The discussion is as old as time. Though the participants may change the reality is still the same. There is a winner and a loser in all of our minds, and most times a true victor never emerges. The question has been asked, "Who would win in a battle/beef between Drake and Eminem?" Well pardon me for saying so, but as much as I respect him, and treasure his legacy, Eminem would lose. Some would say I believe that Em is not a better lyrical gladiator, but I simply believe the game has changed, and though battling still persist as one of the premiere highlights of the hip hop culture, it’s like the old heads say. "It ain't what it use to be."

They would not meet face to face.

So let me say I do believe if Drake and Eminem were to meet face to face, in front of a crowd, for a special edition of URL, or Smack battle league; Eminem would most certainly destroy him. Face to face is a different ball game. In those circles instrumentals are not a thing, melody does not reign supreme, and those chosen few that watch from the audience make the decision. But...what major label, hip hop superstars have you ever seen battle face to face?? Don't worry I'll wait...The answer is none. Tupac & Biggie both were shot and killed because of a feud that extended even farther than themselves and never spoke face to face once the battle ensued. Diddy wasn't renting out Madison Square Garden with a ring, two mics, and Big & Pac on opposing sides. When Ice Cube and and NWA took shots at each other after their breakup they didn’t meet up and settle it as lyricist. When Jay-z and Nas duked it out over sound waves, (one of the most popular battles of our time) did they ever see each other toe to toe, bar for bar? No! Drake would never in a million years risk matching toe to toe with EM. He would keep his home court advantage behind the safety of the recording booth and potent melodies. Damn smart if you ask me. Would you CHOSE to play golden state at home? I don't think so.

Rap battles in the mainstream are popularity contest, and Drake is the king of Pop.

With the exception of the Justin Timberlake argument Drake is the reigning king of pop. Say what you want about his music and ability, the man writes and more correctly is apart of songs that are blinding star spangled hits. He is a pop music factory, and has been since his inception. On his recent guest appearance with 2 Chains on Big Amount, Drake confidently says, “ Got the billboard melodies, rapping something I do on the side.” Drake goes on to say, “...Michael jackson talking to me in my dreams, and he say you bad and you know it.” He not only has the hip hop community on his side, he has the world. Hell I know 2 year olds that like Drake. At this point in time you can't say that about Eminem. I mean Drake had an entire album in the billboard top 100. Who does that?! You ask why does this matter? It just does! There is no logical explanation except people want to like the good guy, and in this battle drake would be the good guy. The well known, hit maker who does favors for everyone in the industry by dropping gems on their tracks. No one wants to fuck that up. You saw what happened when Meek Mill tried to call him out for having a ghost writer. No one gave a rats ass, and they sided with drake anyway. Long live the king.

Drake is strategic, and strategy is everything.

I mean do you really think the beef Drake had with Meek Mill was fair? HELL NO! Among other factors, Drake won because his strategy dominated. Drake took advantage of his position and clout in the industry and ultimately the world to DESTROY Meek. Think about it, "Fired Up" was sub par at best, but people still went along with it. Then after a silence from Meek, Drake made a summer anthem that destroyed him. I mean the song got a Grammy bid! Tell me that ain't star power! If that wasn't enough he took to social media, and spread meme, after meme, after meme. Even putting them on showcase at the his very own festival in Toronto. Let's face it, Em can't do that in this day and age, and that would hurt him.

Drake is not new to beef.

Julias Caesar once said, “experience is the teacher of all things.” We cant forget that this would not be the first battle/beef that Drake has been apart of and come out unscathed. Rappers from Ludacris to Pusha T have taken shots at Drake, and had no affect on him. To be honest, it just boost his popularity. Is not the point of a battle or beef to embarrass your opponent so much they decline in popularity and credibility with the audience? If that true, and Drake is taking these shots, dishing them back, and becoming more popular, by definition he’s winning. Right?

Drake has bars!

Now let’s not get it twisted, I'm not saying Drake in his prime is Eminem in his prime, but when he so chooses to put the melody down and pick up his rapper title, Drake is one of the best rappers in the game right now. I don’t care how many pop songs he does. When he steps on a mic, respect should be given. If you disagree look at his catalog. From So Far Gone to Views, Drake's lyricism has only grown. Take Care was a classic album that boasted some of his best work in my opinion. “Underground Kings” and “Lord Knows” stand out to me as some of the most intricately infused modern and classic rap styles you can find in recent memory. And if we are talking battle bars, Drake comes with it. “You love her then you gotta give the world to her/is that a world tour/ or yo girls tour/ I know that you gotta be a thug for her/ this ain’t what she meant when she told you open up more.” This is both a complement to Nikki and condescending to Meek. It’s personal and playful. Drake demonstrates pure genius wordplay with personal jabs that would have any man ready to buck. Now think about the last scene in 8 Mile. Remember when Cheddar Bob starts to list all the things that Poppa Doc could use against B Rabbit,(and it was a shit ton) and it gives B rabbit the idea to get it all out in the open? Yeah that’s not real life. In real life, drake would jump out first, and lay out every embarrassing thing Em has ever gone through in the public eye for the world to see, and do it with bars and melody that would be constantly played, "Back To Back."

Who would win? Honestly, we’ll never know, but in my opinion the proof is in the pudding. Drake comes out with the dub. He is the modern King of Pop with a loyal following, that has bars for days. Em’s Legacy should be reverenced, but no soldier ever won a battle because they were once a great fighter. The here and now is the only thing that matters, and if all the factors come together for an Encore Drake win against another formidable, but ill prepared opponent; it’ll spell Relapse for Slim Shady.

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