Why did christina aguilera and eminem have beef

The singer, gearing up to release new album Liberation, recalls the time she and Eminem had major beef

Published on May 3, 2018 01:35 PM

Christina Aguilera took a trip down memory lane in her latest interview, traveling back to an unpleasant moment in her career.

Opening up to Billboard in a wide-ranging chat about her upcoming album Liberation, the star, 37, reflects on when she was just 19 years old and became the subject of some very hurtful, misogyny-laden lyrics by rapper Eminem.

“Things have definitely changed,” she says in response to the interviewer mentioning how verbal attacks like that towards a woman would be taboo today, in the era of Time’s Up and #MeToo.

Back in 2000, Eminem rocketed up the charts with his controversial song “The Real Slim Shady” in which he name-checks everyone from Will Smith to Britney Spears. But it was a particularly obscene verse targeted at Aguilera that had everyone talking.

“Little bitch put me on blast on M-T-V / ‘Yeah he’s cute but I think he’s married to Kim, he he’ / I should download her audio on mp3 / And show the whole world how you gave Eminem V.D.” he raps in the song, at the time upset over an MTV interview Aguilera gave where she voiced disapproval of his violent lyrics about then-wife Kimberly Scott.

For her part Aguilera says, she couldn’t be happier with her response back then. “What was great was how badass I was at such a young age to then write ‘Can’t Hold Us Down,’” her female empowerment anthem from the hit 2002 album Stripped.

On the track she sings “So what am I not supposed to have an opinion / Should I keep quiet just because I’m a woman / Call me a bitch cause I speak what’s on my mind / Guess it’s easier for you to swallow if I sat and smiled.”

The two famously met face to face in 2002 when the “Dirrty” singer presented him with the MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video as some in the crowd booed during his speech.

Says Aguilera of recent strides made by women, “We are coming slowly but surely around a corner, not taking the things that we used to.”

Eminem, 45, who released Revival last December and performed to sold-out crowds at Coachella last month, recently revealed that he celebrated 10 years of sobriety, commemorating the milestone on Twitter.

Aguilera’s Liberation is out June 15.

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Musically speaking, Eminem and Christina Aguilera are polar opposites. One's a powerhouse vocalist, while the other's an iconic rapper. With that being said, they do have on thing in common: their history of feuds with celebrities.

Let's start with Aguilera. The "Genie In A Bottle" hitmaker may be about female empowerment in her songs, but that doesn't mean she hasn't rubbed other women the wrong way. In the early 2000s, Aguilera had beef with Kelly Osbourne. As explained in an interview, the reality star revealed that Aguilera kicked down her door and called her a "fat b***h" when both happened to be recording music in the same building. Osbourne reacted and "spat on her car." In 2011, Avril Lavigne shared at the BRITs aftershow party that she once went to greet Aguilera and received a cold response, insisting she was "really mean."

Moving on to Eminem. It has been well-documented over the years that he has had a long-lasting feud with Mariah Carey. As noted by BroBible, everything started when Eminem said the pair started dating in 2001. Carey completely denied these claims, which resulted in Eminem getting mad and dissing the singer in a number of his songs. Not only did Carey clap back in her own songs, but her ex-husband Nick Cannon also got involved by responding to Eminem in a now-deleted blog post (via MTV).

Considering all this, it is no surprise that Xtina and Slim Shady have also had beef with each other.

Christina Aguilera and Eminem shared their feelings in their songs

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Christina Aguilera and Eminem first clashed in the late '90s. During Aguilera's MTV Special, "What A Girl Wants," she selected Eminem's video for "My Name Is," and initially praised the rapper. However, she quickly made it into his bad books when she revealed to the world that he was married to his longtime partner, Kim. "She heard a rumor, she didn't know if I was married or not," Eminem later responded in an interview.

On his 2000 global smash, "The Real Slim Shady," Eminem didn't go in lightly on Aguilera, rapping, "Little b***h put me on blast on MTV' / Yeah, he's cute, but I think he's married to Kim, hee-hee.'" During the same verse, Eminem continued to bash the singer, "I should download her audio on MP3 / and show the whole world how you gave Eminem VD!" Aguilera obviously was not pleased and shaded the rapper right back at the MTV Video Music Awards that same year when his name was brought up onstage. Eminem didn't seem too phased though as he was seen laughing in the audience.

In 2002, Aguilera voiced her own thoughts in her song "Can't Hold Us Down" with Lil' Kim. "Am I not supposed to have an opinion? Should I keep quiet just because I'm a woman? Call me a b***h 'cause I speak what's on my mind. Guess it's easier for you to swallow if I sat and smiled," she sang during the opening verse.

Eminem continues to reference Christina Aguilera in his songs

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By 2002, it seemed Eminem and Christina Aguilera had squashed their beef. At the MTV Video Music Awards, Aguilera presented Eminem with the award for Best Male Video and everything appeared good between the pair. With that being said, he referenced her once again in his 2018 song, "Kick-Off." "F**k Christina with a plastic spoon," he rapped, "'Cause her double g-cups are massive, huge!"

While the pair haven't reignited their feud, Aguilera did have something to say about Eminem in her televised interview on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen." When asked about what she thought about her name still being on his lips, Aguilera insisted it was "real thirsty" of him and had no clue why she was referenced. "That's really in the past and, you know, it was thirsty then, it's thirsty now," she continued. "It's not nice to go after anybody, especially a female in this business, and now, what we're looking at and seeing come to the forefront, it's just, get a new gig."

In 2011, it was reported by NME that Aguilera and Eminem were rumored to be releasing a song together. As of this writing, the duo has yet to collaborate.