In a raw and revealing new interview with HipHopIsReal, original G-Unit powerhouse Bang Em Smurf is pulling back the curtain on the volatile early days of the movement. Smurf, who served as 50 Cent’s primary muscle during their legendary rise in Queens, expressed deep-seated resentment over how his loyalty was repaid once the group achieved global superstardom. The heart of the friction remains the 2003 fallout, which began when Smurf was incarcerated and felt abandoned by the man he once protected on the front lines of the Murder Inc. beef.

Smurf took a surprising aim at Eminem, arguing that the Detroit legend had enough influence to stop the bridge-burning between him and 50 Cent. “I’m mad at Eminem too. He should have told 50 Cent ‘you can’t do this to Smurf.’ You are the only man he gonna listen to but you sat there and watch him do that to his right-hand man too, to praise you,” Smurf stated. He believes that because 50 held Eminem in such high regard, Slim Shady was the only person who could have checked 50’s behavior and preserved their brotherhood.

Smurk was quick to remind listeners that the foundation of G-Unit was built on the streets long before the Shady Records deal. “You wasn’t there when we was walking out in the hood. I see everybody go online like: ‘oh, you can’t say Eminem is a slave master, ain’t none of of the black people went to South.’ What do you mean? Chris Lighty was the first who stepped up. We toing before Eminem. We were on mixtape tour because of Chris Lighty. It was not no Eminem,” Smurf explained, highlighting the groundwork laid by the late Violator Management mogul.

Smurf moved to correct the historical narrative regarding the group’s discovery, pushing back against the idea that Eminem was the sole architect of their success. He asserted, “Eminem came after and put the cherry on top. We already had a motion. That’s how we got the deal. So don’t ever give Eminem f–king no credit for the s–t we put in. He just put the icing in a cake and now 50 got all the white fanbase.” For Smurf, the transition to the Shady/Aftermath era signaled a shift where the “dogs” who started the journey were traded for corporate safety.

The disappointment Smurf feels toward Eminem is deeply personal, stemming from the bond they once shared during the peak of G-Unit’s recording sessions. “And when you are Eminem, you were supposed to tell 50 ‘bro, you can’t do that to your dog.’ You supposed to be real, Em. I’m disappointed with Eminem cause me and Eminem were good too and he know the relationship me and Fif got and ain’t nobody step up for Smurf,” he lamented, emphasizing that “realness” should have translated into standing up for a friend.

Refuting any doubts about his proximity to the camp, Smurf detailed his time spent in Detroit during the recording of the Diamond-certified Get Rich or Die Tryin‘ album. When asked if he had actually met Eminem, Smurf replied: “Who asked me that?! Of course I met Em. I was everywhere with 50. I was there. When we were recording we used to go to Detroit. Me and Proof were so close before he died. I know Eminem. I’m on stage with Eminem. I graced the stage with Eminem. I’ve been around Dre. I know all these men.”

Ultimately, Bang Em Smurf remains a polarizing but essential figure in the G-Unit mythos—a man who helped provide the security that allowed 50 Cent to become a mogul, only to find himself on the outside looking in. By speaking out now, he ensures that the grittier, unpolished foundation of the movement isn’t entirely forgotten. As he puts it, while the world sees the “icing,” he was there for the “motion” that started it all. Watch the interview blow: