The Eminem Effect: How a Feud Reshaped MGK’s Career and Still Haunts Him Today

The world of hip-hop has always thrived on competition. Rivalries push rappers to sharpen their pens, fuel their confidence, and sometimes create moments so unforgettable they become etched in pop culture history. From Jay-Z versus Nas to Drake against Pusha T, rap feuds have been lightning rods of drama and artistry. Yet among these legendary battles, one feud stands out not only for its lyrical ferocity but also for its unexpected aftermath — Eminem versus Machine Gun Kelly (MGK).

It has been more than half a decade since their back-and-forth ignited the internet, but the shadow of that clash still looms large. And in 2025, with MGK’s surprising release of a viral dance-pop track called Cliché, the echoes of that feud have resurfaced louder than ever. To understand why fans cannot stop linking MGK’s latest work back to Eminem, we need to revisit the beginning, retrace the blows traded, and unpack the cultural weight of what many now call “The Eminem Effect.”

The Spark That Lit the Fire

The feud’s roots trace back long before MGK released Rap Devil. It began with a seemingly small but incendiary comment MGK made in 2012 about Eminem’s daughter, Hailie, who was just 16 at the time. MGK called her “hot as f***” in a tweet that quickly drew outrage. Eminem, notoriously protective of his daughter, did not publicly respond at first, but the damage was done.

For years, the tension simmered. MGK later claimed the comment was misinterpreted, insisting he had meant no disrespect. But in hip-hop, perception matters more than intent, and the image of a young rapper openly commenting on Slim Shady’s daughter stuck. Fans knew it was only a matter of time before Marshall Mathers would strike back.

That strike came in 2018. Out of nowhere, Eminem released Kamikaze, an album packed with venom aimed at critics and rivals alike. Buried among the barbs was a direct shot at MGK, dismissing him as a second-rate rapper and reminding the world of his controversial comment about Hailie. For Eminem, it may have been a quick jab, but for MGK, it was a call to war.

“Rap Devil” vs. “Killshot”: When Worlds Collided

MGK wasted no time. He responded with Rap Devil, a direct diss track aimed squarely at Eminem. The song was bold, aggressive, and for many listeners, shockingly competent. Over a dark, pounding beat, MGK accused Eminem of being bitter, out of touch, and jealous of younger talent. He mocked Em’s age, his beard, even his sweat suits. The title itself, a play on Eminem’s classic Rap God, was a brazen taunt: the student challenging the master.

The hip-hop world exploded. Memes flooded Twitter. Reaction videos dominated YouTube. For a brief moment, it felt as though MGK had pulled off the impossible — standing toe-to-toe with one of rap’s greatest battle MCs. Some even whispered the unthinkable: Could MGK actually win?

Eminem answered days later with Killshot. Clocking in at over four minutes, it was a surgical takedown. Em mocked MGK’s man-bun, his “featherweight” career, and most memorably, implied that responding to MGK had been so effortless that he wrote the track in just 13 minutes. The title was fitting — Killshot didn’t just clap back, it felt like a bullet to MGK’s rap credibility.

Fans declared Eminem the victor. Hashtags like #Killshot flooded social media. Reaction channels gleefully dissected each bar, praising Eminem’s layered wordplay and ruthless precision. MGK, despite earning some respect for having the courage to engage, was widely seen as having been flattened.

The Fallout: A Career at a Crossroads

In the weeks after Killshot, MGK found himself in a strange position. On one hand, his visibility skyrocketed. Streams for Rap Devil surged, and for a while, his name was trending alongside Eminem’s. On the other hand, the stigma of losing to Eminem clung to him.

Hip-hop is an arena where credibility is currency. To many fans, MGK’s defeat meant he would never again be taken seriously as a battle rapper. The internet, merciless as ever, immortalized the feud with jokes and memes. “Eminem really broke this dude,” fans still say today.

Rather than doubling down on rap, MGK made a bold pivot. He leaned into rock, releasing Tickets to My Downfall in 2020 — a pop-punk record produced with Blink-182’s Travis Barker. Surprisingly, it worked. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and won over a new fanbase. Suddenly, MGK wasn’t just “the guy Eminem destroyed” — he was a rock star.

Still, for hip-hop purists, the move was telling. They saw it as evidence that MGK had abandoned rap because he couldn’t survive in the arena after Eminem’s scorched-earth response.

From Rap to Rock to Pop: Reinventing the Chameleon

MGK’s genre-hopping continued. After success in pop-punk, he experimented with alternative rock and eventually began incorporating pop elements. This willingness to reinvent himself showcased his versatility but also made him a target for criticism.

Some praised him as fearless, refusing to be boxed into one category. Others dismissed him as a shapeshifter with no true identity, drifting between genres to chase relevance. And in the background, always, was the echo of Eminem’s voice — the shadow of that feud, the “Eminem Effect,” which fans invoked whenever MGK tried something new.

When MGK released Cliché in 2025, a dance-heavy pop track with viral TikTok choreography, reactions were immediate and polarizing. His core fans applauded his ability to surprise and evolve. But Eminem fans? They pounced.

The Meme Machine: Fan Reactions to “Cliché”

The comment sections on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram filled with references to the old feud.

“Eminem really broke this dude,” one fan quipped.

“Imagine dissing Eminem and then releasing this,” another sneered.

“Eminem put this guy on the Disney Channel soundtrack,” one joked, complete with crying-laughing emojis.

“Damn imagine getting your career handed to you in a rap battle, you end up doing Kidz Bop songs,” read another.

Even supportive comments carried a faint shadow of Eminem: “This is catchy, but he’s never been the same since Killshot.”

The phrase “The Eminem Effect” began trending once again, shorthand for the idea that MGK’s career trajectory was permanently altered by his decision to step into the ring with Slim Shady. No matter what genre MGK embraced, fans saw every move through the lens of that defeat.

Rap Beef in Context: Why Eminem vs MGK Endures

To understand why this feud endures in public memory, it helps to compare it to others. Jay-Z versus Nas was monumental, but both rappers remained in hip-hop and eventually reconciled. Drake and Pusha T traded blows that exposed personal secrets but continued to dominate the charts.

What makes Eminem versus MGK unique is its aftermath. Instead of solidifying MGK’s rap career, it rerouted it entirely. Few feuds in history have led to such a dramatic genre shift. Imagine if Jay-Z had abandoned rap for country music after Ether, or if Drake had quit to become a rock singer post-The Story of Adidon. That’s the level of reinvention MGK undertook.

And unlike other feuds, where fans eventually move on, Eminem’s larger-than-life persona ensures the story keeps resurfacing. Eminem is not just a rapper; he is an institution, a living legend whose victories are mythologized. To have lost to him is to be forever linked to him.

MGK’s Resilience: More Than a Punchline

Yet it would be unfair to reduce MGK’s career to a single loss. His success in rock and pop demonstrates remarkable resilience. Many rappers, after being publicly humiliated, fade into obscurity. MGK refused to disappear. He rebuilt himself, found new audiences, and kept creating.

This persistence deserves acknowledgment. Even as jokes fly, MGK’s ability to reinvent is rare. He may never escape the long shadow of Eminem, but he has carved out a career that spans multiple genres — something few artists achieve.

Conclusion: Living with The Eminem Effect

The story of Eminem versus MGK is no longer just about a diss track. It has become a case study in how moments of conflict can define careers. For Eminem, it was another notch in his belt, proof that even in his forties, he could dismantle a challenger with ease. For MGK, it was both a wound and a catalyst — a loss that forced him to evolve, to reinvent, and to test the boundaries of his artistry.

Still, every new release, every new genre, is haunted by echoes of Killshot. Fans cannot resist bringing it up, turning comment sections into battlegrounds where Eminem’s ghost still swings punches.

Perhaps that is the true “Eminem Effect”: not just ending a feud, but creating a narrative so powerful it overshadows everything that follows. MGK may dance, sing, or scream with a guitar, but to millions of listeners, he will always be the man who dared to battle Eminem — and lost.

And maybe, in the end, that is both his curse and his crown.