| Benzino | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Raymond Scott |
| Born | July 18, 1965 |
| Origin | Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupations | producer, record executive, Rapper |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Labels | 7th Floor Music, Murder Inc., ZNO Records . |
| Associated acts | The Almighty RSO, Made Men, Hangmen 3 |
Raymond Scott (born July 18, 1965), better known by his stage name Benzino is an American hip hop media executive, and record producer.[1]
Along with David Mays, his partner for over 20 years, Benzino is known for being part of the Hip Hop magazine The Source, which was launched in 1988 as a single sheet newsletter out of Mays’s Harvard University dorm room. Benzino is also known for being involved in a widely publicized feud with rapper Eminem.[2][3] He was also a founding member of several rap groups before finally becoming a solo artist.
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In 2002, Benzino started a feud with rapper Eminem. Benzino claimed that Eminem was "a product of the machine that sought to discredit black and Latino artists contributions to hip-hop".[4] Benzino released a diss record called "I Don't Wanna" where he claimed that Eminem was not real and true to the rap culture. Benzino then made another diss track with "Pull up ya Skirt" which featured on his 2003 album. Redemption. Although Benzino didn't expect Eminem to respond, Eminem did with a track named "The Sauce". After releasing this, Eminem released another diss track named "Nail in the Coffin". In "Nail in the Coffin" Eminem attacks the heart of The Source by revealing their tactics of "butt kissing, beggin' motherfuckers for guest appearances" and claiming "real lyricists don't even respect you or take you serious". Eminem continues to attack Benzino and his magazine. He mentions the fact that Benzino's older age makes him less competition and that he uses his son to help him financially as he suffers in the hip hop industry. Benzino then replied with the track "Die Another Day," to which Eminem did not respond. According to Eminem, the lyrical feud was no longer worth the effort; popular opinion had already placed him far in the lead. Eminem also felt that backing off would do more damage to his opponent, since Eminem's diss tracks had actually made Benzino more well-known than he had ever been in his rap career. The Source later unearthed an old tape in which a young Eminem was rapping racial slurs against Black women. The magazine devoted its entire coverage to the discovery of the tapes, and also the (allegedly) negative impact that Eminem has had on the hip-hop industry. For his part, Eminem did not deny making the tapes; he claimed that he made them after a bitter break up with a black girlfriend (a situation upon which he elaborates on "Yellow Brick Road" on his Encore album). He apologized for making the tapes but also exhorted the public to consider the origin of the allegations.
Nevertheless, Eminem sued The Source for defamation and copyright infringement. The federal courts allowed an injunction to limit the distribution of the tape's lyrics. The Source ignored the injunction and went forth to publish the entire lyrics on its website and in its magazine. By ignoring the injunction, The Source was found in contempt of court and were forced to pay Eminem and his label, Shady Records a considerable sum in compensation. In 2005, lawyers for Eminem were preparing for trial over copyright infringement but abruptly withdrew stating that the rapper no longer has any issue with The Source. Benzino still hasn't officially squashed the beef with Eminem. Mays and Benzino both countered the withdrawal of the lawsuit calling it a "cowardly" move. They both claimed they can finally expose the truth about Eminem and planned to eventually release the "racist tapes" in a future magazine. Nevertheless, The Source was satisfied with the results, and felt that the move was considered a win for both parties.
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