‘I just like Em’s flow but don’t like that he’s dissing new rappers,’ says Bieber

Justin Bieber attends the John Elliott front row during New York Fashion Week: The Shows on 6 September, 2018 in New York City.

Justin Bieber attends the John Elliott front row during New York Fashion Week: The Shows on 6 September, 2018 in New York City. ((Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows)) 

Justin Bieber has claimed that Eminem doesn’t “understand” rap’s newer generation, in reaction to Eminem’s previous criticism of younger rappers.

The 25-year-old Bieber made the comment on his Instagram story after sharing a screenshot of his phone screen with Eminem’s “The Ringer” from the album Kamikaze playing.

In the tune (and on the rest of the album), Eminem takes jabs at several of his fellow rappers, such as Lil Xan, Lil Pump and Lil Yachty.

One specific line goes “I can see why people like Lil Yachty, but not me though.” Eminem also raps: “Lil Pump, Lil Xan imitate Lil Wayne.”

“I just like Em’s flow but don’t like that he’s dissing new rappers,” Bieber wrote. “I like the new generation of rap he just doesn’t understand it.”

The best albums of 2019 (so far)

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It’s not uncommon for an artist to be influenced by the place they grew up in. Yet few are likely to have as much inspiration to draw on as India-born, Zimbabwe-raised and now Peckham-based artist Rina Mushonga. The singer-songwriter’s nomadic personality is reflected in the vast scale of reference points on her new record, In a Galaxy. It’s technically a follow-up to 2014’s The Wild, the Wilderness, but the newfound boldness on this new work is startling. Since that first record, Mushonga has begun to incorporate themes of empowerment into her work. On “AtalantA”, she showcases her muscular vocals, which are capable of switching between an airy lilt to a deep, emotional moan, as she sings lyrics inspired by the Greek hunter goddess who refused to marry. In a Galaxy is a record that takes you far beyond the borders of the world you’re familiar with, and into something altogether more colourful. (Roisin O'Connor)

On Deerhunter’s eighth album, frontman Bradford Cox takes on the role of war poet, documenting the things he observes with a cool matter-of-factness, and heart-wrenching detail. Death is everywhere on Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?, as much as others may refuse to see it. Already Disappeared is not an easy album. It’s often bleak and experimental: Cox’s vocals burst through like distorted, burbling fragments of static, or appear muffled amid the instrumentation. This is a new side of Deerhunter that gives the listener much to contemplate. (Roisin O’Connor)

After a period of tumult, Sharon Van Etten’s fifth album is a reinvention. But beneath its hazy synths and electronics are songs of endurance and inner peace, of settling after a flurry of activity. On Remind Me Tomorrow, written during her recent pregnancy and the birth of her first child, Van Etten dims her spotlight on toxicity and instead casts a warm glow behind the record’s psychic overview. The anxiety and pride of impending parenthood converge on “Seventeen”, a paean to the invincibility and melancholy of adolescence. Addressing a younger version of herself, the 37-year-old sings of the carefree young and their mistrust of those defeated by time. After years making peace with drift and uncertainty, she’s never sounded more sure of anything. (Jazz Monroe)

BMTH frontman Oli Sykes wants to assert the fragility of the boundary between love and hate. Amo is a way of exploring that, even down to the title itself. Closer “I Don’t Know What to Say” is cinematic in its symphonic drama – perhaps inspired by their 2016 shows at the Royal Albert Hall that featured a full orchestra and choir – and becomes the album’s most moving song. Over urgent, darting violin notes and soft strumming on an acoustic guitar, Sykes sings about the loss of a close friend, building to a hair-raising climax where he screams out the song’s title one last time. Amo won’t satisfy all of BMTH’s fans, but it’s certainly accomplished, catchy and eclectic enough to bring in some new ones. (Roisin O'Connor) 

Eminem, 46, released Kamikaze as a surprise in August last year. The album was certified platinum later in 2018.

Combined with Eminem’s back catalogue, Kamikaze made him the top album seller of the year.

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Biebers’ most recent album, Purpose, dates back to 2015. The singer appeared to tease possible new music with Ed Sheeran in recent social media posts.