Two decades ago, the feud between Eminem and Mariah Carey began, and music producer Damion “Damizza” Young may have uncovered the root cause of their long-standing rivalry.

At 50, Young has been connected to Carey since 1988. During a recent episode of the “TFU Podcast,” he revealed that he was the one who introduced Carey, 56, to Eminem, 52.

Young recalls that Eminem initially wanted her to be part of the movie “8 Mile.”

10

Young mentioned that during a three-way call with Carey, he suggested she pretend to be Eminem’s mother for a role. Carey was visibly uncomfortable, as Young described, “Her insecurities kicked in big-time.”

Ultimately, actress Kim Basinger, who is 19 years older than Eminem, took on the role of Eminem’s mother in the film.

10

Young said he warned Carey against accepting the role, fearing it would cause issues. Still, he allowed Eminem to persuade her to take it on since she wanted to branch into movies. He explained, “If I don’t say anything, I’d be the bad guy.”

10

Young also revealed that he discouraged Eminem from making the offer initially, warning him about potential fallout. Despite his advice, Eminem still convinced Carey to sign up, leading to what Young described as a complicated situation.

10

Despite the long hiatus, Eminem rekindled the rivalry, dissing Carey in 2019 on Fat Joe’s “Lord Above.” Carey responded by firmly denying any romantic ties, despite Eminem’s continued references in his music.

In 2020, Carey authored her memoir “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” where she avoided mentioning Eminem altogether.

Reps for both artists have yet to comment on these claims. Eminem has long asserted the feud stemmed from a failed romantic relationship, which Carey has repeatedly denied.