Chuck D has come to the defense of Melle Mel after he received backlash for recent comments about Eminem and Kendrick Lamar.
The Public Enemy leader took to Twitter on Sunday (March 5) to offer an explanation for Melle Mel’s critiques of Em and K. Dot. According to Chuck, the Furious Five MC was a dominant force in Hip Hop’s early years, and so he knew what it took to be the best.
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Chuck D also compared Melle Mel to NBA Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain, who was one of the most dominant players in the NBA at the time of his career.
“Understand Melle Mel was so dominant over the rest of the pack in the first 5 years of records its hard to comprehend for born after MC folk,” he wrote. “Its why i call him Wilt Chamberlain and Wilt had a crate of critiques for the rappers after him including ME. Just Let Mel be Wilt lol.”
Understand Melle Mel was so dominant over the rest of the pack in the first 5 years of records its hard to comprehend for born after MC folk. Its why i call him Wilt Chamberlain and Wilt had a crate of critiques for the rappers after him including ME . Just Let Mel be Wilt lol
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) March 5, 2023
Chuck D’s defense comes after Melle Mel claimed Eminem is only a Top 5 rapper in the game because of the color of his skin. During an interview with The Art of Dialogue last week, Mel argued that race played a role in the Detroit rap icon claiming the No. 5 spot on Billboard’s 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time List — ahead of the likes of Biggie, Lil Wayne, Ice Cube, Rakim and LL COOL J.
“Obviously he’s a capable rapper,” Mel said. “If you was talking about sales, he’s sold more than everybody. If you were talking about rhyme style, okay he got a rhyme style. But he’s white. He’s white!
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“So now if Eminem was another n-gga like all the rest of us, would he be Top 5 on that list when a n-gga that could rhyme just as good as him is 35? That had records and all that? He’s 35. He’s white.”
The Hip Hop pioneer also questioned the impact and influence of Kendrick Lamar, who was crowned the second greatest rapper of all time by Billboard, behind JAY-Z. According to Melle Mel, the Pulitzer Prize-winner is a capable lyricist and has made some good songs, but he “[doesn’t] translate into the street part of Hip Hop.”
“I don’t know what records he made like that,” he said. “I might know one or two of them, but I don’t think you even hear Kendrick in the club like that.”
He added: “Nobody wants to rap like Kendrick Lamar. Nobody wants to rap like Eminem. A lot of people wanted to rap, like ‘Pac and Biggie.”
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Over the weekend, 50 Cent weighed in on the debate and defended Eminem, who he feels is one of the main people responsible for both himself and Hip Hop becoming such successful and culturally dominant forces.
“There was more money selling dope than being in Hip Hop when Melly [misspelling Melle] Mel was popping, the culture has grown so much.” 50 wrote on Instagram. “I am not sure if it would be what it is today with out artist like Eminem. Shit I am not sure I would be who I am with out him but you know it is competitive so n-ggas gonna hate. LOL fuck outta here ! We sucker free.”
