Xzibit took a walk down memory lane as he recalled how much flack Eminem received from protesters during the “Up in Smoke Tour.”
If there’s a rapper who knows how to stir up controversy, it’s . Ever since the Detroit emcee stepped into the rap game he’s been the target of social activists who have attempted to shut him down. The rising rapper’s lyrical content was often violent and described as misogynistic. Groups called for his music to be banned from radio stations and from performing in certain cities. chatted with HipHopDX about 2000’s “Up in Smoke Tour” that featured a slew of artists including himself, Eminem, , , D12, Proof, , , and many others, and shared what it was like watching protesters aim for Marshall Mathers.
Theo Wargo / Staff Getty Images
“They were f*cking with Marshall back in the day,” Xzibit recalled. “A lot of the activist groups, they were protesting outside the concerts. They were really trying to make it hard for my guy. They made him the poster child of everything wrong with America. It was like, really? It’s like a lotta other sh*t before Eminem that you guys could f*ck with.”
Xzibit revealed that the tour stop in Toronto was bad, but Detroit gave the Canadian city a run for its money. “It’s like, first amendment rights. These people are coming to the concert because you think ” the rapper asked. “They know what they coming to see. They know pretty much what we’re gonna be talking about.” when they tried to tell Eminem that he couldn’t perform his The Marshall Mathers LP song “Kill You,” Xzibit told him to run it back to back. Check out Xzibit sharing memories of Dr. Dre and Eminem below.
