Dave Mays Speaks on Eminem’s History with The Source on Drink Champs

In a recent interview on Drink Champs, The Source magazine founder Dave Mays spoke about his historic relationship with Eminem. He highlighted how the publication supported Slim Shady long before he became a global megastar.

Mays reflected on the magazine’s early support, stating, “Eminem was on Unsigned Hype before he got signed to Dre. The Source showed mad love to Em for years. He was the first white person on The Source magazine cover. He won a Source award for lyricist of the year. We had a lot of respect and a lot of to do with helping Eminem. He was loyal and shouted out The Source lots of times but then whole situation started with Benzino.”

The Source really played a big role in boosting Eminem’s early career through its iconic “Unsigned Hype” column. This early coverage gave him major credibility in the hip-hop community before Dr. Dre ever signed him to Aftermath.

However, that close bond eventually broke down due to a bitter feud with Benzino, who was a co-owner of the magazine. What started as a strong partnership ended in one of the most famous rivalries in rap history.

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