor. G-Eazy is 2018. Of the three rappers, he’s most visible in today’s pop-culture, most likely to appear on Billboard charts or in tabloids. He’s dating 2018’s hottest pop-star, Halsey. He’s riding the top of a cultural wave. MGK blew up in 2012 on the back of the single “Wild Boy.” He was riding the top of the wave too, but it came crashing down. For five years he remained hidden beneath the broken wave’s wash; no one really heard from him again until “Bad Things” with Camila Cabela became popular in 2017. The stakes are real for G-Eazy. He’s a public breakup and a disappointing album away from irrelevance. Fast-forward to 2023 when I’ll be writing about the uniquely terrible reemergence of Geazy for USA Today.
The best way to enjoy a rap beef is on the edge of your seat, giddy for what is to come. That’s why I love “Rap Devil,” it volleys back to Eminem. Fifty-million views on YouTube in less than a week. I didn’t even know that Em had a new album out before listening to the response. MGK grabbed control over the narrative. He’s the villain and he’s winning. The best thing about MGK is that Eminem must respond to him.
This all sets the stage for something special. For Eminem to ensure lasting control over his rightful throne, he must rise-up to the challenge. This is an opportunity for him to prove his mythical hero status. For Eminem to win, he will have to become the ghost that we remember so fondly, the Ghost of Christmas Past.
So maybe it’s the perfect time to start paying attention. Don’t look A Christmas Carol gift horse in the mouth. This could get awesome.
Gully.
