A truce isn't a truce if both parties don't agree. That seems to be the case in the ongoing beef between Eminem and Benzino.
While Eminem has said that he would like to end all of his rivalries
"If [Eminem] did want to come forth and address these issues, that would be a great thing because of his influence. But he's never had the desire to sit down with me." — Benzino
"Eminem Hangs Up Beef, Refuses To Be A Pawn"), the co-owner of The Source magazine said he isn't buying it.
"These guys are all about spin," Benzino said Tuesday. "He never wanted to squash the beef. He said in another publication that he would never sit down with me. If he did want to come forth and address these issues, that would be a great thing because of his influence. But he's never had the desire to sit down with me."
In fact, Benzino has crafted "Look Into My Eyes" as a response to Slim Shady's "Like Toy Soldiers," which featured the fictional murder of D12 member Proof. The video picks up where "Like Toy Soldiers" leaves off: In the opening scene, an Eminem lookalike calls a character named Jimmy (presumably a reference to Interscope Records honcho Jimmy Iovine) from the hospital to tell him that he wants to get out of the business because he's been scared by Proof's death.
"He's dead, he's dead — they killed him, Jimmy," the Eminem character says. The Jimmy character tries to calm Eminem down, reminding him that he said there would be casualties. However, Eminem cannot be consoled and says he wants to quit.
While Benzino is never named by either character, it is insinuated that he's to blame for Proof's death. As the video continues, there are shots of police raiding a warehouse where Benzino and his crew are holed up. While Benzino isn't killed on camera, he is later shown as an angel rising to heaven, and at the end of the video, "Jimmy" telephones someone and says, "It's done."
"The guy that shoots Proof in ['Like Toy Soldiers'] is supposed to be me," Benzino said. "What he's so afraid of happening in that video happens in the 'hood every day. I have lost three friends — one of them died in my arms — like that. 'Look Into My Eyes' addresses all of that. He's never gone through what we've been through in the 'hood."
The autobiographical "Look Into My Eyes" also chronicles Benzino's turbulent life, including the incarceration of his father and the MC's years growing up on the mean streets of Boston. The song serves as the first offering from the rapper's forthcoming LP, Archnemisis, which is slated for release on February 22.
The beef between Benzino and Eminem has been long-running and well-documented (see "Benzino Calls Eminem 'The Rap Hitler,' Says There's No Beef"). Most recently, it was reported that the two parties would settle at least some of their differences in court (see "Eminem's Lawsuit Against The Source Going To Trial").
Representatives for Eminem had no comment at press time.
— Rashaun Hall
