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Nick Cannon Reflects on Eminem Feud After He Dissed Mariah Carey: ‘You Can’t Come at My Woman & Not Expect to Get This Work’
Nick Cannon has revisited his feud with Eminem, saying it began after the rapper appeared to suggest he had been romantically involved with Mariah Carey, Cannon’s then-wife. Cannon said he felt he had to defend Carey and their relationship, offering his account of a dispute that resurfaced years after their marriage.
Cannon and Carey married in 2008, and Eminem’s 2009 track “Bagpipes From Baghdad” prompted Cannon to respond online; Carey’s “Obsessed” and Eminem’s “The Warning” followed that year. After Cannon and Carey’s divorce was finalised in 2016, the feud flared again in 2019: Cannon released three diss tracks, while Eminem replied briefly on X. Cannon has also said he respects Eminem as a hip-hop icon.
In short
- Cannon says the feud began over Eminem’s remarks about Carey.
- The dispute resurfaced in 2019 with three diss tracks from Cannon.
- Cannon says he still considers Eminem a hip-hop icon.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Cannon’s account frames his response as a defence of his wife and their relationship after Eminem’s lyrics appeared to imply a romantic history with Carey. From this perspective, answering publicly was a way to uphold personal boundaries and respond in the competitive language of hip-hop, where diss tracks are an established form of expression.
The case against
Eminem’s lyrics and the later exchanges can be viewed as part of provocative artistic rivalry, rather than a personal claim that warranted a sustained response. On that view, public diss tracks risk prolonging a private dispute and drawing others into it, even if Cannon felt loyalty to Carey; the story does not establish exactly what Eminem intended.
Explained simply
Nick Cannon is a US entertainer and rapper, and Mariah Carey is a singer. They married in 2008 and divorced in 2016. Eminem is a rapper whose lyrics have sometimes referred to Carey and her relationship with Cannon.
The dispute became public in 2009, when Eminem’s song “Bagpipes From Baghdad” prompted Cannon to respond online. Carey released “Obsessed”, and Eminem followed with “The Warning”; both songs were widely understood as part of the exchange. Their lyrics and public remarks kept the disagreement in view even after Cannon and Carey’s marriage ended.
The story matters because it involves three well-known figures and a feud played out through songs and public comments. Cannon has described his response as defending Carey and their relationship, while also saying he respects Eminem as an important figure in hip-hop.