What if I told you that one of the most vicious and savage diss tracks in music history wasn’t even a rap song, but a catchy pop anthem beloved by teenage girls and moms around the world? And what if that diss track was aimed at none other than Eminem, one of the most fearsome rappers to ever step foot in the game? Now, you might think it’s a one-sided battle, right? After all, Eminem has been known to destroy anyone who dares test him on the mic. But when Mariah Carey, the pop queen herself, stepped into the ring, things didn’t exactly go as expected.

This infamous beef between Eminem and Mariah Carey is often considered the only feud Eminem truly lost. So, let’s take a deep dive into how this saga unfolded — and why, in the end, Mariah might have won.

The Beginning: A Meeting at the Grammys

At the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2001, Eminem performed his massive hit “Stan” alongside Elton John. In the crowd that night was none other than Mariah Carey, who was reportedly very impressed by Eminem’s performance. The two eventually crossed paths, and Mariah reached out to Em, asking if he’d be interested in working together on her upcoming album Charmbracelet. Although Eminem would later claim that they dated for a few months, Mariah always insisted that their relationship was strictly professional.

The First Shots: Superman and the Fallout

In 2002, Eminem dropped The Eminem Show, one of the biggest albums of his career. On the track “Superman,” he made several references to Mariah, hinting at their supposed relationship, including lines like, “What, you trying to be my new wife? What, you Mariah? Fly through twice.” Although these lines didn’t feel like outright disses at first, it was clear that Em had unresolved feelings about Mariah and their alleged fling.

Mariah, however, publicly denied these rumors. In December 2002, she told Oprah, “We never had an intimate relationship. I’ve spoken to him, but I don’t consider that dating.” Mariah downplayed everything, insisting they were just friends, which only fueled the fire for Eminem.

Mariah’s Diss: The Birth of “Clown”

In 2003, Mariah released Charmbracelet, and fans quickly speculated that the track Clown was a direct response to Eminem. In it, she sang about a man who had lied about their relationship, stating, “I should have never called you back when you pursued me, you should have never intimated we were lovers.” The song was soft, but the message was clear — Mariah was taking a shot at Eminem, and she wasn’t afraid to let him know it.

Eminem Responds: The Feud Escalates

Eminem didn’t let Mariah’s subtle diss slide. He was still reeling from the rejection and started to fire back with a vengeance. In 2005, Mariah experienced a massive career resurgence with the release of We Belong Together and the album The Emancipation of Mimi. This was a huge blow to Eminem’s ego, and soon enough, he was back to taking shots at Mariah.

During his Anger Management tour in 2005, Eminem began publicly taunting Mariah again. He altered the lyrics to his song “Ass Like That,” mocking their alleged relationship, and played what he claimed were private voicemails from Mariah, detailing their interactions. In one concert, he played a voicemail of her allegedly begging for his attention, making the situation feel even more personal.

Mariah Strikes Back: “Obsessed”

And then came the moment when Mariah turned the tables on Eminem in the most iconic way possible. In 2009, she released the single Obsessed — a catchy pop anthem that became a global hit. The song, though not directly naming Eminem, was clearly aimed at him. Mariah sang, “Why are you so obsessed with me? Boy, I wanna know,” all while mocking a man obsessed with her, despite her lack of interest.

In the music video, Mariah portrayed herself as both the object of obsession and the stalker, depicted by a man in a large hoodie and a goatee, a clear nod to Eminem. She trolled him in the most playful, yet savage way possible, making a video that paralleled Eminem’s own Stan — a track about obsessive fandom — but this time, the obsession was his. The visual was so clever, it made it feel like Mariah was calling out Eminem for being a “Stan” of his own.

The song was a massive commercial success, debuting at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its catchy chorus made it a summer anthem in 2009. Mariah had taken a playful yet sharp jab at Eminem, and it landed hard.

Eminem Responds: “The Warning”

Not surprisingly, Eminem didn’t take kindly to being dissed on a pop track. Two weeks after Obsessed was released, he fired back with a song called The Warning. In this track, he detailed their alleged relationship in graphic detail, including intimate moments and private phone calls, even accusing Mariah of trying to cover up their past fling.

The track was brutal, with Eminem attempting to prove that he and Mariah had been romantically involved for months, despite her constant denials. He also made it clear that he was still bitter about her rejection. However, The Warning didn’t quite have the same impact. Mariah, who had moved on and was at the peak of her career, didn’t respond to the track, leaving Eminem to fight the battle alone.

The End of the Feud: Mariah Wins

Despite Eminem’s attempts to attack Mariah through various diss tracks over the years, the feud ultimately seemed to favor the pop icon. Mariah’s Obsessed not only became one of the biggest hits of 2009 but also served as one of the most effective diss tracks of all time. It was smart, catchy, and playful, and it left Eminem looking desperate in comparison.

Eminem’s refusal to let go of the past and his obsession with Mariah — a woman who had already moved on — ultimately made him look petty. The fact that he continued to drag out the drama, even after Mariah had stopped responding, solidified the narrative that he was the one truly obsessed.

And while Nick Cannon did briefly enter the fray, defending his ex-wife in several blog posts and diss tracks, his involvement only served to make Eminem look better. Cannon’s over-the-top reactions to Eminem’s jabs only made it seem like the feud was more about Nick trying to prove his masculinity than about Mariah herself.

In the end, Mariah Carey emerged victorious. She made a hit song, kept her dignity intact, and left Eminem to stew in his own bitterness. For the first time in his career, Eminem was outclassed by a pop star. And while he certainly didn’t go down without a fight, it’s hard to deny that Mariah Carey’s Obsessed is one of the most brilliant and unexpected diss tracks ever to be released.

Eminem may be the greatest rapper of all time, but in this particular feud, it was a pop star who got the last word.