Eminem's chart-topping rap cohorts, D12, have been ejected from the Warped Tour after igniting a backstage brawl with members of a rival rap group at a show in Camden, New Jersey.
According to Billboard, the fight took place Friday, when members of D12 and their entourage allegedly attacked underground hip hopsters Esham and T.N.T., from rival rap group Natas, as they were hanging out with fans backstage near their tour bus.
T.N.T. suffered minor cuts and bruises while the beating left Esham with a broken nose, a ruptured eyeball, a concussion and hearing damage to his left ear. He was taken to nearby Vitua Health Camden hospital for treatment and was released a few hours later. He's since returned to Detroit to recover from the injuries.
Following the incident, Warped officials gave the boot to everyone, including D12--who had been with the tour just three days and performed only twice--and Esham, T.N.T. and fellow Natas member Mastamind.
Reps for both camps acknowledged that the brawl was just the latest tit-for-tat in a long-running feud between Esham and Eminem's posse. The rap rivals have been known to trade barbs in the past, with Slim Shady dissing on his multiplatinum The Marshall Mathers LP and Esham getting in his digs on his Tongues album.
Talking about the attack afterwards from his office at Overcore Records in Detroit, Esham accused members of D12 and their bodyguards of deliberately jumping them at the behest of Eminem, whose given name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III.
"Mathers gave the word," Esham told Billboard. "He didn't even show up for the tour. That's how premeditated this was. This was a straight-up attempted murder on my life. I could have been dead."
So premeditated, in fact, that Esham let it be known on his Website (where he keeps a running online diary documenting their rivalry) that he expected to be kicked off the tour if the two camps ever came to blows. Esham said that when he saw the size of D12's entourage, he felt threatened and began videotaping his rivals just minutes before the assault, in case the footage could be used as evidence in court.
A source close to the D12 camp, however, disputes Esham's allegations, saying the rapper and his pals were throwing rocks and bottles at D12's guests and taunting them. The source also denies that Eminem was behind the attack, because the rap superstar had been planning to make a surprise appearance with D12 Saturday in New York.
A spokesman for D12 also released a statement confirming the brawl and denying Eminem's involvement.
"On Friday August 3, an incident occurred backstage at the Warped Tour, spurred by D12's concern for the safety of their guests," said Interscope spokesman Dennis Dennehy. "Both D12 and the other party involved have been asked to leave the tour. Eminem was home in Detroit and not on tour with D12 when the incident took place."
Camden police have reportedly launched an investigation into the headbanging incident, but have yet to file charges.
D12's new album, Devil's Night, is currently at number three after debuting atop the Billboard album charts six weeks ago, while Natas is a relative unknown on the charts.
"It got this bad because those guys idolize us," Esham told Billboard. "They emulate everything we do. Eminem has animosity toward us because we're his favorite rap group. We don't agree with some of the things they say, so we speak upon that. It stems from that."
The Natas frontman also noted that he was shocked--shocked!--to learn that his group was also tossed from tour.
"We got kicked off for defending ourselves, which is totally horrendous," he added. "[D12] was 100 percent in the wrong. Even now they're sending emails and death threats to us."