Devoted dad Eminem has shocked pals by dragging his seven-year-old daughter HAILIE into his dangerous feud with rival rapper Ja Rule.

The SLIM SHADY star has recorded a track, called HAILIE'S REVENGE, in response to Rule calling his mother a "crackhead" and his ex-wife KIM a "slut" in freestyle track LOOSECHANGE.

The song is currently doing the rounds on an underground mix tape, and music industry insiders have branded Eminem "sick" for involving his child in the rap wars.

The track contains a taped conversation between Eminem and Hailie in which he ridicules Ja Rule for his diminutive size and failure to score an ACADEMY AWARD, an honour recently bestowed on Eminem.

The conversation follows, 'Eminem: "Come here baby, bring Daddy his OSCAR." Hailie: "OK." Eminem: "We're going to shove it up Ja Rule's a**." Hailie (giggling): "Daddy, is Ja Rule taller than me?" Eminem: "No, honey, you guys are the same size."'

Sources close to the 30-year-old now say they fear for Hailie's safety. Pal JR WATKINS storms, "When I heard the lyrics I got enraged. I said, 'You're dragging your kid into this.' Anyone who thinks it's going to stop at lyrics is insane."

KIRK MILLER, an editor at American music magazine ROLLING STONE, adds, "It's unprecedented. I've never heard of a rapper putting his own offspring's voice on a record insulting another rapper. It's just too dangerous." Miller also warns that Eminem "better be careful - this could escalate".

Industry insiders are praying the feud stops here, but fearing it may escalate to the level of the late 90s, which saw rap rivals Tupac Shakur and CHRISTOPHER 'NOTORIOUS B.I.G.' WALLACE murdered six months apart.

04/06/2003 09:29