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A few weeks back, DMX offered up an open challenge to his former collaborator Jay-Z, inviting the legendary rapper to partake in a Verzuz battle. While the offer was ultimately unanswered, the debate that ensued served as a reminder of both artist’s respective legacies — though consensus seemed to favor Jay-Z and his relentless, classic-filled catalog. In any case, Swizz Beatz has remained interested in finding an opponent for X, and Noreaga recently teased that one may have been found in Eminem.

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“This moment is so Legend,” captions N.O.R.E, alongside an image of himself and DMX. “3 minutes before this @therealswizzz CALLS X and says Eminem is down for that smoke and X SAY HE CAN GET BUT I STILL WANT JAY HAHA SO CLASSIC BEHIND THE SCENES SHIT SORRY IF I WASNT POST TO SAY NOTHING but I had to DMX VS SLIM SHADY??? What y’all think??? I’m riding wit the DOG!!!”

Though X remains set on Jay-Z, the idea of seeing the “Go To Sleep” collaborators reuniting for a spirited Instagram duel of the hits would be a monumental occurrence indeed. It would certainly be interesting to see how Eminem would prepare for a battle against DMX; would he arrange his setlist to feature some of his darker, grimier cuts? We could only hope. When we asked fans which of the two had the better debut album a few years ago, the ensuing discussion proved that the pair were indeed well matched. Were they two face off in modern times, who would you place your money on?

It’s crazy to think that Relapse, Eminem‘s album with “Crack A Bottle,” “Bagpipes From Baghdad,” and more, is officially eleven years old. The celebrated album was released on May 15, 2009 to much critical acclaim. It arrived during a rough time in Em’s life. The rapper was just getting sober as he was creating the body of work, navigating through his own thoughts and contemplating all sorts of things. 

Now, Eminem is twelve years sober, celebrating his special anniversary in April every year. Relapse was released just one year after Marshall decided to clean up his act, and this album was a reflection of that.

The album cover shows Eminem’s face made up from prescription pills, and the title information is written as though it were a medication. In addition to that, many of the songs on the tracklist deal with drug and substance addiction.

Eleven years later, Em is looking back on Relapse, celebrating its success and what it meant to his career.

“For old time’s sake! #Relapse11,” he wrote on social media.

Many of the legend’s diehard fans are still waiting for Relapse 2, which was initially teased and then seemingly dropped. We recently published a piece on the whereabouts of that project, which you can read here.

If horror movies have taught us anything, it’s that sometimes things oughta stay dead. Despite that, those very things we fear most always end up coming back in one form or another. Eminem fans thought Ken Kaniff died back on 2013’s Marshall Mathers LP 2 bonus track “Wicked Ways.” Yet during the recent interview between Em and his longtime friend Lil Wayne that took place on Friday night’s Young Money Radio, Ken Kaniff resurfaced alive and well, his voice unchanged — as was his propensity for letting off perverse groans.

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In many ways, it’s Wayne himself that’s to blame for the development. “Is Ken Kaniff still alive?” asks Wayne, digging deep for the important questions. After a moment of silence, Em fires off one of Ken’s signature moans, sending Wayne into a fit of hysterical laughter. Before long, Em joins in, clearly amused at Wayne’s appreciation of his diabolical creation.

“Ah man, I forgot about Ken!” admits Em. “Where Ken at? I forgot about Ken. I didn’t mean to forget about Ken. I gotta bring him back.” “For real man,” replies Wayne. “Tell that n***a Ken I say what up.”

So there you have it — if Em’s next album has a “Ken Kaniff” skit, you can thank Lil Wayne for bringing the notorious dent out of his hidey-hole and back into the public eye. Still, you’ve gotta hand it to Weezy. It takes a genuine fan to request the presence of Ken Kaniff by name.  Check out the hilarious moment below, and sound off — do you think Eminem should bring his old pal back into the fold?

Tekashi 6ix9ine has broken tons of records in the last three days. After coming back with his new single and video for “GOOBA,” the rapper hopped on Instagram Live and shattered the previous attendance record, clocking in 2 million viewers during the session. Then, his new music video ended up defeating Eminem’s “Killshot” as the hip-hop video with the most views in 24 hours. 

Despite 6ix9ine’s popularity likely being at its highest point ever, Meek Mill is still disturbed that the general public is celebrating an admitted rat. He has been vocal about it all week and after 69 asked somebody to check on the Philly rapper, he snapped again.

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“Somebody check on meek… see if he’s okay,” wrote 6ix9ine after it was reported that he had broken Eminem‘s longstanding record.

Speaking on how Tekashi must now fear for his safety every time he leaves the house, Meek sent off some tweets before deleting them.

“The internet got a witness in witness protection living in a town house that can’t even come outside saying check on me,” wrote Meek. “I’m helping free people you putting family members behind bars… I gotta crush you for the culture you chump! How you sleep at night lol.”

He continued by explaining why he’s so pressed about 6ix9ine’s recent success.

“We control the culture lol and ima set a example lol,” he wrote. “Nip got killed by one of them I feel a way at heart nobody can change that! Go tuck in!”

Who are you siding with? Tekashi or Meek?

It’s no secret that the fans are desperately seeking a sequel to Bad Meets Evil’s Hell: The Sequel, especially given that Eminem and Royce Da 5’9″ have been collaborating more than ever before. From 2018 till today, the pair have connected on “Caterpillar,” “Not Alike,” “You Gon’ Learn,” “Yah Yah,” and “I Will,” making these past two years their most fruitful era in a minute. 

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Lord knows it’s been long enough since the pair delivered their first and only album as a duo, with Hell: The Sequel having been released on June 11th, 2011. Now, with both parties sounding undeniably focused, it seems like the perfect time to begin planting the seeds for a reunion effort. Though the pandemic may have thrown a wrench in the best-laid plans of many-a-rapper, it seems as if Nickle has been building up a vault of instrumentals — including a few he’s already teased as possible Eminem joints.

Now, Royce has once again taken to the studio with one goal in mind: production. While some of his selections are undeniably left-field for the BME brand, every so often he seems to stumble upon a sample that would suit the macabre and playful direction they tend to take. “NOBODY else besides Dre understands Em creatively like myself,” captions Royce, alongside footage of his latest experiment. While it doesn’t appear to be a finished beat, the sample Royce has chosen certainly seems like something that would suit Em’s creepier side. Check it out for yourself below, and sound off — are you excited to see how Nickle might flip this one?

Following 6ix9ine's prodigal return to the music scene on Friday with the release of his first-prison single, "GOOBA," and accompanying visuals, the controversial artist has already broken a record for hip hop videos on Youtube. According to @chartdata on Twitter, the music video for "GOOBA" racked up the most views in a 24 hour time span on a hip hop video in the history of Youtube, making it the biggest 24 hour hip hop debut of all time.

The third episode of Lil Wayne‘s Young Money Radio show aired on Beats 1 Apple Music on Friday, and one of his guests was none other than his friend and past collaborator, Eminem. During their virtual chat, the two rappers caught up with each other and discussed their music in detail, even both admitting that they sometimes google their lyrics so that they don’t risk the crime of repeating the same bars in a new song.

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At one point, Em took the time to praise his fellow MC, specifically for his incredible verses on the song, “Mona Lisa,” with Kendrick Lamar off Wayne’s 2018 album, Tha Carter V. It’s been widely regarded as some of Weezy’s best work in the past five years at least, and it looks like Em agrees that Wayne bodied it (3:00).

“I never got a chance to tell you but, yo,” Em begins, “‘Mona Lisa,’ your two verses on that sh*t…gotta be one of the top five verses of all time.” Wayne humbly thanks him for the kinds words, before Em continues with his admiration for the rapper’s craft. “I love when rappers are able to tell a story,” he expresses, “and don’t compromise any of the punchlines. It’s great to see you and me still doing it.” Wayne agrees, noting, “that right there alone, it shows the beauty of what we do, period.”

“It’s definitely an art to this sh*t and, man, you got it mastered,” Em tells Wayne. Revisit “Mona Lisa” below to refresh your memory. Do you agree that Wayne had some of the top five verses of all time on this track?

Although it’s a pretty common practice for kids to dig through their parents old photos to find some vintage gems for social media, not everybody’s mom and dad were kicking it with Eminem back in the day. Then again, not everybody’s dad is Dr. Dre, so there’s that. The legendary producer’s daughter, Truly Young, engaged in the age old art of the Throwback Thursday last week, which involved sharing a shot of her famous dad and her mom, Nicole Young, from their younger days. In the same photo, a blonde Em can be seen with a scowl on his face, as a mystery woman plants a big smooch on his cheek.

“How cute is my mom,” Truly captioned the photo. Although it would make sense that, seeing as she is Dre’s daughter, Truly would have found this old school shot on her own, it looks like she came across it while perusing a nostalgia pop culture account called @90smilk.

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Sharing throwback photos of Dre seems to be a common occurrence these days. Earlier this week, Xzibit posted a myriad of photos from back in the early days of Aftermath, and of course, Dre is ever-present. The retro snaps also include the likes of 50 Cent, Battlecat, and DJ Pooh, making for one nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Two rap greats came together this evening (May 8) after Eminem chatted with Lil Wayne for the latter’s Young Money Radio podcast. It was an epic meeting of the minds for two artists that are considered to be GOATS in the music industry, specifically the rap game. The pair even gave nods to a few artists that they particularly enjoy including the YBN Cordae, Big Sean, Joyner Lucas, Kendrick Lamar, Griselda, and J. Cole.

Lil Wayne and Eminem also touched on their creative processes, especially considering Em revealed and he’s been spending his days in quarantine “writing and recording.” Weezy spoke about how draws inspiration, saying “I try to listen to the new music and I can get a little buzz and go [in the studio] and kill something, but I still try to go off my regular procedure, and that’s just my natural inspiration.”

Eminem chimed in, “Same thing. When we first start out it’s a blank canvas. We paint on that sh*t until every area is full. When you’ve made so many songs about everything it gets a little tricky.” He added, “You probably write all the time, and I do, too.” Wayne admitted that he creates so much music that he often has to hit up Google to search his own lyrics to make sure he doesn’t duplicate bars he’s already written. Hilariously, Eminem added that he does the same thing and even pulled the move last night. Check it out below.

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Well, well, well… It looks like today is going to be a good day after all. Lil Wayne just announced the third episode of his must-watch Young Money Radio series and his guest tonight is none other than one of the greatest rappers ever, Eminem.

It looks like we’ll be getting some GOAT talk between two of the all-time greats: Lil Wayne and Eminem. An announcement was made several moments ago with Tunechi breaking the news on Instagram.

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“Ready for some real GOAT talk?! Pull up at 4pm PT/7pm ET. A convo wit me and Mr. Mathers,” he wrote. 

The episode will be recorded live from the rapper’s studio in Miami. Considering they’ve both contributed to some of the finest moments in the history of hip-hop, we can’t even imagine what these two will talk about. There are so many possibilities on the table, which makes this one of the most exciting episodes of the Apple Music series yet. In fact, Tunechi might not ever be able to top this one.

Lil Wayne has been pulling out all the stops with Young Money Radio, previously inviting guests like Drake, DJ Khaled, Stephen A. Smith, and more.

Make sure to tune in tonight!

Eminem has always been a respected figure in the game, especially for those who value his lyricism, and it feels like rappers are beginning to celebrate his legacy more openly than ever before. Ever since Music To Be Murdered By landed back in January (when the year seemed so promising), Drake paid homage to his flow on "Chicago Freestyle,"Rakim touted him as one of his favorite emcees, Snoop Dogg declared him to be rap royalty, and now Kid Cudi has pledged allegiance to Slim Shady's cause.

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With his upcoming album Entergalactic set to arrive at some point in 2021, Kid Cudi has officially lit the bat signal in an attempt to summon Eminem to the studio, presumably for a feature. Taking to Twitter, Cudi fired off an SOS reading: "@Eminem rap God. Help!" While not a direct call for collaboration, the implication is certainly heavy. Especially given Em's recent willingness to dole out featured verses, having appeared on tracks with Logic, Fat Joe, and Jessie Reyez in recent memory.

It wouldn't be the first time the pair connected for a track, with Em having previously produced Cudi's "I Hear Them Calling" track -- a song that never had an official release. It would be certainly interesting to see them work on something new together, and given that Cudi appears to be in the midst of album-mode, we can only hope he's working behind the scenes to make this happen. 

If there’s one thing Snoop Dogg‘s Instagram page is good for, it’s reminders of hip-hop history. Well, that and memes. But on the former topic, Snoop has made it clear that he’s all about paying homage to the legends in the game. As one of those very same, many of those very same legends happen to be his friends and collaborators.

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Today, Snoop took to Instagram to show some love to a gang of hip-hop royals, made up of six essential figures in the game. Of course there’s Dr. Dre, Snoop’s mentor and frequent partner in crime, having connected on over a dozen tracks — many of them undisputable classics. 2Pac Shakur is next up, another of Snoop’s homies and collaborators. Same goes with Ice Cube, a pioneer of west coast lyricism and contributor to Snoop’s Last Meal cut “Set It Off.”

On the bottom row is Eminem, with whom Snoop worked on “Bitch Please II”; though they never connected on another track, the pair did recently join forces in the studio back in 2018. In the center stands the lone rapper Snoop never actually collaborated with — the Notorious B.I.G, though Faith Evan’s “When We Party” sort of captured what that particular team-up might sound like. And of course, rounding out the set is Snoop Dogg himself, one of hip-hop’s most valuable players — literally beloved by all. “Remember we are royalty,” he captions, confident in his assessment and rightfully so.

While every legendary rapper has a well-deserved appreciation for 2Pac Shakur’s music, Eminem might be one of his biggest superfans — a Stan, if you will. In 2004, Em personally asked Afeni Shakur for permission to produce a posthumous Pac album in its entirety, leading to Loyal To The Game. Not to mention likening his temperament to the late legend on songs like “Soldier” and “Say What You Say.” Clearly, Pac played a pivotal role in Slim’s artistic development, and Em recently reflected on his impact during Music To Be Quarantined By.

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“This next song is from an artist I feel might be the greatest songwriter of all time,” prefaces Em. “Debate what you want about emcee skills and all that, because he had that too. But this is one of them songs by 2Pac, where to me, he was showing ‘I can write heartfelt shit and I can write lyrical crazy shit to.’ They say pussy and paper is poetry, power and pistols. Plottin’ on murdering muthafuckas fore’ they get you.”

“Like, the play on the P words and how he was doing it was so crazy,” continues Em. “Mixed with the feel that 2Pac could give you, which is constantly why he was always saying ‘can you feel me?!’ Because you felt Pac. You can’t just listen to Pac, but you feel Pac. If you listen to him, you gon’ feel him. Anyways, this is 2Pac’s “If I Die Tonight.'”

Lofty praise from a rapper who isn’t exactly a stranger to the “greatest songwriter” conversation — do you agree with Em’s assessment on 2Pac Shakur?  

Over their years as friends and collaborative partners, Eminem and 50 Cent have amassed quite a repertoire of classic tunes under their belt. From “Patiently Waiting” to “Don’t Push Me,” “Jimmy Crack Corn” to “Gatman & Robbin,” “Psycho” to “You Don’t Know,” the Shady and Fif connection has often manifested into dark and menacing bangers. It’s ultimately helped make them one of hip-hop’s surefire teams, never failing to deliver quality when called upon. It’s no wonder that fans hold their bromance in high regard to this day.

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And while it’s been a while since they united for a proper collaboration (the Ed Sheeran led “Remember The Name” notwithstanding), the friendship has remained as sturdy as ever. Today, Slim took to Instagram to proudly endorse 50’s latest endeavor, his new book Hustle Harder Hustle Smarter. 

Alongside the cover, Em channeled his inner infomercial in the caption: “Like he said: Get Rich or die tryin’!! Get my friend @50Cent’s new book Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter to help learn how!” The kind gesture did not go unnoticed by 50, who came through in the replies to show some appreciation. “Thanks EM Love you dog,” he wrote, a departure from his traditionally hard-nosed Instagram antics. Such is the power of the 50 Cent/Eminem partnership — some things run deeper than rap. 

As we all figure out how to adjust to our new normal in these strange times, there are many different artists and brands starting up new initiatives to help get us through the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering just how far-reaching the pandemic is, and how deeply it affects day-to-day society, from jobs to daycare, it’s a given that many people are struggling. Still, there is hope, and there are certain figures that are instilling optimism across the country– and among those joining the fold, we can now count 1800 Tequila.

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo tomorrow, 1800 Tequila is kicking off a brand new live stream series, titled “Live From Inside,” that’s hosted by artists you know and love– Lauren Jauregui, Boogie, Chika and Kiane Lede are a few of the artists that 1800 Tequila is partnering with for this new digital series. 

The idea is, that you’ll not only get to have an artist host a live stream with the fans, but you’ll also get a new performance each time, alongside a guest mixologist who will be showing you how to create a few simple cocktails using 1800 Tequila liquor. Essentially, you’ll get all the trapping of a night out from the comfort of your couch. 

Before the digital event series kicks off tomorrow night with Lauren Jauregui, we hopped on the phone with Boogie to find out more about it, and his current quarantine situation. He tells us how he’s been keeping busy during quarantine– including making music and even learning a new instrument. We also touch on Eminem, Boogie’s label boss and collaborator, to find out more about their relationship, too, and Boogie’s recent string of collabs with TDE.

Check out our interview below, edited for clarity.

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HotNewHipHop: Hey Boogie

Boogie: Roseee, I miss you. How’re you?

Yeahhh, it’s been a minute, I wanted to do this myself cause I  haven’t talked to you in a while thought this would be fun.

Ye, once they told me it was you I got so excited.

How’re you doing out in L.A. right now?

I’m good, tryna keep myself busy.

So I guess this 1800 Tequila initiative will keep you busy?

Yeah for sure. I’m glad they hit me up about this. 

So can you tell me exactly what it is and what you’re going to be doing and what fans can expect?

Yeah, so basically what it is it’s a new live stream series of performances from different artists. It’s encouraging people to stay they a** at home and not go outside to be ignorant like everybody else. You can enjoy some 1800 cause that’s what we gone be drinking while we doing this. All the money is going directly to the people that’s affected by COVID-19, that’s what makes it so amazing because we just tryna reap the benefits of the situation. We know people affected by it. Hopefully it’ll cushion people a little bit. 

Cool. How have you been entertaining yourself during quarantine? What do you do day to day?

I have a kid who irritates me but keeps me busy, a lot. Besides that, I’m just tryna work. I’m not saying it’s a good situation but I’m tryna make the best out of it cause it forces me to actually sit inside and I get to know sh*t I’m lacking on, and face reality, so I’m kind of glad it happened in a way. 

Yeah for sure, I’ve been thinking about that too, you can use this time to build a new habit or just get something done that you’ve been putting off. 

Exactly. I picked up a piano. I’ve been playing the piano. I’m trying to learn how to play the piano. It’s kind of frustrating but I’m trying to embrace the challenge.

It’s going to stimulate your mind. You mentioned taking advantage of this down time, and it’s been a minute since you dropped your album on Shady. Is that in the works, like another album?

Yeah. Anybody who knows me, knows how much I overthink my projects. I always wanna make sure I improve from the last project ‘cause I feel that’s what’s keeping me alive as an artist. I keep getting better. I feel like my last project was so good, I kind of got to this point where I was like nothing is good enough and now I’m finally free. My thoughts just finally more free, and I just feel that’s how my life and my music work, it depends on where I’m at and that’s where I make the best music. 

I really loved your last album, the more I play it, the more replay value I get out of it. It just consistently goes up and up. I like that kind of album, it gets better with time.

Yeah, I wanted something that aged well. Our attention span is so short these days cause we get so much music everyday and every week, it’s hard to pick out songs and make sure I had something that did that. 

It’s rare just to find an album like that where it’s even better now from the first time I heard it. How has life been like since you’ve signed to Shady? Has anything changed for you?

What changed is it’s a lot of Eminem fans. They are probably one of the toughest fan bases in the world. If I’m not rapping fast sometimes, they get mad but then if I start rapping fast I disappoint my other fans [Laughs]. I’m tryna have a balance with my fans and all these new fans and make everybody happy. 

That’s so funny, I mean I don’t necessarily think of you as a fast rapper but you’re definitely lyrical, like low-key lyrical stuff that might impress the Eminem fans?

I put a lot of pride into my lyrics so…and my lisp is too big. I got a lisp, to be rapping all fast and sh*t, it’ll start sounding like I’m spitting. 

Do you talk to Eminem? Would you talk to him over the phone or text message? What’s a normal relationship, conversation for you guys?

When we talk it’s regular, he’s like a regular person. But when he calls, somebody else calls first and then they’ll be like ‘Marshall’s on the phone,’  and I feel like I’m about to talk to my teacher or something. 

Have you ever been to Detroit to visit him in the studio at all?

Yeah I have. When I first signed to him he flew me out. I been out there a couple times. 

As you work on the new album, is he involved or is he more hands-off?

What makes it great about him is he just lets me grow as an artist and let me do what I gotta do. If I need something from him I can always reach out. As far as my work I don’t really want other people influencing my ideas, I wanna get my own thoughts off, I don’t really involve too many people honestly.

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You haven’t put out anything yourself but you’ve been featured on a couple of songs recently, all with the TDE camp. You have “Trapped In” with Reason, I think it was released before the pandemic but it’s also kinda timely with the title.

It’s crazy how that hook is about being inside. We did that about a year and a half ago.

That’s so crazy. And then you have the one with SIR— have you been spending a lot of time with TDE camp in general? How did that relationship develop with the whole crew?

The thing with TDE, I think it’s a relationship that’s grown over the past few years. Me and Reason was friends before he got signed, I been watching him grow and helping him when I could. Me and SIR been homies for a minute. Of course Kendrick [Lamar] is from my neighborhood, I text him like a month ago. I’m just cool with all of them. We all from LA so it’s close-knit city, as far as the industry goes. 

Do you have any other records in the stash with TDE rappers? Is there something with Kendrick or ScHoolboy Q?

No, I wish. I would’ve been exposed that. No Kendrick record right now, just the Reason and SIR record. Me and Isaiah [Rashad] are actually finna work on something soon.

Once quarantine is over, who are you most excited to get back in the studio with?

When I get out of quarantine, I wanna work with… uhh. I don’t really be thinking about chasing features cause everybody I’m cool with I still be texting ‘em. Me and Jack Harlow have been working on some stuff, so that’s about it. 

What’s the first thing you wanna do when you can leave your house, not studio-related?

I wanna go to the spa. I want a facial, full body massage while I’m butt naked.

That would be sick. Okay cool, thanks so much for talking to me. We’re excited to check out the 1800 Tequila Live sessions.

Yeah make sure everybody know!

You’ll be able to catch Lauren Jauregui tomorrow on IG Live with 1800 Tequila at 9 pm EST/6 pm PST. Boogie will be hosting “Live From Inside” on May 11th, Kiana is following suit on the 17th, and Chika will be capping it off as the host on the 21st.

There is no Relapse 2,” tweeted Eminem, on April 13, 2010, weeks before dropping off Recovery’s lead single “Not Afraid.”

The sudden revelation was made all the more shocking given that Eminem had all but promised two albums on Relapse. Given that the horrorcore-themed project quickly amassed a loyal fanbase, the news of its sequel’s cancellation was particularly frustrating. Yet given the circumstances — namely Em’s sobriety and self-reinvention as an emcee — the decision to go another direction was ultimately understandable. Though Relapse 2 was no more, Recovery served as an important chapter of the Slim Shady story — one that found him rediscovering his humanity, building on the foundation laid by “Beautiful” and “Deja Vu.”

At the time, Relapse had revealed itself to be somewhat of a niche album. Though the Eminem name ensured commercial success, the macabre subject matter proved divisive. To be expected, as not everybody is eager to engage in murderous and rape-laden fantasies, inspired in part by the mind of serial killers like Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, and John Waye Gacy. Yet those who were found much to enjoy on Relapse and its subsequent expansion Refill, from Dr. Dre’s haunting production to Eminem engaging in the most technically proficient rapping of his career. Much has been made of the infamous accents, with even Eminem decrying them as recently as 2018, but they’re ultimately part of the concept — those who buy into it don’t take issue with them.

Unfortunately, 2009 marked a time where the hip-hop landscape was undergoing a major change. The hierarchy had welcomed a slew of new faces; Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and J. Cole were among three of the most promising young artists. Eminem’s once-mighty Shady Records as presented on The Re-Up had all but dismantled. Contextually, Relapse was a comeback album, the first solo project from Em since 2004’s Encore. When “We Made You” emerged as the lead single, the response was initially wary; many had felt Em no longer had to follow his established formula of a goofier lead single and wondered whether the album would continue along those lines. Second single “3 AM” was met with far more acclaim, though the ultimate direction was beginning to reveal itself. By the time the album arrived in full on May 15th, it became clear that Em was exploring horrorcore territory and committing headlong into the concept.

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It’s no secret that initial response was divided, with some critics skewing negative. It got so bad that Eminem ultimately canceled his plans to deliver a sequel, despite having allegedly plotted music with Dr. Dre, D12, Lloyd Banks, and 50 Cent, who was actually the reason Em decided to do two albums in the first place. Apparently, Em had recorded so much material during the Relapse sessions that Fif recommended splitting it up, describing the project as thematically and sonically linked to its predecessor; “They tie together,” he had said, in March 2009, giving us reason to believe Em would be revisiting his serial killer’s attire for another go-around. With that in mind, it’s clear that one version of Relapse 2 existed before the first was even released, the product of leftover songs from Slim’s highly productive sessions with Dr. Dre. The project was slated for release in late 2009, which would have been the first time Em dropped two albums in one year.

The gameplan changed when Eminem, Dr. Dre, and Denaun Porter went to Hawaii in the summer of 2009, after Relapse dropped and the reception had begun settling in. Holing up in the Honolulu Studio, Em proceeded to start work on a new batch of music. It didn’t take long for the songs created during the Hawaii sessions to spark Em’s creativity, to the point where he felt that the new tracks were far superior to what he had originally lined up. But what were those songs? Given the timeline, as well as the fact that Dre and Mr. Porter were among those present, it can be assumed that “On Fire,” “So Bad,” “Ridaz,” and possibly even “The Warning” were among the tracks recorded in Hawaii. As fans know, those songs ultimately ended up on Recovery, but seeing as Em still intended to drop Relapse 2 as planned, it’s likely those tracks formed the basis of a new version of the anticipated sequel.

Confusing, to be sure — but remember that at one point, there were actually two versions of Relapse 2. The original, made-up of Dr. Dre produced leftovers from the Relapse sessions. And the revised, which began to take shape after the Hawaii sessions, which found Eminem considering the possibility of steering the course in a different direction. After Dre left Hawaii to commence work on his own lost album Detox, Em was at a crossroads of sorts — he clearly had no interest in revisiting his older material, especially after a promising new batch of songs. In October 2009, producer Just Blaze confirmed that he had been spending the entirety of August and September working with Eminem on a project he described as Relapse 2. That same month, Eminem confirmed that Denaun Porter had “two tracks” on the album, furthering the narrative that “On Fire” was meant for the revised Relapse 2.

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A curious development occurred when Em delayed Relapse 2 to 2010, instead concluding the year with Relapse: Refill. The re-released project featured an additional seven songs, including the Dr. Dre assisted “Hell Breaks Loose,” “Buffalo Bill,” “Elevator,” “Taking My Ball,” “Drop The Bomb On Em,” and “Music Box.” While this is hardly confirmed, an inference can be made that Em had already moved on from the original Relapse 2, shifting focus to its revised variant. With that being said, if Em had already made the decision to change the gameplan, it’s entirely possible he preserved the original Relapse 2 highlights and repackaged them on Refill. It would certainly made sense for songs like “Buffalo Bill” and “Music Box” to have stemmed from those sessions, given the subject matter sharing strong similarities to the first installment. Dre’s production team also speaks to this hypothesis, with both Mark Batson and Dawaun Parker serving as co-producers on four of Refill’s tracks.

If it can be reasoned that Refill made up a chunk of the first Relapse 2, one might deduce that the surviving songs were the ones Em felt to be the standout cuts. While it’s entirely possible that Slim went back to the vault for Refill, it’s hard to imagine him turning his back entirely on his original album, even if his mind was already made up. This is seemingly confirmed by Em himself, who opened up about his thought process during a Refill announcement reveal. “The new tracks started to sound very different than the tracks I originally intended to be on Relapse 2, but I still want the other stuff [Relapse: Refill] to be heard,” he explained.

And like that, mere months later, the bomb was indeed dropped as threatened: “There Is No Relapse 2.” Before long, Eminem had delivered Recovery, the album previously known as Relapse 2, which grew into being from another, decidedly more deranged version of Relapse 2. When fans clamor for Relapse 2, it’s this original version they likely desire. And given that Refill was at most six songs — because let’s be honest, “Forever” was never meant to appear on it — there remains a solid chunk of the album that has yet to see the light of day. Even the leaks that did surface, like “Oh No,” the B.O.B-featured “Things Get Worse,” and the emotional Cocaine” appear unclear in origin. The former might easily have slotted onto a Relapse 2, but Em’s allusion to a forthcoming sequel suggests a part one leftover. 

Alas, it’s highly unlikely that Eminem ever revisits the folder containing his lost project — even though Relapse has since experienced retroactive acclaim, a transformation he must have surely noticed. It’s bittersweet truth to bear, made all the more so by 50 Cent’s latest update on the project, spoken to DJ Whoo Kid in July of 2018. “When we did Relapse, we did Relapse 1 and 2,” reminisced Fif. “My favorite music was on 2. We collaborated on a lot of joints on the second one.” True, Slim might throw fans a bone once and a while, donning the bloody apron for old time’s sake on a track like “Framed.” But for all intents and purposes, Relapse 2 has become another chapter of hip-hop’s ever-growing tome of lost lore and mythology. 

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In case it wasn’t evident from songs like “Yah Yah” and “I Will,” Eminem is well versed in hip-hop history, with boundless respect for his predecessors in the game. On the former track off Music To Be Murdered By, Em dedicated a chunk of his lengthy verse to shout-out some of his formative influences, naming Biggie, Del The Funkee Homosapien, Treach, Kool G Rap, Rakim, King T, Ice-T, LL Cool J among other legendary emcees. It’s no wonder he opted to pay further homage with his recent Music To Be Quarantined By playlist, a concentrated dose of rap classics.

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Created by Slim Shady himself and premiered on Shade 45 this weekend, Eminem’s official playlist has since been revealed in full across the internet. As expected, there are plenty of callbacks to his “Yah Yah” namedrops, and many of the tracks notably derive from his younger days in the thrones of discovering hip-hop music. As the tracks themselves played a major role in his stylistic development, Em took a moment to provide some commentary on their impact, braking down bars like the true craftsman he is. 

Should you be interested in checking out the playlist Em ended up amassing, you can check out a list of songs below. Music To Be Quarantined By features songs by Mobb Deep, The Beastie Boys (who clearly inspired “Berzerk”), 2Pac, NWA, Wu-Tang Clan, Redman and more:

Keep Ya Head Up – 2Pac
Droppin’ Em – LL Cool J
Yoke The Joker – Naughty By Nature
Rock Dis Funky Joint – Poor Righteous Teachers
Lean On Me – Big Daddy Kane 
Last Dayz – Onyx
Streets Of New York – Kool G Rap
The Devil Made Me Do It – Paris
Young Gifted and Black – Big Daddy Kane
Music Man – Masta Ace
Mind Blowin’ – D.O.C
Bring It On – Organized Konfusion
My Melody – Eric B. & Rakim
Top Biiiin’ – Audio Two
Taxing – Special Ed
Check Tha Resume – Grand Puba
93′ Till Infinity – Souls Of Mischief
Live At The Barbeque – Main Source/Nas 
Machine Gun Funk – Biggie
Shook Ones Pt. II – Mobb Deep
No Sleep Till Brooklyn – Beastie Boys
You Gots to Chill – EPMD
Wack M.C.’s – Del The Funky Homosapien
Boom Bashin’ – Masta Ace 
Rhymin’ & Stealin – Beastie Boys 
Baby, You Nasty – DJ Mike Smooth
Gangsta Gangsta – NWA
If I Die 2nite – 2Pac
Sophisticated Bitch – Public Enemy
New York State Of Mind – Nas
Wordz Of Wizdom – 3rd Bass
They Reminisce Over You – Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
Tougher Than Leather – Run-DMC
Jive Talk – Kool G Rap & Dj Polo
Paper Thin – MC Lyte
Do It Baby – Def Jef, N’Dea Davenport
Bring Da Ruckus – Wu-Tang Clan
Rated “R” – Redman

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Despite remaining incredibly low-key, Eminem found himself facing a home intruder a few days ago inside of his home. Em’s security guards were asleep when a man named Matthew David Hughes allegedly successfully broke into Eminem’s house. But according to TMZ, this isn’t the first time. Apparently, the man was arrested for trespassing on two properties in his hunt for the rapper. The second home he visited was once owned by Eminem. 

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Police reports reveal that Hughes first attempted to break into a home in Rochester Hills, Michigan at 2 a.m. in June 2019. He reportedly threw a rock at the front window and woke up the homeowner. He had left by the time the police arrived but the homeowner said that he returned to knock on the window and said he was “looking for his brother, Marshall.”

Though the first attempt wasn’t successful, Hughes went to a home in Oakland where he saw a bit more luck in his endeavors. The home was previously owned by Em and Hughes managed to sneak by the security on the property and rang the doorbell and asked for Em. After being told that Em didn’t live there, he walked off but apparently managed to sneak into the actual house because the police found him hiding under a bed on the second floor of the home.

Police charged him with a B&E before hitting him with a count of malicious destruction of property for his visit to the first house. He was sentenced to 90 days in prison and $1400 fine. However, he didn’t make the deadline for the fine so he was hit with an arrest warrant. 

Before you get too excited, this isn’t a new album or anything. Eminem has been doing a lot to keep his community active during the quarantine, specifically encouraging Detroit DJs to keep up their hard work by establishing a contest to be featured on his Shade 45 radio station. Now, Em is deciding to keep the hip-hop heads happy this weekend with some classic tunes, launching his “Music To Be Quarantined By” playlist.

Titled after his recent album Music To Be Murdered By, the three-hour-long special will include a bunch of songs that Eminem has been listening to while quarantined in his home. It will air for the first time at noon EST on Saturday, May 2. 

On the docket will be lots of music from rap’s past generations, including tracks from Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G, Beastie Boys, MC Lyte, Mobb Deep, Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Run DMC, and more.

Encores of the show will air all weekend, as well as the following week if you’re unable to catch it when it premieres.

Eminem has been giving back during the pandemic, sending spaghetti meals to his local healthcare facility and teaming up with StockX to give away a rare pair of his Air Jordan 4 x Carhartt collaboration.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow!

Ja Rule may have battled 50 Cent years ago but he's still trying to convince the world that he came out on top. In a new series of tweets, the rapper brought the situation back up and claims that he was jumped by a whole bevy of characters, restricting him from ever being able to fight fairly.

"Y'all gone STOP with this false narrative that 50 killed me lmao when I went up against 50, em, gunit, d12, busta, dmx, dr. dre and FBI at the same damn time... lmao Let's talk about it," wrote Ja Rule. "I speak NOTHING but truth... Never no cap..."

Never no cap? What about Fyre Festival? Sorry, I had to.

He continued by co-signing one fan who claimed that Ja put his hands and feet on 50 Cent during their feud.

Update: This incident happened earlier in the month, although the news was just revealed today.

Eminem had a home intruder at some point this month, so say the eagle eyes of TMZ. The famed Detroit rapper apparently had to deal with this intruder himself, as the dude slipped past his sleeping security team around 4 AM.

The intruder is 26-year-old Matthew David Hughes. He’s apparently an Eminem Stan– and he so happens to have the same name as “Stan’s brother” in Em’s “Bad Guy” Stan sequel, proving that art always imitates life. He managed to break into Em’s gated Detroit property, and made it all the way to the kitchen before coming face to face with Eminem. To enter the kitchen, Hughes reportedly used a stone he found on the pavement outside the property, and broke the kitchen window with it before forcing himself inside. This caused Em’s house alarm to go off, which despite not walking up Em’s security, it did wake up the man himself. 

When he saw the intruder, he reportedly yelled for his security guard, who finally woke up it seems and grabbed the guy. The police eventually arrived at the scene and arrested Hughes on two felony charges, first-degree home invasion and malicious destruction of a building.

Hughes is still being held on a $50,000 bail at Macomb County Jail.  

For what it’s worth, Hughes was apparently wearing a mask– he had it around his neck in the mugshot.

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Ten years ago today, Eminem came through with the lead single off his seventh studio album Recovery, the Boi-1da produced “Not Afraid.” Contextually, the song served as a major stylistic departure for Slim, especially in the afterglow of 2009’s twisted Relapse album. Produced near-entirely by Dr. Dre, Relapse found Em slipping into the skin of a heavily-accented serial killer; while his rhyming was arguably his technical best, many vocal fans quickly turned on the album, citing the macabre subject matter and Em’s cadence as two primary issues. 

It’s clear that the criticism surrounding Relapse seemed to rattle Eminem, who had only recently made a return to rap after a long-fought battle with addiction. When “Not Afraid” first dropped, it became clear that he was taking his music in an entirely different direction. For the first time in his career, Em had sought production away from his camp, enlisting Drake‘s go-to hitmaker in Boi-1da for a batch of beats. One of them happened to be “Not Afraid,” an anthem that openly addressed Em’s return to sound mental and physical health, all while setting a variety of new artistic habits in the process.

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For one, “Not Afraid” bucked the expected “goofy single” trope, last seen on Relapse’s “We Made You.” It also featured a decidedly more uplifting instrumental than fans were used to, especially following a relentless slew of Dr. Dre-produced horrorcore. Between the triumphant synth strings and Em’s equally inspirational lyrics, “Not Afraid” encapsulated a shifting outlook on both a musical and philosophical level — perhaps more so than any single from a major rap artist before it.

A decade removed from its initial release, “Not Afraid” has since become a staple in Em’s live set, often serving as the closer to his concerts. It has also gone diamond in the United States, a testament to Em’s loyal and widespread fanbase. Though a case can be made that “Not Afraid” moved him further away from the release of Relapse 2, a lost album that has found a renewed fanbase in recent years, its impact on the man behind it cannot be denied. Be sure to revisit the video below, and sound off — what do you think of “Not Afraid” in the greater context of Em’s career?

Eminem rarely ever offers any details about his personal life so to hear him speaking about how he’s spending time while on lockdown is pretty special.

Calling into Sway In The Morning on Shade 45 this week, Eminem gave some details about he’s giving back to Detroit DJs during the coronavirus quarantine. He also spoke on an array of different topics, including the current climate of the world. Sway Calloway asked the rap legend how he’s been holding up during these times and Em admitted that it’s been rough.

“This shit sucks,” said Em, laughing to Sway. “This shit is terrible. I’ve been writing and working out. The fact that there’s no sports on right now is really bothersome. There’s not even anything that– I mean, aside from the [Michael] Jordan documentary– gives you a little sense of normalcy. I try not to watch too much news ’cause this shit is like panic mode all the time and it’s stressful to watch.”

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He goes on to speak more about The Last Dance, explaining that he never met Michael Jordan in person but he was on the phone with the basketball great when he royally messed up their first interaction.

“Everything was good until we get to the end of the phone call,” explains Eminem. “I said, ‘Yo man, when are you gonna come to Detroit so I can dunk on you.’ And it was crickets. I don’t remember exactly what he said but I think he was just kind of like, [unenthused laugh].”

Elsewhere in the interview, Em and Peter Rosenberg speak about Juice WRLD, who posthumously appeared on the rapper’s new album Music To Be Murdered By, and more.

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Considering the fact that some deceased people are getting stimulus checks before the rest of us, Eminem is doing God’s work by announcing that he is also giving away relief funds for COVID-19. However, you’ve got to be tapped into the city of Detroit, keeping your finger on the musical pulse of Motor City to apply.

Sending out a message to Detroit’s DJ community, Eminem announced that he is offering a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be featured on his Shade 45 Radio station. 

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The top fifteen entries will be featured on his radio station and, in case that wasn’t enough incentive to show off your skills, the first 500 entries will all be getting a cash prize.

“Hometown DJ’s! @shade45 and me linked up for #LoveYourDJ – first 500 get $313,” wrote Eminem on Instagram.

Only Michigan residents will be able to enter the challenge. Of course, the dollar amount being sent to applicants is based on Detroit’s area code.

This is not all Eminem has done to help out during the coronavirus health crisis. This week, he also delivered spaghetti meals to a local healthcare facility, packaging them in Shady Records bowls and ensuring that all frontline caregivers had a meal that night.

Props to Eminem for this!

One of the more interesting hip-hop developments to occur year is the budding creative partnership between Eminem and KXNG Crooked, with whom he recently collaborated with on Music To Be Murdered By highlight "I Will." While that marked their lone musical link-up, Em took a moment to chop it up with Crook on "Crook's Corner," an extensive interview that has since amassed over one million views. Since then, Crook has openly mused on the possibility of lacing a joint album with Slim, and while we're not getting that anytime soon, we will be getting another collaboration to tide us over.

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Taking to Twitter, Crook revealed that his group Family Bvsiness would be dropping off a new single called "Skip This Ad," produced by none other than Eminem. While clearly more recognized for his prowess behind the mic, Em has amassed a strong production repertoire throughout his career, the best of which you can check out right here. As of now, the single appears to be dropping on May 15th -- it's unclear as to whether a full-length album will follow.

Check out the announcement below, and stay tuned for that Horseshoe Gang slash Slim Shady link-up. Who knows -- at this rate we might actually see Crook and Eminem get serious about taking their creative partnership to the next level. But that's a thought for another day.

Ever since Royce Da 5’9″ and Eminem renewed their creative partnership on 2011’s Bad Meets Evil album, fans have been excited to witness the follow-up — especially in a current climate, where both parties are firing on all artistic cylinders. It’s fair to say that both Music To Be Murdered By and The Allegory found both emcees in a heightened state, with Royce bringing a new weapon to the battle — his production.

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On that note, Nickle has been spending his quarantine hunkered down behind the boards, laying down a few beats as he plots his next move. For months now, the masses have been salivating at the thought of some new Bad Meets Evil, especially given that the past few years have seen them increasingly active. With both having recently dropped off solo albums, it seems as if a sequel to Hell: The Sequel is a logical step — especially if Royce decides to produce the bulk of the project, thus facilitating any back-and-forth that might otherwise stymie the workflow.

Today, Royce took to Instagram to preview a few of his latest instrumentals, coyly pondering which one to send to his “caucasian counterpart.” Naturally, both selections sit comfortably in Em’s stylistic wheelhouse — which is to say, uptempo dark bangers. While Royce did seem to outline a pick-one-or-the-other scenario, many were quick to counter with a well-meaning “can’t it be both?” Suffice it to say, the people are fiending for some new Bad Meets Evil. And let’s be honest, both beats would be swiftly decimated by the Detroit emcees. 

For several years, Eminem has breathed new life into his "Mom's spaghetti" lyric, opening pop-up restaurants at Coachella and around the nation serving the Italian classic. Hopefully, the meal doesn't end with vomit on your sweater. 

With all of us currently getting through this global health crisis together, many have done their part in helping the frontline caregivers risking their lives to serve us. The nurses, doctors, delivery people, and more that have been stepping outside and doing their part to ensure we can stay home and safe. Eminem has reportedly followed the footsteps of many of his fellow celebrities, donating meals to a local hospital in Detroit. He did so in his own special way though.

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According to several people on social media, Shady Records and Eminem gifted meals to DMC Hospital healthcare workers in Detroit this week, packaging them in his "Mom's Spaghetti" bowls and dropping them off to ensure our frontline caregivers are well-nourished during their shifts.

Eminem has not commented on the good deed as of yet.

In other news pertaining to the rap legend, Eminem recently celebrated his twelve-year sober anniversary, showing off his new chip and proving that anybody can change their life for the better.

Thanks, Em!

Nick Cannon and Eminem have been going back-and-forth for over a decade at this point. You’d think things would’ve settled but that was not the case when Em revisited the beef on “Lord Knows” with Fat Joe. Nick Cannon fired back numerous times with three separate diss tracks in an attempt to “end” Eminem. Rapping is the furthest thing from Nick Cannon’s forte and we can only imagine how silly it would’ve actually been for Eminem to engage in the back-and-forth. Nonetheless, Nick Cannon is still claiming his dub.

 
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“My response was his invitation to Wild ‘N Out, and that still stands,” Cannon told Billboard when asked about Eminem’s lack of response. “It was a month of social commentary, but if you’ve ever heard me speak on this matter, I always give that dude his props as an icon in hip-hop. I think he knows better now. If he keeps talking about me, I’m gonna keep talking back.”

Cannon then expanded on his thoughts in relation to Eminem being a product of institutional racism in hip-hop. “It’s the idea that there is a superior class of people who are judged by a different measuring stick,” he said. “It’s something Eminem has even addressed being a guest in the house of hip-hop.”

“When you come from a culture that was built by a community that didn’t have something of their own, but were able to embrace it and it became a new conduit of information for a new culture. And when someone comes in and shines in that medium and takes it to the masses, it’s the same thing as [what] Elvis Presley [did]. There’s nothing wrong with it, but you gotta accept it for what it is,” he said.

Today, Talib Kweli‘s People’s Party featured an appearance from Everlast, a veteran of the game who has experimented with several different musical styles. While the conversation is wide-ranging, around the one hour and five-minute mark, Talib mentions Everlast’s short-lived beef with Eminem, which was ultimately squashed after a few diss tracks from both parties. Everlast chuckles at the thought. “We were the only guys that battled on Napster, honestly,” he reflects, before Talib points out that Everlast actually got a shout out from Eminem on Marshall Mathers LP 2.

 “It was never a stress factor,” admits Everlast. “The only time it became a stress factor is that I didn’t really expect, when we had our problem — it was purely personal, I felt slighted by him at our first official meeting, when I went to shake his hand and I got egged. Put what they’d call a subtweet in a Dilated Peoples song, which got them in trouble which really wasn’t fair cause they rode for me when asked about it. They were my boys, but they shouldn’t have even been involved in that.”
 

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He explains that Em actually noticed the diss, and he got a call from B-Real, who was at the time managed by Paul Rosenberg. “My brothers are managed by Em’s manager, and they were like ‘Em heard the record and he’s curious if you dissed him,'” remembers Everlast. “So he’s taken notice of me all of a sudden. [laughs] And my answer was ‘well, what if I say yeah?’ B-Real was like ‘you know he’s going to come at you.’ I was like, yeah whatever. Then I kind of forgot about it. He didn’t come back at me for a couple of weeks. And then he pulled out “Quitter.” 

Everlast claims that the diss itself wasn’t overtly scathing, but it caused an unexpected predicament. As Eminem was getting bigger in alternative markets. “What I didn’t count on –cause me and this dude weren’t even in the same worlds right now, so this is just fun to me — is when [Quitter] bled into the alternative stations. I don’t think they did it on purpose, but the alternative stations were having their summer festivals and Christmas shows and they would want Eminem to play that. I got the feeling quite a few times that I wasn’t invited cause they wanted Em to play…It was just the facts and the politics of the game, and us being mad at each other might have prevented him from playing.” 

He maintains that the beef was never truly serious, though he would have made one particular change pertaining to a lyric on the song that initially started it all. “I said something about Hailey’s comet, and I didn’t know his daughter’s name was Hailey,” says Everlast. “He got upset cause he thought I said something about his daughter, and I used that in the second diss — he was about to go to jail and I said I’d look in on your kid — I wouldn’t have done that. As a parent of two daughters, I wouldn’t have done that.” 

For more from Everlast, check out the full episode of Talib Kweli’s People’s Party below. 

Eminem has been open about his past struggles with substance abuse but, for the last twelve years, he has been kind to himself, staying sober and celebrating his ability to remain clean every year on April 20.

Today marks the twelve-year anniversary of Eminem’s sober journey. The legendary rapper has come a long way from his old life. In the past, Em has admitted to struggling with pills and other drugs. He’s clean now though, living his best life and celebrating for us all to see.

This year, the Detroit rapper remained silent while his Bad Meets Evil co-star did all the talking for him. 

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Posting a photo of Eminem holding up his sober accomplishment chip, Royce Da 5’9″ corrected his ten-year achievement to twelve years and wrote a touching message on social media.

“And counting…. Proud of my brother,” wrote Royce on Instagram, sending a message to his frequent collaborator.

Congratulations to Eminem on such an important accomplishment in his life. Every day is tough but with his will power, he can get through the rest of his life without ever relapsing.

To celebrate, check out our new feature about the friendship that Em and Proof shared here. Also, read our new interview Skylar Grey, another one of Em’s friends, here.

The details surrounding the early years of Eminem and Proof‘s friendship are best left unpacked through the music itself. Songs like “Groundhog Day,” released as a bonus track on The Marshall Mathers LP 2, paint a picture of their dynamic; two young aspiring emcees eager to show off their new music, gauging each other’s improvements and providing constructive criticism as equals. “I remember Proof would visit, couldn’t wait to play him my new shit, he’d go cuckoo ballistic,” rapped Em, lost on memory lane’s scenic route. “Go through the roof for his shit / It’s like we knew the instant we touched a mic that both of us two existed to do this shit.”

During his recent appearance on Mike Tyson’s Hotboxin’ podcast, Eminem opened up about the role Proof played in sparking his hunger for battle. “We came up rapping together but he would kind of go do his own thing,” explains Em. “I’d be working at factories and Proof was out there on the grind and he started making connections and then he met J Dilla from Slum Village and a lot of the early Detroit hip-hop that was exploding onto the scene.” At Proof’s insistence, Eminem tried his luck at the Hip-Hop Shop, where he was tasked with winning over an audience of ten.

It didn’t take long for Em to acclimate himself, and before long he was a mainstay in the Hip-Hop shop battle circuit. Due to Proof’s practice of deciding the match-up’s by way of a random draw, Em even found himself going up against Kuniva, who would later become his D12 groupmate. As Von quickly found out, Em was well deserving of his reputation as a formidable battler. One has to wonder, would Slim Shady have come to such a conclusion without the confident co-sign of Big Proof?

Despite the fact that Em and Proof are among hip-hop’s storied bromances, they never really connected for a fleshed-out collaboration on wax. That’s not to discredit the expansive catalog of D12, which found Em and Proof sharing the stage on no shortage of tracks, but rather to lament the absence of a Bad Meets Evil style duet. For the most part, the lone times they connected as a partnership was strict to kick freestyles. Excluding the extensive and highly amusing nineteen-minute epic that is “I’m Rockin Babe,” a song that might very well be one of Eminem and Proof’s first pieces of recorded music.

Things would only go up from there, and their sharpening skills ultimately paved the way for equally well-honed freestyles. A classic video recorded on March 13th, 1999, a few weeks removed from the release of The Slim Shady LP, found Em and Proof gleefully trading bars off the top of the dome; a testament to not only their comfort as friends, but as creatives. “We all up in your sight like cataracts,” spits Proof. “Me and Em tag-team, beat any ya’ll on some battle rap.”

It would be altogether irresponsible to overlook what might very well be their crowning achievement, the seven-plus minute freestyle known as “Just Rhymin’ With Proof.” Originally released as a B-side on the “Quitter” single release in 2000, this masterclass in off-the-dome back and forth freestyling finds both parties deftly toeing the line between outlandish lyricism and genuinely solid rhyme schemes. Based on the sample size of recorded freestyles, Em and Proof are seldom in a serious state, seeming to spur one another into fits of giddy laughter and mutual appreciation for a clever line. The trend continues within D12’s classic half-hour freestyle on Tim Westwood, a cypher that once again finds Em and Proof rhyming as equals — though never missing an opportunity to crack a joke. “Hey ‘Em, your nuts are large as hell,” spits Proof, only for Em to close the scheme with “thanks, I was in the garage and fell.”

Away from the mic, their friendship becomes evident in the remaining pieces of behind-the-scenes D12 footage circulating the internet. One particularly enlightening snapshot arrived during the creation of Tony Touch’s “Get Back,” which found Em, Proof, and Bizarre laying down verses in the studio. In the clip, Em can be seen laughing at Proof’s inability to record a specific line, going so far as to mercilessly troll his inadvertently melodic delivery. “Y’all slipped something into my weed, or something,” remarks a flabbergasted Proof, prompting further laughter from his D12 compatriots. In fact, examining a few old school D12 interviews reveals the importance of comedy within their inner circle; the camaraderie was seemingly built around laughter. With Proof being acknowledged as the unofficial general, it’s clear he played a pivotal role in keeping the morale high. It’s no wonder that his passing all but spelled the end of the Dirty Dozen — at the very least, Eminem’s involvement within it.

Twenty-four years removed from Proof’s death, his spirit continues to live on. Not only through his music, which includes his solo debut Searchin’ For Jerry Garcia and contributions to two D12 studio albums, but through Eminem’s as well. Songs like the tragic “Difficult” and the triumphant “You’re Never Over” paint two different pictures of the complexities of grief, highlighting the lowest points of loss and the valuable lessons learned through life. It’s not entirely fair to say there would be no Eminem without Proof, but perhaps there would be no Eminem as we have come to know him. Take a moment to reflect on one of hip-hop’s great friendships, and show some love to Big Proof. Rest in peace. 

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Two years ago, Chris D’Elia had a viral moment on twitter thanks to a spot-on Eminem impersonation. The comedian was already pretty well established at the time, but this clip of him rapping in the vein of Eminem‘s newest Kamikaze album (at the time) propelled his career even further, and gained him new fans.

Not only that, it resulted in more work for the comedian, as he was later recruited to take part in Logic’s music video for “Homicide,” a collaboration with Eminem that featured D’Elia’s parody attached to the end of it.

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Now, a couple of years later, D’Elia dives back into the story to explain it in full while on Joe Rogan’s new podcast. Actually, this story is about Chris D’Elia almost shitting his pants on the way to meet Eminem for the first time– but he gets sidetracked along the way by Rogan so he can explain the story of how his little parody clip went viral.

Chris D’Elia begins, “I was at my old house, this was maybe two years ago at this point, and I was in the driveway, I don’t remember what I was doing but I was waiting for something. It had been right around the time of Eminem’s album, so he was on my mind. I was thinking about him and I was like this is how he raps. So I started doing it to the radio, and I was like oh this is funny, I’m gunna record it. And I recorded it one time– and i was like that’s funny, I’ll put it online. I put it online, and it got traction for me– it had a lot of hits for me, on my Instagram, I was like cool, great. And then like a month later, Black twitter took it..They didn’t know who I was but they were like, ‘this guy says this is how Eminem raps.’ And then it got millions of hits on twitter. Then it got so big, my buddy was like you think Eminem’s probably seen it right? I was like ‘maybe.'”

D’Elia continues, “And then a week or two later, my buddy texted me, like ‘bro, Eminem.’ I was like ‘what?’ He was like ‘You didn’t see? Check twitter.’ And I checked, and he was like, ‘I thought this was me.’ And I was like whaaattt?! If you told 20-year old me…And then he was like ‘I’m gunna rap battle Chris D’Elia one day’ and I was like, ‘am I in the hip-hop game now?!'” 

It didn’t end there, though, as D’Elia’s hip-hop connects kept flooding in: “And then Logic, the rapper, hit me up.”

D’Elia goes on to explain how his manager called him to tell him that Logic was planning a collaboration with Eminem, with D’Elia’s skit tacked on to the end. “I was like of course that’s okay! Don’t ask for any money just let him have it!,” he says. That collab eventually turned into a music video appearance for the comedian.

Catch this story, and the one about D’Elia almost shitting his pants around 25-minute mark. 

Ever since she helped bring Eminem‘s “Love The Way You Lie” into existence, singer-songwriter Skylar Grey has become one of his most trusted collaborators. Since first linking up in 2010, Grey has contributed vocals, and most recently production, on The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Recovery, and Music To Be Murdered By. And while many of Eminem’s fans have come to appreciate Grey’s melodic presence, her history in the music industry actually stretches far beyond her partnership with Slim Shady. 

From coming up alongside underground rappers like Apathy and Styles Of Beyond, to retreating to a remote cabin in the woods in a search for clarity, to presenting the Grammy-nominated skeleton of “I Need A Doctor” to Dr. Dre in a Detroit studio, Skylar Grey has lived through a dynamic and unpredictable career. Now, with her sights set on her fiancee Elliott Taylor’s artistic development, Skylar is gearing up to embark on the next stage. 

A few weeks removed from the release of Eminem’s Music To Be Murdered By, on which she contributed heavily to the powerful “Leaving Heaven,” I had the chance to speak with Skylar on the phone. This conversation has been edited for clarity. 

Scott Dudelson/Getty Images 

HNHH: Hey Skylar, how are you doing?

Skylar Grey: Hey Mitch, I’m great. How are you?

Doing pretty well!

Are you on the East Coast?

I’m in Canada, actually.

Oh shit, dope!

It’s a bit snowy. It’s transitioning from winter to spring right now, so to be honest…it’s not that pleasant. Where are you?

I live in Napa, California. It’s beautiful here, but we have not gotten enough rain this winter. We’ll see how the grapes do. [Laughs]

So, I’ve seen you described as a multi-instrumentalist. I was wondering, what instruments do you play?

I play piano, I play guitar, and I play something called the Lap Dulcimer. It’s one of the only American instruments aside from the harmonica. Those are my three main instruments. I consider the computer an instrument nowadays, cause everything is made in a box in current music. I do that too — for the past couple of years I’ve really been developing my producing skills.

Did you always play music since you were a kid?

I grew up performing with my mom. I started performing when I was six, fell in love with the stage. Music was always a huge passion of mine since I was two years old. I was singing harmony on ‘Happy Birthday’ and stuff — people were like what is going on? I was that kid who was super musical from day one. I went solo from my mom when I was thirteen, fourteen. Started doing my own thing.

When did you pick up the guitar?

Piano was first at six. Dulcimer was second — my mom was a folk musician and she was a very eccentric, eclectic artist as well. She was a celtic harpist. I learned the Dulcimer from her, then I picked up the guitar at eleven or twelve.

Christopher Polk / Getty Images

I played a lot of guitar myself — it’s always nice to chat with another guitarist.

Yeah. Here’s the thing though. People describe me as a multi-instrumentalist but I don’t think I’m a virtuoso at any instrument. My forte is songwriting. I use instruments as a tool. It’s not like I’m going to go show off my skills. I’m not going to go shred on the guitar.

That’s totally fair. I mean, there’s a lot that goes into the songwriting process. The imagery, the storytelling. You can be a virtuoso at that — your repertoire of songs speaks for itself at this point. I was going through your credits, and some people might not have a clue how deep your catalog runs.

Thank you.

I think a lot of people reading this will have come to know your music through Eminem. I know you just worked with him on his new album — what can you tell me about making “Leaving Heaven?”

We didn’t work in the same room on it. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t. It was actually my fiancee’s idea — Elliott Taylor, who I’m developing as an artist now too — it was his concept. Elliott was in California, I was in New York on a writing trip. We were having a phone conversation, and he was like ‘I came up with this concept I think is really dope called “Leaving Heaven.”’

His concept for the title was really different, but the way I took it was that I’m leaving heaven and I’m going to go fuck shit up. Get revenge or something. I was excited about the idea, flew home, and we started working on it. Developed this track and hook, and I sent it to Marshall because I felt it would fit his vibe and he might dig it. And he did. He did his thing to it and put it on his album.

So many artists have mentioned not knowing whether they’ll actually be on the album till it comes out. Was it like that with you? Did you even know the album was on the way?

I didn’t know one hundred percent when the album was coming out. I did know he really liked the song and he was holding it. I had a feeling. When I got the paperwork — you gotta do a deal when you put a song on an album — that’s when I knew it was actually real and coming out. I had no idea when.

We try to keep a close eye on things, working on the site. But it really surprised me. He really changed the formula. I’ve been an Eminem fan for a while now, since I was a kid basically. He used to never do surprise albums.

It’s cool, I like it.

How did you guys spark such a creative partnership and artistic trust?

We started out with “Love The Way You Lie.” I wasn’t even in the music game. I was taking some time off and I was living in a cabin in the woods in Oregon. Doing some soul searching. Then I realized I needed to give music another go and I reached out to my publisher who helped connect me to a producer named Alex Da Kid. Alex and I met over email. I was still in the cabin in the woods and he was in New York, but he sent me a track and I wrote the hook to “Love The Way You Lie.”

I sent it back, and pretty instantly Eminem cut it. Rihanna got on it, and a month later it was a number one song. I was like well shit! Maybe I should try music again. [Laughs] So I got back into the game, and I credit a lot of my success to Marshall. Cause that was my biggest break to date. It’s the biggest song I’ve ever been a part of. I’m so grateful for that opportunity that came into my life at a moment in time I was very unsure about my career path. I’ve always been very grateful for it.

When I finally met him and started working with him in person it felt very natural. There was good musical chemistry there, so we continued to work together. Since that song came out, it’s been like, ten years now?

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/WireImage/Getty Images

Shit, I guess so. Recovery is ten years old?

I know, I can’t believe it. I’ve been working with him ever since.

Were you familiar with his music before?

I’ve always been an Eminem fan. I discovered him when I was thirteen. “Stan” was my favorite song for a while. It was on repeat. I loved the soft female vocals with the hip-hop. That combo was so cool to me. That became a goal of mine, something I wanted to do in my life. I guess I manifested it.

Look, I gotta ask. This cabin — what drew you to an actual cabin in the woods?

It was out there. My mom had a friend who had this huge property. And she let me live there for free, cause I was broke, in exchange for working at her art gallery in town at her little gallery. I’d go home to this cabin on her property, and it was very remote. You had to walk about a quarter-mile. It was on a sand dune in the woods. I know that sounds weird, but trees do grow on sand dunes.

You couldn’t drive up the sand, so you had to park at the base of the dune and hike up the dune through the woods. It was scary sometimes, coming home at night. Being out in the middle of nowhere, by myself with a flashlight, walking through the woods. And the bathroom was also outside — there was a bathroom but it was a freestanding unit, so if I had to go pee in the middle of the night it was always terrifying.

That’s commitment.

[Laughs]

It must have been a creative haven though.

It was. It took me about two weeks to get over my fears. The first two weeks I was watching my backs. Then I became one with my environment and it wasn’t scary anymore.

It’s like that artist in solitude archetype. I remember hearing that Bon Iver wrote a whole album in a cabin. Went off the grid.

Ever since that experience, it’s very important for me not to live in a big city. I get too mentally jostled in a city. Different opinions pulling me in so many different directions. Being in a more remote location has always been important for my creativity. That’s why after I got back into the music game I moved back to L.A. temporarily, but it started getting to me again. I moved to Utah, and now I live in Napa Valley. We’re out in the boonies. I love it, it’s really helpful. And I have a studio in my house.

With that feeling of being pulled in so many directions at once — I used to buy CDs, and I would look through the liner notes at all the credits. Now I’ve really come to see how many songwriters are contributing to a modern-day hit. Do you feel there’s a lack of intimacy that comes in the songwriting process?

I understand why there’s a ton of writers on a song. It’s not my favorite way to work. But it has happened before where I’ve done something and you know, it was passed off to another group of people and they finished it. It’s just because they want to get the best song for whatever the project is. This person might have said one word that changed the whole thing, and this person might have changed a chord, and it’s like oh my god.

I get why it happens, but at my core, I’m an artist. I’m not a songwriter for other people, even though that’s what I’ve become most successful doing. I’m an artist, and I want to create stuff that I feel. It’s really hard for me to work in an environment with all these different people and opinions and everything mixing in with it. It’s another reason I don’t like to be in LA and do sessions there all the time. That’s not the type of business I want to do. I want to make art that comes out of me, you know?

If you’re working on a demo, do you ever find it hard to part ways with it? Especially if an artist is like I really want this song…

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I became very comfortable with giving people my songs. It became my comfort zone to know that if somebody puts this song out I’m going to make money. I took my emotions out of it at a certain point. Like, this big artist wants to do a song. Fuck yeah, let’s gets a paycheque, you know?

But I’m taking a big picture look at my career, and I never set out to be a songwriter for other people. It kind of happened and I got comfortable with it. It became my safe place to know I could make a living. It’s not really what I ever aimed to do, so now I’m really pulling back on all of that. I’m not doing sessions for other people or pitching songs. I’m really focusing now on myself, my own music, and my fiancee. Developing my own projects.

That’s really the only thing I’m passionate about at the moment. There are a couple things — we wrote a song for this upcoming Johnny Depp movie called Minamata— and it’s going to be the end title song. I’m not singing it, we just wrote the song for the movie. There are a couple of things, but for the most part I’m just focusing on our projects and creating the art. I want to get out of my comfort zone and be like, I’m going to bet on myself now. Myself and my fiancee, and we’re going to do what we really want to do, which is to be artists. Not just give all my songs away because it’s where I make a living. I have to take more risks than that if I want to get what I want out of life.

For sure. Totally understandable. It’s still cool to see where it takes you. Like, for me, Dr. Dre is one of my favorite musicians ever. You played a pretty big role in “I Need A Doctor.” I’m curious about that song — how did you get on it in the first place?

That was another one I did with Alex Da Kid right after “Love The Way You Lie.” Marshall had asked Alex and I to come to Detroit to work with Dre. Alex and I prepared and brought that hook — we got together a week before and put the hook together. Then we got to Detroit and presented it, and it became what it became.

You presented it to Dre?

Dre and Marshall, yeah.

Were you aware of the whole Detox album? That’s like a hip-hop urban legend at this point.

At the time, we thought that was going to be something. [Laughs] But things change, I get it.

For sure. That must have been a nerve-wracking experience.

It was, because going to Detroit for that trip was also the first time I met Marshall. This was after “Love The Way You Lie” came out and was a big hit, but we hadn’t met yet. I was going to Detroit to be in a room with Marshall and Dre, and it was very intimidating. But they were both really nice, and Dre was super thankful and grateful we were there. He was such a sweetheart. It went very smoothly, obviously, but walking in I was terrified.

Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

Understandable. I think something people don’t credit Em and Dre enough for is their mixing — they’re nice with the mixing. Top tier. I know you mentioned you were doing a lot of producing yourself, do you enjoy the engineering side?

Yeah. I’m in it deep, all levels. I have produced other songs for other people in the past, but it was always pretty stripped back stuff. It’s only been the past couple of years I started doing my own drum programming. I always tracked and put together my own vocals. Recently the drums have been my new obsession. It’s why it’s been so exciting for me to practice my production skills working on myself, and with my fiance Elliott Taylor. We just released the first song off his project, and it’s called “Held Up.”

Are there challenges in working on music with your fiance?

Not really. You would think there would be but we just have such great chemistry on all levels, it’s just fun. Such a fun adventure. He has really great ideas, really fresh, because he hasn’t been in the game that long. He hasn’t been songwriting for other people that long. We started out, I had some opportunities writing for Aquaman and Celine Dion, we wrote these songs together. Our cuts as songwriters together have been [those two,] Eminem, Train, and this Minimata movie. Pretty good for a first year for him as a songwriter. It’s been so fun developing him as an artist — I’ve never done that before. I’ve written songs for other people, but never sat down and spent a ton of time focusing on what sound I was creating. Artist development. We’re going to shoot a music video soon, I’m excited about that.

Very cool, I’m looking forward to see how that turns out. I wanted to mention how things kinda came full circle in a way. Some people might not know this, but you were connected with some underground hip-hop back when you first started out. Songs with Fort Minor, Apathy–

Yeah! Yeah! Styles Of Beyond!

People who might be familiar with your work with Em might not be aware that you were rolling with some underground artists back in the day.

My first experience working in hip-hop was working on the song “Where’d You Go” with Fort Minor and that was kind of accomplishing what we talked about before. Manifesting that “Stan” vibe, where it’s a soft vocal with hip-hop. I was super excited about that opportunity. It was a really big song, and I got introduced to all these hip-hop cats. It felt like it was where I belong, and it developed into working with Em, years later. Apathy was great, and I did the stuff with Slaughterhouse — that was through Marshall.

Were you in the studio with Slaughterhouse at any point?

I met them in the studio, but I think most of the stuff was sent. Honestly, I live out in the boonies so all of my songwriting cuts happened by sending an email. [Laughs]

Fair. It makes sense — it’s so easy to load up a computer and spend eight hours working on a song. I get it.

Yeah, and sometimes when I’m in the room with other people I feel more pressure and I don’t feel like I can be myself. It’s nice to have my own space to fully flow. I can get it to a place where I’m happy and just send it off. To me it’s a more comfortable way to work because I’m not a super outgoing person.

For sure. Plus shit always sounds really good when it’s blasting from your home studio monitors. That always helps. Before we go I had to mention this — when I was reading about some of your influences I saw you mention Radiohead. Then I saw a clip of you doing a nice cover of “Idioteque.”

Dope! I love Radiohead. I love all different types of music. I think that’s one of those other things that drew me to songwriting for different people. Being able to work in different genres. But Radiohead is right up in the top three favorite artists of all time.

Thom Yorke and Dr. Dre are up there for me — two geniuses.

I feel you.

Thank you for your time, and best of luck with the artist development! 

If there’s a rapper who knows how to stir up controversy, it’s Eminem. Ever since the Detroit emcee stepped into the rap game he’s been the target of social activists who have attempted to shut him down. The rising rapper’s lyrical content was often violent and described as misogynistic. Groups called for his music to be banned from radio stations and asked for him to be forbidden from performing in certain cities. Xzibit chatted with HipHopDX about 2000’s “Up in Smoke Tour” that featured a slew of artists including himself, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, D12, Proof, Ice Cube, Nate Dogg, and many others, and shared what it was like watching protesters aim for Marshall Mathers.

Theo Wargo / Staff  Getty Images

“They were f*cking with Marshall back in the day,” Xzibit recalled. “A lot of the activist groups, they were protesting outside the concerts. They were really trying to make it hard for my guy. They made him the poster child of everything wrong with America. It was like, really? It’s like a lotta other sh*t before Eminem that you guys could f*ck with.”

Xzibit revealed that the tour stop in Toronto was bad, but Detroit gave the Canadian city a run for its money. “It’s like, first amendment rights. These people are coming to the concert because you think they haven’t heard the records already?” the rapper asked. “They know what they coming to see. They know pretty much what we’re gonna be talking about.” when they tried to tell Eminem that he couldn’t perform his The Marshall Mathers LP song “Kill You,” Xzibit told him to run it back to back. Check out Xzibit sharing memories of Dr. Dre and Eminem below.

Chrissy Teigen is always one for a hilarious antic or two. The model wife of singer John Legend has essentially made a second career out of her social media presence.

One thing we’ve learned over the course of Chrissy Teigen’s social media antics is that she loves to troll her husband, John Legend. We’ve seen it happen before, and now, we’re seeing it happen again albeit in a blast-from-the-past type of way.

Teigen uploaded an old video clip of herself and Legend that was filmed right before the singer’s 2018 Jesus Christ Superstar performance. In the clip, Teigen can be seen encouraging Legend before quickly spiraling into an off-the-cuff performance of Eminem‘s “Lose Yourself” where she’s really just yelling the lyrics at Legend’s face. It’s hilarious enough by itself, but it’s Chrissy caption that really brings thing up a level, and once more prove Teigen’s social media trolling savviness. She writes:

“a lot of people don’t know this but before this all started I was well on my way to discovering my talent for quickly-spoken words aka “rap” music. what was merely a source of entertainment for me growing up became more than just something I could listen to others do. I needed to spit for myself. The first time I got in the studio, my fingers and voice shook like a dog straight out of the bath, a sputtering car engine in a cold winter’s night. But I knew once I passed that moment of fear, the anxiety would turn into lyrics so poignant and beautiful that the world needed to hear. I used my new gift in every which way I could, sharing the sweet sounds and effortlessness even with a baby growing inside me. It was almost like the baby was lending me it’s small talent for rap as well – I was even better than before. Here is me (song written by me) performing for john before his role as Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar – a role that eventually lead to him getting the EGOT. there were no limits to what I was capable of. Maybe one day when this is all over we will meet again”

Watch the viral clip below.

While the collaboration album seemed to have been unceremoniously snuffed out in 2017, due to an overwhelming supply and not nearly enough demand, KXNG Crooked has pitched an idea destined to have hip-hop heads salivating. Taking to Twitter to field a variety of fan questions, the elite Slaughterhouse lyricist took a moment to address one fan's request for a KXNG Crooked & Eminem collaboration album, molded in the same vein as Bad Meets Evil.

Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images 

Crook came through with a surprisingly optimistic response, writing that he would indeed do his part in making the partnership happen. "When social distancing is over let’s all go to Detroit and speak to him about this. I’m serious. Who’s with me?" he writes, thus sparking a new wave of hope in this dark and trying time.

Of course, it should be noted that the fate of Bad Meets Evil 2 is still uncertain, and it might be difficult for Eminem to balance a pair of partnerships at the same time. Yet Em has spoken nothing but highly of Crook's pen, all but gushing over the Slaughterhouse rapper's pedigree during their sit-down on Crook's Corner. Last we saw, Em and Crook were linking up on Music To Be Murdered By's "I Will," a miniature Slaughterhouse reunion, save for Joe Budden -- perhaps, if Em and Crook do link up for a joint album, they can bury the hatchet once and for all and coax Budden out of retirement.

One of the most accomplished rappers of all time, Eminem also apparently has a heart of gold. Who would have thought that we would describe one of the most ferocious battlers using those words but, in the midst of the coronavirus quarantine, he came through with a major announcement that will entertain so many as we fight back boredom.

Taking to his rarely-used social media channels, Eminem announced that Shade 45, the hip-hop centric radio station that the rapper operates, will be available for free for a limited time during quarantine.

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

“Make right now sound a little better,” wrote Em, using the unfortunate circumstances we’re all navigating to drive attention to his SiriusXM channel. “The @shade45 crew can help keep you sane. Right now, you get Shade 45 for free, along with full @siriusxm access!”

Streaming on SiriusXM will be free until May 15, ensuring that listeners have enough audio content to keep them away from the woes of restlessness. With free Shade 45, you can stay up to date on some of the best new sounds coming from the world of hip-hop, while also remaining in touch with one of the most skilled rappers of all time.

Take advantage of the offer here. Thanks, Marshall!

Eminem has been brutally honest since The Slim Shady LP released in 1999. With Dr. Dre in the co-pilot’s chair spurring him on, Slim Shady left nothing on the table, weaving an elaborate and detail-rich autobiographical tapestry across his vast discography. Singling out one song as the realest shit he ever wrote is no easy feat given the scope of the competition. Yet with every passing year the case for “Deja Vu” continues to strengthen. A surprising turn, perhaps, given that Relapse is by-and-large a conceptual horrorcore album. Yet the moments of humanity that do surface benefit from the project’s darker tone, appropriate given the gravity of Em’s revelations.

Relapse is lined with impressive production work from Dr. Dre and his team, who immersed themselves in Slim’s macabre thematic vision. While Dre was no stranger to the dark banger beforehand, his foray into full-blown horrorcore was handled with the guiding hand of an orchestral visionary. For the most part, his eeriest instrumentals served as menacing mood music over which Em’s accented and depraved serial killer could prowl. On “Deja Vu,” however, the curtain was pulled back and the mask was lifted. For the first time in what felt like years, fans were forced to confront the man beneath. The result was among the most vulnerable, and perhaps most impressively penned, tracks of Eminem’s career.

While subtle, Dre’s production on “Deja Vu” might stand as the album’s crowning musical achievement. Representing inner turmoil through the subtlety of a simple guitar riff, a slightly overdriven flip of Naughty By Nature’s “Yoke The Joker.” As far as percussion, Dre opts for a scaled-back, almost boom-bap kick-clap combo, delivered with the lethargy of a slow-burning dirge. The chorus is given additional urgency through a smothering organ, haunting in its progression; the perfect complement to Eminem’s vulnerability, the severity of which is reflected within his defeated diction. “Sometimes I feel so alone, I just don’t know, feels like I’ve been down this road before,” he raps. “So lonely and cold, it’s like something takes over me, as soon as I go home and close the door.”

Michael Caulfield/WireImage/Getty Images

There’s something highly personal about a collaboration of this nature, and it’s no wonder Em looked to his longtime friend and mentor to lay the foundation. Make no mistake, “Deja Vu” is a reflection of Eminem at his lowest point, only revisited through the lens of hindsight. Not only did it serve to provide longtime Shady Records loyalists with some much-needed answers, but it also provided a disturbing update. By his own admission, Eminem was on death’s door. In keeping with his fondness for gallows humor, the gravity of his situation was delivered in a cavalier fashion. “See me and you, we almost had the same outcome Heath/ cause that Christmas, you know the whole pneumonia thing? It was bologna, was it the methadone, ya think?” he raps, confirming the severe toll his long-rumored battle with addiction had nearly taken. And doing so as part of a ridiculously tight multisyllabic rhyme scheme, at that.

Though much of Relapse’s conceptual nature derives from its loose horrorcore narrative, the topic of drug abuse is a lingering presence throughout. At times it’s delivered in tongue-in-cheek fashion, adding a deranged layer of disassociation to his fictitious murder sprees. Yet the album begins with the disturbing “Dr. West,” which kicks off the twisted road to “Deja Vu.” Though the segue into “3 AM” aligns the intro closer to dark fantasy than reality, that all changes when Eminem begins shedding his conceptual layers and revealing his genuine self. Suddenly, the duel with his seemingly demonic doctor is put into perspective. This was a battle that nearly cost Eminem his life, sparking an alternate timeline where the legendary rapper passed away in December of 2007. To hear it addressed with such brutal honesty was a startling reminder of Eminem’s mortality; like that, his entire artistic legacy was put in perspective.

It wasn’t as if fans weren’t suspect that something was afoot. Following the release of Obie Trice’s Cheers, Em’s style began to undergo a subtle, albeit noticeable shift. His contributions to 2004’s D12 World lacked his usual focus, and his fourth studio album Encore featured several moments of uncharacteristically dulled lyricism. That’s not to say his output was weak, but many wondered if the longtime feuds with Ja Rule and Benzino were beginning to take a toll on Slim’s mental health. When his best friend and D12 collaborator Proof died on April 11th, 2006, concerns for Eminem’s well-being ramped up.

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When he released his Shady Records compilation The Re-Up eight months later, many assumed he would address Proof’s death on the record. He did not. Instead, Em responded to The Re-Up’s success with further uncertainty surrounding his own career. Thoughts of retirement loomed as each verse that did arrive was subjected to heightened scrutiny. In hindsight, it’s clear that some of his music was affected by his addiction to Vicodin and Valium, which he had been using on-and-off since 2002. By his own admission, he was popping up to twenty pills a day. All the while, he was keeping the extent of his personal crisis close to the chest, surprising given his traditional habit of opening up on wax. It was that very radio silence that ultimately imbued “Deja Vu” with such power.

Using his vivid prose, Em brings the nature of his struggle to life with disturbingly realistic imagery and candid admissions. “So I take a Vicodin, splash, it hits my stomach, then ahhh, couple of weeks go by, it ain’t even like I’m getting high,” he raps, in the climactic verse. “Now I need it just not to feel sick, yeah, I’m getting by / wouldn’t even be taking this shit if DeShaun didn’t die / Oh yeah, there’s an excuse, you lose Proof so you use / there’s new rules, it’s cool if it’s helping you to get through.”

Aside from the never-meant-to-be released “Difficult,” “Deja Vu” marked the first time Eminem openly addressed his friend’s tragic death, with his first official tribute to come on Recovery’s “You’re Never Over.” The manner with which he does so is almost flippant, a testament to his fractured mental space at the time; few lyricists can capture a distinct moment like Eminem, who manages to reenact a personal low with hyper-detailed accuracy. While songs like “Stan” and “Bad Guy” reveal his depth as a storyteller, “Deja Vu” packs all the more punch given one simply reality: it’s a biopic, not a thriller. 

Eminem has been brutally honest since The Slim Shady LP released in 1999. With Dr. Dre in the co-pilot’s chair spurring him on, Slim Shady left nothing on the table, weaving an elaborate and detail-rich autobiographical tapestry across his vast discography. Singling out one song as the realest shit he ever wrote is no easy feat given the scope of the competition. Yet with every passing year the case for “Deja Vu” continues to strengthen. A surprising turn, perhaps, given that Relapse is by-and-large a conceptual horrorcore album. Yet the moments of humanity that do surface benefit from the project’s darker tone, appropriate given the gravity of Em’s revelations.

Relapse is lined with impressive production work from Dr. Dre and his team, who immersed themselves in Slim’s macabre thematic vision. While Dre was no stranger to the dark banger beforehand, his foray into full-blown horrorcore was handled with the guiding hand of an orchestral visionary. For the most part, his eeriest instrumentals served as menacing mood music over which Em’s accented and depraved serial killer could prowl. On “Deja Vu,” however, the curtain was pulled back and the mask was lifted. For the first time in what felt like years, fans were forced to confront the man beneath. The result was among the most vulnerable, and perhaps most impressively penned, tracks of Eminem’s career.

While subtle, Dre’s production on “Deja Vu” might stand as the album’s crowning musical achievement. Representing inner turmoil through the subtlety of a simple guitar riff, a slightly overdriven flip of Naughty By Nature’s “Yoke The Joker.” As far as percussion, Dre opts for a scaled-back, almost boom-bap kick-clap combo, delivered with the lethargy of a slow-burning dirge. The chorus is given additional urgency through a smothering organ, haunting in its progression; the perfect complement to Eminem’s vulnerability, the severity of which is reflected within his defeated diction. “Sometimes I feel so alone, I just don’t know, feels like I’ve been down this road before,” he raps. “So lonely and cold, it’s like something takes over me, as soon as I go home and close the door.”

Michael Caulfield/WireImage/Getty Images

There’s something highly personal about a collaboration of this nature, and it’s no wonder Em looked to his longtime friend and mentor to lay the foundation. Make no mistake, “Deja Vu” is a reflection of Eminem at his lowest point, only revisited through the lens of hindsight. Not only did it serve to provide longtime Shady Records loyalists with some much-needed answers, but it also provided a disturbing update. By his own admission, Eminem was on death’s door. In keeping with his fondness for gallows humor, the gravity of his situation was delivered in a cavalier fashion. “See me and you, we almost had the same outcome Heath/ cause that Christmas, you know the whole pneumonia thing? It was bologna, was it the methadone, ya think?” he raps, confirming the severe toll his long-rumored battle with addiction had nearly taken. And doing so as part of a ridiculously tight multisyllabic rhyme scheme, at that.

Though much of Relapse’s conceptual nature derives from its loose horrorcore narrative, the topic of drug abuse is a lingering presence throughout. At times it’s delivered in tongue-in-cheek fashion, adding a deranged layer of disassociation to his fictitious murder sprees. Yet the album begins with the disturbing “Dr. West,” which kicks off the twisted road to “Deja Vu.” Though the segue into “3 AM” aligns the intro closer to dark fantasy than reality, that all changes when Eminem begins shedding his conceptual layers and revealing his genuine self. Suddenly, the duel with his seemingly demonic doctor is put into perspective. This was a battle that nearly cost Eminem his life, sparking an alternate timeline where the legendary rapper passed away in December of 2007. To hear it addressed with such brutal honesty was a startling reminder of Eminem’s mortality; like that, his entire artistic legacy was put in perspective.

It wasn’t as if fans weren’t suspect that something was afoot. Following the release of Obie Trice’s Cheers, Em’s style began to undergo a subtle, albeit noticeable shift. His contributions to 2004’s D12 World lacked his usual focus, and his fourth studio album Encore featured several moments of uncharacteristically dulled lyricism. That’s not to say his output was weak, but many wondered if the longtime feuds with Ja Rule and Benzino were beginning to take a toll on Slim’s mental health. When his best friend and D12 collaborator Proof died on April 11th, 2006, concerns for Eminem’s well-being ramped up.

M. Caulfield/WireImage/Getty Images

When he released his Shady Records compilation The Re-Up eight months later, many assumed he would address Proof’s death on the record. He did not. Instead, Em responded to The Re-Up’s success with further uncertainty surrounding his own career. Thoughts of retirement loomed as each verse that did arrive was subjected to heightened scrutiny. In hindsight, it’s clear that some of his music was affected by his addiction to Vicodin and Valium, which he had been using on-and-off since 2002. By his own admission, he was popping up to twenty pills a day. All the while, he was keeping the extent of his personal crisis close to the chest, surprising given his traditional habit of opening up on wax. It was that very radio silence that ultimately imbued “Deja Vu” with such power.

Using his vivid prose, Em brings the nature of his struggle to life with disturbingly realistic imagery and candid admissions. “So I take a Vicodin, splash, it hits my stomach, then ahhh, couple of weeks go by, it ain’t even like I’m getting high,” he raps, in the climactic verse. “Now I need it just not to feel sick, yeah, I’m getting by / wouldn’t even be taking this shit if DeShaun didn’t die / Oh yeah, there’s an excuse, you lose Proof so you use / there’s new rules, it’s cool if it’s helping you to get through.”

Aside from the never-meant-to-be released “Difficult,” “Deja Vu” marked the first time Eminem openly addressed his friend’s tragic death, with his first official tribute to come on Recovery’s “You’re Never Over.” The manner with which he does so is almost flippant, a testament to his fractured mental space at the time; few lyricists can capture a distinct moment like Eminem, who manages to reenact a personal low with hyper-detailed accuracy. While songs like “Stan” and “Bad Guy” reveal his depth as a storyteller, “Deja Vu” packs all the more punch given one simply reality: it’s a biopic, not a thriller. 

Eminem has never been one to shy away from violence, especially when deep in the throes of passion. Though he’s certainly been doing his best, it would appear that his newfound collaborator Jessie Reyez has awakened some of his long-dormant demons. Together, the pair of dysfunctional musical lovebirds sparked a three-part series closer in spirit to Park Chan-Wook’s Vengeance trilogy than your average-run-of-the-mill love song barrage.

Dave J Hogan/Getty Images 

On Kamikaze, Eminem introduced the couple and their woes on the back-to-back tandem of “Nice Guy” and “Good Guy,” the latter of which found Reyez brutally murdering Slim in a desperate attempt to escape their toxic relationship. Should you wish to see the macabre scene play out, check out Em and Jessie’s “Good Guy” video right here. Closure, it would seem — that is until Jessie Reyez dropped off her debut album Before Love Came To Kill Us, which found Eminem rising from the grave to seek his revenge on “Coffin.”

Naturally, the cinematic scenario is tailor-made for the visual treatment, and it looks like we’ll be receiving exactly that. Eminem took to Instagram to share what appears to be a screenshot from the climactic visuals, teasing his return from the proverbial dead. “Forever the #GoodGuy,” writes Em, alongside a playful heartbreak emoji. “@jessiereyez killed me on #Kamikaze and now I’m gettin’ sweet revenge!” 

Netflix has dropped the first trailer for LA Originals, a documentary chronicling tattoo artist Mister Cartoon and photographer Estevan Oriol’s rise to stardom, with appearances from Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and more. The film is described as “an exploration of the culture and landmarks of the chicano and street art movement that cemented Mister Cartoon and Estevan Oriol’s status as behind-the-scenes Hip Hop legends.” In the trailer, which dropped on Wednesday (April 1st), Em, Snoop, and George Lopez, among others, discuss the legacy of these two Chicano artists. Additional appearances in the film are made by Cypress Hill, Blink-182, Michelle Rodriguez, Wilmer Valderrama, and Danny Trejo.

The film is also directed by Estevan Oriol, a veteran photographer who has shot a number of celebrities over the years, including Eminem, Cypress Hill, Kendrick Lamar, and many, many more. He and Cartoon went on to build a friendship and partnership around their shared Chicano roots. Cartoon, whose real name is Mark Machado, has inked everyone from the late Kobe Bryant to Eminem to Dr. Dre. He has also designed logos for Cypress Hill and Shady Records, and made appearances in music videos for Xzibit‘s “Criminal Set” and Eminem’s “Stan,” to name a few.

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LA Originals premieres on Netflix next Friday, April 10th, 2020.

Don Toliver is one of the most exciting new artists right now. His official debut album Heaven Or Hell has earned rave reviews and as the Houston native continues to gain traction as an artist, he is enjoying the most successful stretch of his career. Preparing to head out on tour with The Weeknd (if the summer ever arrives…), Don Toliver is getting the wheels ready to go but, this year, he’s been working like crazy on just getting his name out there. A lot of hip-hop heads finally took notice when the Cactus Jack Records signee popped up as a featured guest on Eminem‘s surprise album Music To Be Murdered By.

Speaking to Ebro Darden and Apple Music about how that feature came together, Don Toliver explained how he even ended up on Em’s radar.

“That’s one for the OGs,” says Don Toliver about the D.A. Doman produced track “No Regrets” with Marshall Mathers. “I was in the Cactus Jack studio [when I got the call] and I was recording. I think Em was already on tip with what I had going on but who really I think plugged the spot was D.A. Doman. No cap.”

Don didn’t wait to record his chorus for the song. He says that he hopped in the booth right away and had it finished within the hour, ready to be released the next day. 

Watch the interview with Ebro Darden below.

Eminem doesn’t want to keep acting out “Love The Way You Lie” but something about the nature of his collaborations with up-and-coming star Jessie Reyez keeps him getting back to that zone.

When they collaborated on “Good Guy,” the video showed both musicians portraying an abusive couple, ending up in the grave together. On “Coffin,” their link-up on Jessie Reyez’s brand new debut studio album Before Love Came To Kill Us, the duo sings about another complicated relationship. So, why is it that Eminem and Jessie keep coming back to this theme? If you ask the Detroit legend, he’ll probably just crack a joke about it all.

Promoting the new single on his social media channels, Eminem laughed about how he and Jessie Reyez keep on destroying each other’s lives in their songs.

“Me and @jessiereyez just keep offing each other… dammit,” wrote the rapper on Instagram. “Love is in the air!”

Eminem has a knack for finding untapped talent within a pool of female vocalists. Before collaborating with Eminem, Reyez was trying to make it as Canada’s next big star but when Slim Shady took her under his wing, her dreams became more of a reality. Her debut album is out now, featuring appearances from 6LACK and, of course, Eminem.

It’s only March but, frankly, we’re sick of this year and we’re ready to crown Roddy Ricch the winner of 2020. The Compton product has been on a dominant chart run since December 2019, spending the majority of this year at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Many of us are wondering what it will take for the 21-year-old to lose his spot, which he has maintained for ten weeks. The latest count is in and, once again, Roddy Ricch is sitting pretty at No. 1 on the Hot 100. This time, he’s making history.

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In the latest tally, Roddy Ricch and “The Box” are found at the first spot once again, marking another impressive extension to his run. In its eleventh week at No. 1, “The Box” becomes just the third song by a solo rap artist to spend over ten weeks at the pole position. The only other songs to accomplish this were Drake “God’s Plan” at eleven weeks and Eminem “Lose Yourself” at twelve weeks.

Last year, Lil Nas X spent a record number of weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 but “Old Town Road” does not count in this record total because of Billy Ray Cyrus’ guest vocals. Do you think Roddy Ricch will end up passing Eminem? 

“The Box” is the twenty-sixth song ever to spend such a long time at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Congratulations, Roddy!

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Kanye West is seen by many as one of the greatest producers of all time, with Eminem being held in equal esteem as a lyricist. In reality, both artists are multitalented across a variety of fields, each one capable of crafting incredible instrumentals in their own right. While Ye's discography needs no introduction, many forget how vast Em's production repertoire expands -- should you need a refresher, check out his 25 best beats of all time right here. As it happens, Yeezy himself once thought the world of Eminem's production, to the point where he actually tried to steal some of Slim's sounds during a D12 studio session.

The anecdote derives from a 2004 issue of Scratch magazine, as shared by Twitter user @Trebworld and brought to attention on r/hiphopheads. Joking about how he used to steal No ID's drum records back in his "madman" days on the come up, Ye began reflecting on another attempted act of grand theft audio. "I had to work with D12 right?" he begins, alluding to the D12 World title track. "And I think Eminem is a dope-ass producer, so I wanted to ask him to trade drums but I was intimidated because he was such a superstar and everything."

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He explains that while Kon Artis (Mr. Porter) used to give him plenty of drum sounds, he always had his sights set on Em's. "They were badder to me," gushes Kanye. "Eminem has some of the best drums in hip-hop." As fate would have it, Yeezy soon found himself alone in the studio with Eminem's MP kits in sight -- cameras be damned, he made the move. "I'm going to try and get as many sounds copied before they come in," he reasoned. "I started copying them and the next thing I know an engineer comes in and straight grabs the disk and leaves." 

While Kanye wasn't able to make off with the sounds in their entirety, he did learn a few tricks from watching Eminem work. "I started seeing how he do, doing shit I wouldn't do because I still had certain rules," says Kanye. "I was seeing how he truncated sounds, like chopping the air completely. It gives it a certain sound, the sound he wanted. I learned a lot going through Eminem's drum kit." He closes things out by revealing that Em was, at least at the time, one of his top-five producers. "Me and Em together, damn." 

Check it the full interview scans below, especially if you're interested in artistic growth and hip-hop history. Do you feel that 2000-2004 Eminem was worthy of being in the best producer conversation?

When Eminem jumped on stage in the middle of the 2020 Academy Awards, everybody in the crowd and at home was equally surprised. For starters, the rapper barely ever leaves the house. If he does, something big is going on. On top of that, his single “Lose Yourself,” which he was asked to sing, was released over a decade prior, making his appearance all the more confusing. To the naked eye, it would appear as though his performance went off without a hitch. During his recent spot on Mike Tyson’s Hotboxin‘ podcast, however, he explained what went seriously wrong.

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After getting through the first verse, Eminem tells Mike Tyson that he felt something hanging between his legs before realizing that the mic pack he clipped onto his belt had come loose. None of this was shown on camera, but he apparently tried frantically to get it back in its position and, when he finally succeeded, the song was already over.

“We rehearsed for that shit… I know the words to ‘Lose Yourself,’ but we rehearsed that shit extra extra extra just so we didn’t fuck that up. And that was the one thing we didn’t plan for. And of course it went wrong. I was like ‘motherfuck…'”

The full episode with Mike Tyson and Eminem is available below. What was your favorite part of the interview?

Eminem doesn’t really get out much regularly, so we’re surprised to have been blessed with a new interview from the Detroit legend at this time. We’re all dealing with this self-quarantine differently, but fans of Eminem were happy to learn of his appearance on Hotboxin’ With Mike Tyson, the boxer’s popular podcast. In addition to a number of interesting topics, Marshall Mathers told Iron Mike about what it’s like being a father to a young adult, speaking candidly about his 24-year-old daughter Hailie.

In recent years, Hailie Mathers has become a popular figure on social media. Closing in on two-million followers on Instagram, the 24-year-old is a hot commodity in influencer-land. Eminem is insanely proud of his little girl, as he revealed on the podcast. Mike Tyson asked if she’s thinking about having her own children yet, to which Em came through with the facts.

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“Not babies, nope,” laughed the rapper. “Just, um, boyfriend and she’s doing good. She’s made me proud for sure. She graduated from college, 3.9.”

In the same realm, he discussed what it was like to raise his niece and another child. 

“I have a niece that I have help raised too that’s pretty much like a daughter to me and she is 26,” he said about Alaina. “And I have a younger one that’s 17 now. So when I think about my accomplishments that’s probably the thing I’m the most proud of is that—is being able to raise kids.”

The full podcast is available now, which you can listen to below.

He’s one of the most celebrated rappers in the world who releases one No. 1 album after another, but when he came face-to-face with Mike Tyson, Eminem turned into a stan. “I’m such a f*ckin’ huge fan,” Eminem told the boxing legend during his episode of Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson. “I can’t even like… I feel like a kid right now! This is crazy.” 

“For me, rap is like a 24-7 job, and it takes a lot of dedication to stay sharp with the pen,” Eminem said. “It’s a different kind of discipline to [fight]. And the balls to get in the ring and fight in the first place.” The rapper sat eagerly through most of the conversation, soaking up the words Tyson shared with him about his boxing history, insecurities, and survival mindset.

There are many gems in the dialogue, including Eminem relaying the story of being discovered and what it was like growing up in Detroit. The rapper talked about learning how to fight because of his ongoing physical altercations as a youth, also admitting that he has an eighth-grade education. While they discussed having people in your circle that boost your confidence in this crazy world, Eminem shared “that’s how Proof was to me.”

“He was a Godsend to me because I know that I would not have made it without knowing him,” Eminem said. Proof was a childhood friend of Em’s who was murdered back in 2006. Eminem said Proof “co-signed” for him everywhere he went. “His name meant something because people respected him.” Watch the full episode of Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson below.

When Eminem came through and dropped off Music To Be Murdered By in January, the legendary rapper connected with Royce Da 5’9″ and newcomer White Gold on the third track “You Gon’ Learn.” Now, as Royce continues his press run promoting The Allegory, he took a moment to explain how the track ultimately landed on Em’s album to begin with. As he tells it, it’s all thanks to White Gold.

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When Royce singles out White Gold, who happened to be rolling with him for the interview, the host praises the singer’s lofty placement. “He’s the reason why Em picked the beat,” explains Royce. “I played it for him and he really loved the hook. He was like ‘who is that on the hook?’ I told him it was my guy, and he was like that’s crazy. I think the hook is what made him like the beat. Then I rapped on it — I had to get on it. I rapped on it, he put his verse on it and did the arrangement, and the rest is history.”

A few weeks back, White Gold spoke about his experience landing a hook on Eminem’s Music To Be Murdered By, a revelation that came as a surprise for the 33-year-old New York songwriter. “It was for Royce initially,” he explained, speaking on the instrumental. “I think it was like six months later, Kino called me. He’s like, “Yeah, bro. Em heard it and was like, ‘Yo, I want the record and I want the dude that’s on there as the hook.’” And that was it. I had to keep the secret for six months or so, man.”

Check out Royce’s interview on Sirius XM, recorded prior to the COVID-19 outbreak that sent masses into states of self-isolation. Are you still listening to Music To Be Murdered By? And if so, where does “You Gon Learn” sit among your favorites?

Ever since Eminem famously dropped the “Just Don’t Give A Fuck” punchline “you got knocked the fuck out like Mike Tyson,” the pair have been linked on the path of destiny. Much to the delight of countless fans, Iron Mike actually made a cameo appearance in Em’s recent “Godzilla” video where art proceeded to imitate life. In the Cole Bennett directed clip’s climax, Slim Shady, Dr. Dre, and a concerned and guilt-stricken Tyson attempt to resuscitate Em from the fatal knockout blow.

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Now, it would appear that Eminem will be returning the favor. Tyson recently confirmed that Em would be the latest guest on his ongoing Hotboxin’ podcast, following appearances from N.O.R.E, Kurupt and Daz Dillinger, Trina, Dame Dash, and more. The official Hotboxin’ page shared a few behind-the-scenes pictures of the conversation, which also finds D12 member Mr. Porter in attendance. 

It’s clearly a good time to be an Eminem fan, as he’s been more active than ever on the press circuit. And while that isn’t exactly saying much, the fact that he’s following up his lengthy Crook’s Corner appearance with yet another long-form interview. Look for this new episode to air today at 6PM PT, 9PM EST. While it’s unclear as to what the pair might discuss, expect plenty of antics and insight to be exchanged from two  masters of their respective crafts. 

Eminem revealed which lucky fan has officially been crowned the winner of his #GodzillaChallenge on the Triller app, along with the five runner-ups for the contest. Em first launched the challenge last month, asking fans to attempt to spit his insane third verse off the Juice WRLD-featured track, which reportedly sees Em dropping 229 words in 30 seconds. While fellow rappers like Bizzy Bone and Biz Markie tried their hand at it, and Twista made promises of taking a stab it but never delivered, Em ensured that the true amateurs would win the promised repost and additional, unspecified prizes. According to Em's posts on social media, a young lad under the username @jacksherlock1 has been crowned the winner.

Eminem fans are gluttonous in the best of times, and though he recently dropped off a full-length album mere months ago with Music To Be Murdered By, the desire for a followup is already gaining momentum. Yesterday, wishful thinking hit critical mass as a full-blown album rumor sparked off under his very nose. Thanks to an inadvertent typo by one Senator Marco Rubio, who aimed to address concerns that states would begin implementing "martial law," many followers quickly turned his gaffe into a trending topic.

Before long, Eminem's loyal followers were logging on to see "Marshall Law" sitting comfortably among the trends. Given that name-related puns have been atop the fan-generated album title list for years, many came to the premature conclusion that Em was doubling down with another new album in 2020, determined to make it the most prolific year of his career. Alas, Em himself has officially come forward to douse the flames of hype, taking to Twitter to drive the final nail in the coffin.

"Sorry guys," he begins, responding to Rubio's inciting tweet. "Marshall Law: not a thing." It was certainly fun when it lasted, and raised an interesting question in the process - did Rubio have Eminem on his subconscious when he fired off that initial tweet? Come to think of it, how many Republicans would dare come out and declare themselves to be Eminem fans? 

On Monday, Florida senator Marco Rubio sent out a tweet addressing the coronavirus pandemic and the possibility of needing military assistance to control normal civilian functions, aka Martial Law. However, Mr. Rubio misspelled the term “Martial Law” and instead tweeted out about “Marshall Law,” which caused the term to start trending on Twitter and left people thinking that a new Marshall Mathers album was on the way.

"Please stop spreading stupid rumors about marshall law. COMPLETELY FALSE," Marco tweeted. "We will continue to see closings & restrictions on hours of non-essential businesses in certain cities & states. But that is NOT marshall law."

Machine Gun Kelly still has the blood of a GOAT on his hands, apparently. The rapper’s feud with Eminem has not gone to rest, even after Em called a truce on Music To Be Murdered By. Although Machine Gun Kelly claims Eminem has been both rich and mad for the duration of the last twenty years, he, too, doesn’t seem willing to make peace with the Detroit legend.

Fresh off of the release of his new single, “Bullets With Names” ft. Young Thug, RJMrLa, and Lil Duke, Machine Gun Kelly made it clear that he still isn’t on good terms with Em. Or if he is, he’s atleast still proud of the damage done on “Rap Devil.”

“Killed me a GOAT so my jacket got stains on it
Wipin’ my nose like I got some cocaine on it
Pulled out his coffin and ate me a plate on it
Called up his bitch, showed my dick, let ’em lay on it.”

Chances are we won’t hear Eminem mention it anytime soon but we’ll see if MGK has any more shots to take at “Killshot” rapper. The single, with production from Ronny J, is set to appear on Machine Gun Kelly’s next project, Tickets To My Downfall. Supposedly, the album will have a more pop-punk vibe to it. 

By now, you’re most likely one of the twenty-nine million people who have seen Eminem’s “Godzilla” video, as directed by Lyrical Lemonde’s own Cole Bennett. As one of the most trusted visual visionaries in the game, Bennett has steadily helped shape the aesthetic of hip-hop’s new generation, helming clips for Juice WRLD, Lil Pump, Ski Mask The Slump God, J.I.D, Famous Dex, Rod Wave, Trippie Redd, Blueface, YBN Cordae and many more. As such, some fans were surprised to see him connecting with Eminem for his most ambitious clip thus far — but “Godzilla” still managed to exceed all expectations.

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The early verdict is already calling it Em’s best video in years, and many of Em’s longtime followers were thrilled to see the final third come together with two stacked cameos from Dr. Dre and Mike Tyson. Clearly, the vibe on the set must have been fantastic, as Cole made sure to round up the gang for an instantly iconic photo op. 

“Gonna have to frame this one,” writes Bennett, alongside the epic picture. At only twenty-three, Bennett has found himself flanked by three legends in their respective fields, with Mike Tyson himself breaking the Roddy Ricch school of etiquette with that clutch shoulder hang. Check it out for yourself below, and show some love to the Shady Aftermath movement below — is “Godzilla” a return to the classic Em vibe? 

Eminem released Music To Be Murdered By at the beginning of this year and, over a month after its arrival, people are still reeling over it. The album had been rumoured for months and it finally came with no advance warning at all, featuring Young M.A, Don Toliver, and the late Juice WRLD. "Godzilla" is one of the most-streamed hip-hop songs of the entire year, including a record-breaking verse by Eminem and the first-ever posthumous bars from Juice WRLD. The song was officially given a music video treatment with Cole Bennett and Lyrical Lemonade mastering the art of the visual again, dropping some fire with a special cameo from Mike Tyson, who knocks out Slim Shady with a single punch. According to him, he had a grand ole' time doing so.

News of this year’s Record Store Day comes after we learned from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) that last year, vinyl record sales were set to top “traditional” CDs for the first time in 30 years. 

We have all watched vinyl records steadily grow in popularity over the past few years, so it’s no surprise many of us are excited about the new and exclusive releases coming up. Our generation grew up on CDs, but have since chosen to embrace vinyl. I guess history does repeat itself, and old really does become new. 

Since 2007, Record Store Day has celebrated and promoted independent record stores across the United States. The initial reception was so good, that it has since become an internationally celebrated event. This year, on April 18, record stores across the world will have plenty of great music to share with their customers. 

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Artists such as Tyler, The Creator, Summer Walker, Billie Eilish, Chief Keef, and Freddie Gibbs & Madlib are just a few who will be commemorated this Record Store Day, however, there are hundreds more.

You can check out the full list of classic and current releases that are coming to shelves on April 18 here. 

Let us know what release you’re most excited for in the comments below!

Tory Lanez has lately been the king of late ’90s/early 2000s throwback vibes, especially on his popular Chixtape series of music drops that sample heavily from that era. So, it comes as no surprise that he’d go and find a super rare flick of early aughts music kings Eminem and Usher for a good ol’ throwback photo op.

The classic kodak moment is every bit as “legendary” as Lanez deemed it in the caption for his repost. Both musicians are seen looking extremely fresh in the face, and for good reason since it was taken back in February 1999 when Em was just 26 years old and Usher was a baby-faced 20-year-old. The event they were at was actually Eminem’s House of Blues show in Los Angeles, which also saw the likes of Dr. Dre and Royce da 5’9″ in attendance as well. Major props to Tory for even finding this one and inspiring us to do a little research of our own. 

Take a look at the original image of Usher and Eminem that Tory Lanez posted in black & white on IG, along with a few more shots from that night at House of Blues in 1999 below:

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Ke.Mazur/WireImage

 Ke.Mazur/WireImage

Ke.Mazur/WireImage

What an absolutely bonkers week for music releases. While it's exciting for us listeners who get to consume a variety of new tunes, the artists that dropped projects might be feeling a tad competitive. On our radar, we have Lil Uzi Vert's Eternal Atake, Megan Thee Stallion's Suga and Jhene Aiko's Chilombo to consider. 

This week saw two major projects' release dates being announced on short notice, a move that could either be risky or favourable in terms of album sales. Amid a highly-publicized legal dispute with her record label, Megan Thee Stallion revealed on Wednesday (Mar. 4) that her debut album, Suga, would be arriving on Friday. According to Hits Daily Double, Suga is projected to move 35-40k album-equivalent units, which would mark Meg's biggest debut to date.

Eminem is releasing some "exclusive wax" in the form of a 7" vinyl record that will include his 1999 hits "Hi My Name Is" and the Dr. Dre-featured "Bad Guys Always Die" in honour of Record Store Day. The seasoned MC made the announcement on Thursday Twitter.

Eminem is a few weeks removed from his last project, Music To Be Murdered By. Dropping out of the blue, much like Lil Uzi Vert with this morning’s Eternal Atake and 2018’s Kamikaze, Em’s latest project is by far one of the better ones he’s dropped in the recent years of his career. With guest appearances from more of the younger generation than usual, he tapped artists like Young M.A. and Juice WRLD to the tracklist. The latter ultimately featured on “Godzilla” which is easily one of the biggest tracks on the album.

Following the launch of the #GodzillaChallenge, Eminem and Lyrical Lemonade have announced the music video for the single which is due out next week. The trailer for the visuals exceeds the levels of insanity that Em reaches for in his lyrics. Monsters, chainsaws, rocket launchers, and Hennessy is all that can really be said about the trailer. All that being said, perhaps Cole Bennett is the only director out right now that can really bring Eminem’s crazy vision to life.

Em’s been pushing this single heavy since the album dropped. He recently dropped the lyric video before sharing the trailer. Keep your eyes peeled for the visuals. Check the trailer out below. 

Eminem has always been a commercial juggernaut dating back to his major-label debut in 1999, but somehow the rapper continues to secure platinum plaques over twenty years later. With his latest album Music To Be Murdered By already having gone gold, it seemed inevitable for breakout single, the Juice WRLD-assisted "Godzilla" to follow-suit. What with the ongoing #GODZILLACHALLENGE and all, which has already elicited responses from Biz Markie, Bizzy Bone, and Twista. 

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This is a new era, and a viral challenge has often proven to be crucial in boosting both sales and longevity. As responses continue to roll in, Chart Data has confirmed that Em and Juice's "Godzilla" is the first record off Music To Be Murdered By to hit that platinum status, clocking in a grand total of one million album-equivalent units. Not bad for a song that has yet to receive a music video, though Em has already confirmed that it's on the way.

At this rate, it won't be long before the RIAA makes the news official, with the next logical step being the album's own platinum ascent. It's crazy to think Slim Shady is still moving units this deep into his career, on a single that found him breaking a Guinness World Record at that. As he once said on "Till I Collapse" all those years ago: "A plaque and platinum status is wack if I'm not the baddest." Given that Em has once again hit a clear stride on Music To Be Murdered By, you've gotta give credit where credit is due. Something tells me this won't be Eminem's final platinum record -- though it might certainly be his fastest. 

Nick Cannon's beef with Eminem and 50 Cent doesn't seem like it'll be going away any time soon. The TV host and radio personality fired three separate diss tracks towards Em which prompted 50 Cent to call out Nick for being "corny forever." Things have since simmered down but in Nick's mind, it's because things got "a little too intense."

Speaking to Miami 99 Jamz radio station, Nick Cannon detailed the current status of his feud with Eminem and 50 Cent. Nick was all about "keeping the same energy," so to speak, when he decided to go at Eminem but he had already knew that Em would likely not respond. "That's the thing," Nick said. "Everybody was saying, 'You better not say nothing.' And I'm like, 'Why not? Nobody's scared of him.' Even with 50, ain't nobody scared of 50 either. I'm like, 'Let's go.' I match energy.... I think it might've got a little too intense for them."

However, this turned into an invitation for 50 Cent and Eminem to show face at Wild N' Out."We keep telling [50 Cent] to pull up," he said. "He's the king of jokes, king of being petty. He's perfect for it."

Needless to say, Nick Cannon is pushing positivity and even went onto praise 50 Cent for his success in the world of film and television. Peep the clip below. 

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During an interview on the #AfternoonGetDown, @nickcannon tells @supacindy and @dj_entice how he feels about @eminem after they traded diss tracks earlier this year. He also invites @50cent to @mtvwildnout to get these jokes off! #WildNOutTour #NickCannon #50Cent #Eminem #99JAMZ

A post shared by 99JAMZ (@99jamzmiami) on Mar 4, 2020 at 2:20pm PST

Ever since Eminem broke the Guinness World Record for fastest rap of all time with his breakneck "Godzilla," the subsequent #GODZILLACHALLENGE has awoken the competitive spirit of fellow choppers like Bizzy Bone and Twista. And while Bizzy recently tried his hand, albeit in his own unique way, many fans were left wondering whether Twista would answer the call with a response of his own. As it happens, the time has come. Yesterday, Twista took to Twitter to confidently accept the challenge -- much to the rampant delight of his fans.

Given that Twista is one of the quintessential double-time spitters of all time, there's a certain gravitas that comes with his participation. It's unlikely that he'll simply rap Em's verse verbatim, but rather move to one-up Shady's record-breaking lyrical onslaught. Some have even been speculating that a full-blown remix is the only logical conclusion, bringing Em, Twista, and Bizzy Bone together in a no-holds-barred battle of technical prowess. 

One has to wonder if Em's open challenge is enough to get Twista back on his record-breaking mentality, his Adrenaline Rush grind, reclaiming his rightful spot as rap's reigning chopper. In truth, it's kind of strange seeing Em as the current title-holder, given his embrace and subsequent mastery of double-time flow is a relatively recent development. If Twista sets his mind to the task, there's no telling whether Em's record is safe. All we have to do and wait and see what the Chicago legend cooks up. Do you think Twista will be the one to break "Godzilla?" 

Eminem is giving us all a chance to try to catch up to his rapid-fire flow on "Godzilla" by dropping a visually-appealing lyric video for the Juice WRLD-featured track. On Wednesday, the seasoned MC announced on social media that he'd concocted a helpful tool for all those visual learners out there hoping to master his unreal verse on the reportedly record-breaking track, which has him spitting approximately 229 words in 30 seconds.

Back in 2001, Eminemkilled his performance of "I'm Back," wearing a pair of denim dungarees, a hockey mask, and a chainsaw as he rapped. The move was controversial, to say the least. However, controversy wasn't (and isn't) anything that the Detroit legend was afraid of. The look was immortalized in action figure form and Drake managed to get his hands on one Chris Smokes, who works closely with Champagne Papi and DJ Khaled. 

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Showing off the figurine on his Instagram story, Drake didn't add much commentary to the post, simply tagging Smokes and letting the viewer connect all the dots. On the box, which has been kept intact and unopened, it is written that the toy soldier is part of the "most controversial action figure lines in history." Drake and Eminem don't have much history but the Toronto native has expressed his respect for some of rap's most prominent characters in the past.

What makes this somewhat ironic is the fact that, in one of the new leaks that Drake put out this weekend, he uses Eminem's flow from "Superman." Perhaps that's the reason why he's sharing this in the first place.

Do you hope/think that Eminem and Drake will collaborate in the future? That would definitely be one for the ages.

Eminem and Lord Jamar, two men who quite simply will never be friends, have been at odds for well over a year now. It all started when Jamar sought to diminish Em’s impact on hip-hop culture, likening him to a houseguest and maintaining that his predominantly white fanbase disqualifies him from the GOAT conversation. After Jamar made Eminem a recurring talking-point throughout his various press runs, Em fired back on songs like Kamikaze’s “Fall” and Music To Be Murdered By’s “I Will.”

Things seemed destined to drag on until Slim hit up KXNG Crooked’s Crook’s Corner, where he openly acknowledged himself to be a “guest” in hip-hop. Naturally, Jamar was all but committed to address the development. It didn’t take long before he was having another face to face with Vlad of Vlad TV, wasting little time in addressing the “elephant in the room.” Making the distinction that Vlad brought it up, not him, Jamar maintains that he never had a “beef” with Eminem in the first place.

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Vlad reflects on how Eminem openly admitted to being a guest in hip-hop, which leads Jamar to wonder why it took so long to come to such a conclusion. “This could have been ended a long time ago,” he maintains. “Not that it’s even anything. He even used the word beef in there. This was just me stating my fuckin’ opinion and a bunch of fuckin’ Stans having a problem with it. They were just amplifying it so much back to him that he had to respond. Really, the Stans are responsible for a lot of this back and forth shit.”

“At the end of the day, this was never no beef,” continues Jamar. “All of my points were proven. I don’t consider this a personal victory. This just speaks to the power of the soil. I represent the voice of the soil of hip-hop. You can plant many seeds in the soil but the soil decides what grows. Not the seed, the soil.” Elaborating on the metaphor, Jamar explains that “the soil” is what dictates quality, not record sales or technical prowess. “The soil will decide if you are the GOAT. It was never personal to Eminem — if anything it was a fuck you to white supremacy. It was the fact that [they] think they can come into all genres and dictate everything. We were saying, as the soil, no you can’t.”

Eminem was definitely impressed by Biz Markie for partaking in the #GodzillaChallenge, but unfortunately, professional rappers aren't allowed to compete for the prize. Em's #GodzillaChallenge has been gaining traction this week ever since he announced the launch through the Triller app on Tuesday. Fans can compete to win a repost from the rapper as well as additional prizes by posting a video of themselves perfectly spitting his insane, rapid-fire verse on the contest's Juice WRLD-featured title track, "Godzilla," off of Em's album, Music To Be Murdered By.

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The Stans have been flooding his mentions with their own attempts this week, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Bizzy Bone even took a stab at it. On Thursday, LL Cool J tagged Em in a tweet sharing a clip of Biz Markie participating in the #GodzillaChallenge during his visit to LL's Rock The Bells Radio station.

Bizzy Bone, who first rose to prominence as part of the legendary crew Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, is easily one of the fastest rappers of all time. For anyone doubting his ability, songs “Thug Luv” and “Notorious Thugs” reveal the dazzling depth of his flow; check them out should you need a refresher course. Alas, it’s been a minute since Bizzy has been chopping at rapid-fire speeds, and in the interim Eminem has come through to seize the crown as the game’s fastest spitter. As it happens, Em’s open invitation to participate in the #Godzilla challenge was exactly the sort of bat signal Bizzy needed.

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In a video uploaded to his Jam TV channel, Bizzy opens by shouting out the “little homie” Eminem. “Anybody down with Dr. Dre, down with Ice Cube, part of the whole Mo Thug family is immediately cousins, brothers, and relatives,” says Bizzy. “I finna take the ‘Godzilla’ challenge, I been getting too many calls.” After indulging in a vegan feast, Bizzy once again shouts out Eminem and proceeds to step into the booth.

Unlike many who have been spitting Em’s climactic verse verbatim, Bizzy switched up the rules and simply aimed to surpass the syllable count. Rather than spitting live, he plays back an acapella verse recorded for the occasion and deadpans the camera while his machine-gun bars rattle off. Off the bat, it doesn’t appear that Bizzy’s speed is enough to match Em’s, but it stands as a valiant effort all the same. Suffice it to say, the Bone Thug legend clearly still has what it takes to chop with the best of them. Check it out for yourself below and sound off — who is capable of hitting higher speeds? Eminem or Bizzy Bone? 

The past few days have seen an interesting narrative come to light, as the nature of Eminem and Royce Da 5’9’s issue with Tee Grizzley went public. Following Nickle’s appearance on The Breakfast Club, Grizzley took to IG to express confusion over how the whole thing was handled. Now, with this one feeling like the product of a misunderstanding gone awry, Bizarre took a moment to drop some OG wisdom to any young rapper who might be listening.

“Today I want to take a little time to talk about this situation,” says Bizarre. “I seen my homie Royce Da 5’9″ on The Breakfast Club, and he was talking about the situation where Marshall was looking at Tee Grizzley, as far as considering putting him on a record. Until he heard Tee Grizzley. come out dissing him on a song. I feel like I’m in the middle of this, because I’m a street n***a. I’m in the streets more than the average Detroit rapper. Anyway, I get asked this question thousands of times. Me being an OG, I tell you local rappers all the time. You never know who paying attention to you, you never know who watching.”

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“Ya’ll think you’re not on Marshall’s radar, but ya’ll are,” says Bizarre. “He’s a rapper, he’s paying attention. If he don’t know, I’ma tell him. If I don’t tell him, Denaun gon’ tell him. We know who hot in our city and who not. In defense man, a lot of ya’ll local rappers, I reached out to ya’ll personally myself and tried to hook up with you and vibe and build. A lot of ya’ll were acting Hollywood, like ya’ll were stars. Ain’t even been outside Detroit area code. But here’s me, humble, an eight-million-records sold platinum recording artist. I’ve been around the whole world, been on the cover of Rolling Stone. But fuck that shit, none of that don’t mean nothing. We Detroit rappers trying to stick together as a unit, but a lot of rappers can’t see that.”

Bizarre addresses that rappers like Tee Grizzley and Sada Baby didn’t even want to acknowledge Eminem as Top 5 Detroit rappers. “Why would he reach out to do a song with them?” asks Bizarre. “That ain’t make no sense. We gotta start respecting our rappers. It was never like this when we was going up. Ain’t no division. We all as one. You gotta start respecting Slum Village. Big Sean. Eminem. D12. Obie Trice. Danny Brown. All these rappers paved the way for the city, for ya’ll to be able to do what ya’ll do today. That’s the bottom line.”

“I’ma tell you one thing I know as an OG,” he concludes. “I never ever dissed a Detroit rapper to somebody out of town. Never. If I feel some type of way, I never say it.” He proceeds to implore the Detroit rap scene to stick together — and all things considered, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Tee Grizzley and Eminem burying the hatchet and moving forward. 

Tee Grizzley became one of the hottest rappers out of Detroit in the past few years but everyone’s wondered why he never got any love from Eminem yet. Royce Da 5’9″ explained to the Breakfast Club that Em has shown interest in the young spitter but Royce suggested that he waits until Grizzley’s bigger so Em wouldn’t “take credit for his success.” However, the alleged “shot” Tee Grizzley fired off was apparently a moment where he “burned a bridge that he didn’t even know he had.”

It didn’t take long for Tee Grizzley to catch wind of those comments. Tee didn’t seem to be in his feelings about it too much but he did find it weird. In two videos posted to Instagram, he explained why he thought that it wasn’t necessarily cool for Royce to handle the Eminem situation the way he did. However, he did hope that 8 Mile Pt 2 arrives so he can get the part and eventually squash the little misunderstanding between one another.

In regards to Royce seemingly advising Em to not to the collab, Grizzley said, “Bro, what type of shit is that? You told this n***a wait. If anything that’ll help both of us. It gon’ make him look like a big homie in the city and it’s going to give me some more pull in this industry.”

Tee Grizzley isn’t wrong and truthfully, Eminem should be doing more to uplift the younger generation of rappers. 

While it’s not uncommon to see Eminem ranked rather highly in matters of lyrical pedigree, those who value the artform know Royce Da 5’9″ isn’t far away. There’s a reason that Bad Meets Evil finds them operating on equal ground, the perfect counterpart to one another; both share a gleeful appreciation of gallows humor, a penchant for wordplay, and the ridiculous ability for seeking and destroying new pockets. Now, with 2020 bringing Eminem’s Music To Be Murdered By and Royce’s The Allegory so wonderfully into our lives, some circles have been debating as to whether Bad has surpassed Evil once and for all.

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Remember that this is hip-hop, and ranking things is simply par for the course. Seeing as both Eminem and Royce are battle-tested scholars of the Detroit rap scene, cutting their teeth in heated lyrical battles and furthering their own craft through healthy competition, it’s a fair question. After all, Em recently told KXNG Crooked that matching Royce is one of his main creative inspirations, high praise from a rapper who has seemingly mastered his domain. On the other side, Royce has been standing proudly beside Em for years, never failing to acknowledge his skill, passion, and ability to outshine even the deadliest emcees. 

If their recent records are any indication, both Bad and Evil alike are operating at a newfound level of confidence. While we patiently wait for a sequel to Hell: The Sequel, it seems like as good a time as any to test the waters. Should you count yourself a fan of Em and Royce’s movement, where do you stand? Insofar as mastery of the craft, which of the two is operating at a higher plane of existence? And remember – most importantly, that this is not meant to pit two friends against each other; it’s simply in the name of good fun and spirited competition.

With that in mind, are you riding for Nickle or Slim? Bad or Evil? The Allegory or Music To Be Murdered By?

Many fans were first introduced to the name White Gold this year, through his appearances on Eminem‘s Music To Be Murdered By and Royce Da 5’9’s The Allegory. For those keeping score, the Bronx songwriter appeared on Eminem’s Bad Meets Evil reunion “You Gon’ Learn” as well as Royce’s “Black Savage” and “Hero. But questions remained as to how a 33-year-old New York vocalist ended up connecting with one of hip-hop’s most respected lyrical duos. Thanks to some groundwork from GENIUS, the inspirational story has begun to unfold. 

As White Gold (real name Bobby Yewah) tells it, his lofty features were ultimately arranged by Royce’s longtime manager Kino. That’s not to say he wasn’t a player before — he apparently scored production placements for Cam’ron, Joe Budden, Kevin Gates, and Pusha — but those came before his rebrand as a vocalist. “I got involved with [Bad Meets Evil] through Royce’s manager Kino,” Gold tells Genius. “He hit me one day, and was like, “Yo, I heard a song that you did. Would you want to work with Royce?” 

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After a few studio sessions with Royce, the pair ended up developing the skeleton of “You Gon Learn.” “It was for Royce initially,” he reveals. “I think it was like six months later, Kino called me. He’s like, “Yeah, bro. Em heard it and was like, ‘Yo, I want the record and I want the dude that’s on there as the hook.’” And that was it. I had to keep the secret for six months or so, man.”

He also breaks down Royce’s “Hero,” explaining that Nickle originally wrote the song as a counterpart to Book Of Ryan highlight “Cocaine.” “He’s like, ‘Yeah, this is basically me making up for the collateral damage that came with ‘Cocaine,'” explains Gold. “He didn’t want his dad to feel like he was putting him down…Now, him going through whatever he has gone through with his sobriety and everything like that, he can see how flawed people are still just that, people.”

Check out the full interview right here. To those of you who discovered the singer-songwriter through Em and Royce’s albums, will you be putting White Gold on your radar? 

On Tuesday (February 25), Eminem made his debut on Triller as he issued a social media challenge for those with expert breath control. The Detroit rapper shared a clip of himself performing the spit-fire lyrics from "Godzilla" off of his recently released No. 1 album Music to be Murdered By. The world has witnessed millions responding to challenges such as these, but rap fans are finding it difficult to keep up with Eminem's quick lyrical skills.

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The public didn't believe that anyone would really answer Eminem's call, but there were a handful of stans who were up for the challenge. Some are better than others, but overall, it's all in good fun as they're just fans who wanted to keep up with one of their favorite rappers. The track has amassed much success for both Eminem and Juice WRLD since its release. It became the late rapper's first No. 1 hit in the U.K. and the Shady Records CEO said Juice "was so talented."

"To be so young, he mastered that so f*cking quickly. His potential was so off the charts," the rapper added. Check out a few Eminem stans answer his #GodzillaChallenge and let us know how you think they did.

One can’t count the number of highlights from Dr. Dre‘s career. The rap mogul is one of the most revered and respected musicians in hip hop, and while there have been plenty of monumental moments throughout his reign, his discovery and development of Eminem stands out among fans. It was decades ago that Dre and Em joined forces, and what emerged were hit songs, world tours, coveted awards, and street accolades. Rapper Royce Da 5’9″ recently reflected on what it was like recording with Dre back in those early days and he shared some wisdom delivered by the Aftermath founder.

“There was a door that we went to, I believe we went down some stairs to get in the studio room,” Royce recalled. “It was just like a studio in a building. Like, rather it had been in a house or in a building, it looked like we were in a huge studio in a building… After we had been coming back and recording there a couple days, he actually showed us the house.”

Royce added, “We went through another door and went up some stairs and now we’re in his kitchen. That was my first time being in a mansion. So, we lookin’ around, he’s showing us different rooms and then we think that’s the whole house and then it’s like, ‘Alright, come down here.’ Then we go down another long hallway and now we’re on a whole ‘nother side.” The house tour of all the rooms seemed like a never-ending process. 

“The whole time, I just remember him going, ‘Now remember, money is easy to make, but it’s hard to keep,'” Royce said. Dre would take them from room-to-room occasionally interrupting his own train of thought to remind his guests that “money is easy to make, but hard to keep.” A line similar to that ended up on Kendrick Lamar‘s track “Wesley’s Theory” from To Pimp a Butterfly in a recorded message from Dre where the mogul says:

Yo, what’s up? It’s Dre
Remember the first time you came out to the house?
You said you wanted a spot like mine
But remember, anybody can get it
The hard part is keepin’ it, motherfu*ker

Check out Royce Da 5’9″ share his story in full below, including Eminem receiving permission to put his feet on the superproducer’s table.

When you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. That appears to be what’s running through Eminem‘s mind after realizing just how much the rap game has shifted since his reign on top. As the rap game continues to use platforms like TikTok and Triller continue to dictate the charts and how music is consumed, Eminem took to Twitter where he announced the #GodzillaChallenge. No, this one doesn’t come with dance. Instead, the Music To Be Murdered By artist is offering a repost and other prizes for those who tackle his speedy verse on the track word-for-word on the social media platform.

“Godzilla” has already seen massive success since the release of Music To Be Murdered By. For one, it became Juice WRLD’s first number-one single in the UK and made waves on the Billboard Hot 100, although it’s yet to actually hit number. With a music video on the way and the newly launched #GodzillaChallenge, Eminem seemingly has things in place to take the song to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

“Godzilla” has already broken records. A few days after its release, Em broke a new record after rapping 229 words in 30 seconds. This beats out the record that he previously held with “Rap God.” 

Check out Eminem’s “Godzilla Challenge” below. Are you able to rap that many words in 30 seconds? Sound off in the comments. 

It’s official —  Eminem has officially sat down with KXNG Crooked for a conversation on Crook’s Corner. The opening moments find the two lyricists nerding out over each other’s bars, with Em marveling at Crook’s “Abraham Lincoln” scheme and Crook returning the favor with Em’s “Ohio/Since-An-Addy” scheme. As the conversation progresses, Em reveals that Dre originally sent him a link to Alfred Hitchock’s original Music To Be Murdered By record, which Em proceeded to use as the inspiration for his own project. He even confirms that there were a few moments that had to be cut over sample clearance issues, leaving us all wondering whether a deluxe version is indeed in the cards.

Despite being an elite emcee, Em tells Crooked that he and Royce make “untoppable” verses. “I can only hope to tie at best,” marvels Em, reflecting on Crook’s scheme from “Our House.” “Being able to keep it going is something the average listens might not understand,” explains Em. “Some people might not catch the syllables.” On that note, he reveals that he first discovered Young M.A. through “OUUUU,” and proceeded to keep a watchful eye on her trajectory. “She carried herself like a star. Charisma, but she also had the bars. She’s really got bars. I just went down the wormhole.”

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On Black Thought, Em explains that he never quite felt he had the right song to send the legendary Roots lyricist. Breaking down the process of “Yah Yah,” Em reveals that Q-Tip‘s “my era” hook might be enough to lure Black Thought into the fold. “I hit him up through Royce, asked Royce to send him the track. His Funk Flex freestyle was…Oh My God. It’s what we love about this music. Especially as a competitive rapper — It’s inspiring to hear that shit, but it also gets you like aw fuck. It gives you anxiety and it pumps you up at the same time.”

Marveling at how his career has led him to meet many childhood idols, Em remembers driving around with LL Cool J, showing him Relapse in its entirety. “Before he got out the truck I was like yo man, I just want to say what you mean to me,” reflects Em. “I’m a Stan of you.” One has to wonder how LL Cool J reacted to “Stay Wide Awake.” Later, Em maintains that he thoroughly enjoyed watching J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar rise to greatness, confirming that he does indeed keep an eye on the game at large. “All the new shit, I try to stay up on,” he says. “Whose doing what. Flow patterns. Like DaBaby — I never know where his rhymes are gonna land. That shit is so interesting to me cause he does it so well.”

Without saying his name, Crook inquires about Lord Jamar’s infamous “guest in the house” of hip-hop accusation. “I don’t know if I’ve got a chance to say this yet, but the funny shit is with the whole beef with a certain person, I never said I wasn’t a guest,” responds Em. “I’m absolutely a guest. I never said I wasn’t. I never said I was king of anything…I never want to be the king of hip-hop. Who the fuck is the king of hip-hop?” Bringing things full circle, Em claims that he judges hip-hop greatness through lyricism above all. 

Check out the full interview below — plenty of gems to be found here. 

With his new album The Allegory set to drop tomorrow, Royce Da 5’9″ hit up Real 92.3 for a conversation about his recent creative endeavors; aside from his own project, he also laced two production credits on Eminem‘s gold-certified Music To Be Murdered By, as well as three typically solid verses. Speaking on his turn to production, Royce explains that he has been hitting the studio every day to practice his craft. “I hadn’t planned on doing anything,” he admits. “I started messing with the beats, learning how to make beats. One thing led to another and I was halfway through a project. Had a direction in mind, knew what I wanted to say and went with it. This is the first project that happened to me.“

Moving forward, Royce shares a hilarious story about the time he allowed Griselda’s entire tour team to crash at his studio. “Before I even knew Benny existed I was a big Griselda fan,” he shares. “They didn’t get a hotel room, they were just sprawled out everywhere. Merch laying everywhere. Suitcases opened up everywhere. My studio was a mess — a bunch of real hood-ass n***as!” Meanwhile, Royce was working on a beat in his room with the key players when he noticed Benny whispering some bars. “I was like, what’s up homie, you got something to this? He was like ‘yeah I got something.’ And he went in my booth and torched my booth.”

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In a moment that’s sure to elicit a few playful barbs from Eminem, Royce declares The Real Slim Shady to be his favorite of his rhyming partner’s album; it’s unclear as to whether he’s referring to The Slim Shady LP, or The Marshall Mathers LP on which “The Real Slim Shady” can be found. He also kindly ranked Revival as his least favorite of Em’s project, though he neglects to elaborate further. When asked about his involvement in Em’s latest record, which has the staunch approval of both DJ Hed and Bootleg Kev, Royce maintains that he had nothing to do in the creation — aside from hooking up a monstrous feature. “This is something he wanted to do,” confirms Nickle. “He called me about the ‘Yah Yah’ song, and told me he wanted Black Thought. I went and got him Black Thought.”

On the topic of Royce’s recent shot at Yelawolf on “Over Comer,” he explains that it comes down to the topic of respect. “He did something I felt was disrespectful,” explains Royce. “There was a window of time where he could have called me to clarify or just say something to me. He didn’t even think he needed to call me — he didn’t even extend me that respect. It was something that happened behind closed doors and he knew I knew about it. I took offense to it, and how I handled it was addressing it on a song. I felt it was the only way I could handle it — for me to to air it out publically would imply I’m using it as a vehicle to push an album or be vindictive. I’m not a vindictive person…I felt the only way to do it was let him know it’s on my radar. I’m aware.” 

Check out the full interview with one of the greatest rappers of our time below, and look out for that Allegory project to arrive in full at midnight.

Eminem and 50 Cent gave Dr. Dre some serious birthday love on Instagram to celebrate the 55-year-old legend’s special day. As two of Dre’s biggest success stories, Em and Fif each shared a sweet birthday post for the man to whom they’d both agree they owe their careers, showing him just how much they love and appreciate everything he’s done for them. Em made clever use of some of the most well-known lyrics from one of his countless hits. The rapper took a snippet from the music video for his song, “Without Me,” to instruct his followers on what exactly to do on this very important day. In the clip, Em dons a superhero suit while he and and Dre drive around town, headbanging to the beginning of the song’s chorus: “This looks like a job for me, so everybody, just follow me.”

The video reads, “The moment you realize it’s Dre’s birthday,” and in the caption of the post, Em wrote, “So everybody just follow me… and wish @drdre a happy birthday!” Genius. 50’s post was a little more straight forward, but he had some very kind words for Dre.

“Happy Birthday to the most influential man in hip hop,” he wrote on a photo of Dre. “God bless @drdre it’s all LOVE.” Dre and Em recently attended the induction ceremony for 50’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where Fif expressed some kind words to the man who launched his career. Thanking both Dre and Em for attending, 50 stated, “I don’t honestly think my career would have been without their support. Dre is a mentor for the whole squad really. He’s been doing it long before it. He’s able to guide us in different ways without even knowing he’s doing it.” 

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Dre recently revealed that he, Ice T, and Xzibit have been working on some new music together. The iconic producer has really been putting some time in at the studio lately, even adding his magic touch to four tracks off Em’s album, Music To Be Murdered By, which he dropped as a surprise back in January.

Following a standout collaboration on the gold-certified Music To Be Murdered By, Eminem and KXNG Crooked will be reuniting once again -- albeit in a different capacity together. This Friday Slim is set to sit down for a conversation on Crook's Corner, marking his first major interview since 2018's four-part Kamikaze talk with Sway Calloway and his lengthy conversation with LL Cool J on Rock The Bells Radio. 
 

In many ways, Crook's Corner is the perfect platform for Eminem. A place for two rap nerds to discuss the craft free from ulterior motives. It's clear that Crook holds Em in high regard, having defended his honor during the infamous Joe Budden beef, and the pair have been steadily building on their collaborations. Following "I Will," we've already seen songs like "Loud Noises," "Session One" "Psychopath Killer," and "Our House" showcase their chemistry on wax.

As of this moment it's unclear as to what the interview will cover, but fans of both artists and hip-hop as an artistic medium will likely want to catch this one on Friday. As far as technical ability is concerned, Eminem and Crook are elite in every category, ranging from flow to punchlines -- it should be interesting to hear their thoughts on the current state of the game. It's going to be a big day for Slaughterhouse fans, who can check this out before or after peeping that new Royce Da 5'9" album The Allegory, on which Crooked himself is set to appear. 

Nick Cannon might be able to teach a masterclass on Eminem with the amount of analysis he has on the Music To Be Murdered rapper. In his most recent sit down with Vlad TV, the two began with a discussion surrounding the feds finding drugs and guns on Lil Wayne‘s plane before shifting to Juice WRLD’s death. 

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Eventually, the two treaded into the conversation of drug culture in hip-hop. Although rappers have talked about drugs for years, Nick Cannon and Vlad agreed Em was one of the first rappers to “push” pill-popping in the rap game. “In fact, his first CD had a drawing of pills being broken in half,” Vlad added.

“I idolized Snoop. We smoke weed. All this pill poppin’ generation — I idolize E-40. We sell drugs, we don’t take ’em,” Cannon said. “I only know to place the blame on people who control the indoctrinated institutionalization. Someone has to bring this stuff to us. Someone has to glorify this stuff in order for us to do it. And only reason I’m saying that is because I believe it’s our duty to shift it.”

Nick Cannon, who 50 Cent recently dubbed “legendary corny,” listed off a slew of things that should be deemed cool instead of the use of drugs, such as education, learning about stocks, and adopting a plant-based diet.

Peep the full interview below.  

Eminem‘s Music To Be Murdered By, marketed as a soundtrack to be enjoyed while “being done in,” has clearly served its purpose. Despite only having been released for about a month, Em’s eleventh studio album has yielded him another gold certification for his already expansive collection. The accomplishment was celebrated by his rhyming partner Royce Da 5’9″, with whom he worked intimately on songs like “You Gon Learn,” “Darkness,” “Yah Yah,” and “I Will.” Taking to Instagram, Royce allowed a single emoji to symbolize the global scope of Em’s reach.

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For that keeping score, it also serves as a cool milestone for Slim — Music To Be Murdered By is officially the first record of the new decade to achieve gold certification. Given that the Juice WRLD-assisted “Godzilla” is already tapped to be the album’s next single, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this one hit platinum before long. As of now, every other Eminem album has gone platinum except for Revival, which has seemingly plateaued at gold, and his cult classic debut Infinite. 

Congratulations to Eminem, and much respect to Royce for showing support. Look for his own new album The Allegory to hit this Friday, and keep an eye out for Em’s upcoming “Godzilla” video to drop in the imminent future. Are you still bumping Music To Be Murdered By?

When Eminem emerged from the blue to drop Music To Be Murdered By, curiosity brought many listeners to the Juice WRLD collaboration “Godzilla.” A playful and dexterous rap clinic produced by D.A. Doman, the track seemed tailor-made for radio play, a callback to the carefree days of “Without Me” and “The Real Slim Shady,” or perhaps a less serious counterpart to the more recent “Rap God.” Not to mention that it happened to mark the first link-up between Eminem and Juice WRLD, one of hip-hop’s open Slim Shady fanboys. 

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With the track already having experienced commercial success and breaking a Guinness World Record for fastest rap verse, it’s no wonder that Slim and his people have decided to give it the official single treatment. As such, “Godzilla” will follow “Darkness” as the next video from Music To Be Murdered By. 

The news was confirmed by Em’s longtime manager Paul Rosenberg, who confirmed some truly outlandish visual antics destined to put “Rap God” to shame. ” I remember when we made [the “Rap God”] video and Em kept saying he literally wanted a laptop in his back pocket and he wanted to levitate in a cipher (smh, we made it happen),” he writes, Instagram. “Wait until you see what he does in “Godzilla”!”

As of now, a release date has yet to be revealed. Look for more news on the upcoming “Godzilla” video in the days to come — it shouldn’t be too long now.

Eminem‘s “Rap God” music video has officially hit the one billion-view benchmark on YouTube, marking yet another monumental milestone for the Detroit veteran’s catalog.

The clip, first released in November 2013, served as a teaser for the now multi-platinum Marshall Mathers LP 2. Directed by Rich Lee, the video featured an 80s aesthetic that parodied the Max Headroom character as Em laid siege to the title of his track.

In preparation for this milestone. Eminem launched the www.rapgod.eminem.com website in order to count towards the views that would reach the mark. “Rap God” now goes down as Eminem’s third video to hit one billion views, joining the company of his “Not Afraid” cut and the Rihanna-assisted “Love The Way You Lie,” which is inching closer toward 2 billion these days. 

The only other rap song to have 1 billion views or more is Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “See Yu Again,” which boasts 4.4 billion views. 

It continues to prove to be a strong showing for Em this year as the milestone joins other accomplishments already achieved in 2020 as his Music To Be Murdered By surprise drop became his 10th consecutive No. 1 album. In addition, Eminem claimed a shot at redemption when he surprised everyone with a performance of his “Lose Yourself” at the OScar’s this year to commemorate the track’s win for Best Orignal Song for 8 Mile in 2003.

Slaughterhouse may be on a permanent hiatus, but that doesn’t mean that members of the collective aren’t still on good terms with the Shady Records founder. Royce Da 5’9″ has continued to maintain a personal and professional working relationship with Eminem throughout the years, and the rapper was recently asked if he prefers to hit the studio alone or to collaborate with other artists. In an interview with DJ Smallz, Royce used Em, Preme, and Slaughterhouse to explain the differences in how much work is put into a project.

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“I don’t prefer one over the other,” Royce said. “Slaughterhouse, I gotta do a little more work. When I’m working with Marshall, I don’t have to do as much work. When I’m working with Preme, I still don’t have to do as much work because he’s gon’ make all the beats. He’s gon’ mix everything. I get a little meticulous when it comes to approving mixes, but outside of that, all I really gotta do is rap in those two situations. So, that’s one of the things that makes those two situations…it makes me look forward to doing them.“

“Now, the Slaughterhouse thing, it’s an interesting situation because it’s something that we built,” Royce continued. “It’s something that we built that some people didn’t believe in. So, it’s always sweeter being in that kinda situation. It’s more of us, there’s other rapper, more than just one other rapper.” He interrupted his thought to say that he doesn’t even classify Eminem as an emcee.

“Em ain’t even a rapper no more,” Royce stated. “He’s like a superhero.” He moved on to once again speaking about Slaughterhouse, saying that it was “a lotta fun” because they would get together and drink into the night when they’d “all become comedians in our own little way.” Watch Royce Da 5’9″ talk about his collaborative preferences below.

Eminem is filled with the stuff of legends and he’s about to hit a new pinnacle, with the official music video for “Rap God” nearing one billion total views. There is nobody quite like Eminem in the rap game today. Big Daddy Kane revealed that, if he were tasked with choosing Kobe Bryant’s hip-hop equivalent, he would opt for Eminem, which makes a lot of sense. Both icons used their sheer talent to power forward in their careers. Marshall Mathers is fresh off the release of his brand new album Music To Be Murdered By, which has been performing extremely well on the charts, and he’s about to experience a new kind of feeling when “Rap God,” one of his most popular songs of all time, reaches the billion views point on YouTube.

Establishing a new countdown on his website, Eminem invited all of his fans to wait with him as he tracks the total number of views for the “Rap God” video, which is creeping all the way up to one billion. At the rate things are moving, “Rap God” will hit that point before the end of the day and Em is asking for one final push to get him over the hump.

If anything, this speaks to how impactful Eminem remains today. If you’re ever unsure of his status as a god of rap, look no further than these stats. Congratulations, Marshall!

The tragic death of Kobe Bryant forced a lot of people to think about legacy in the intersecting worlds of sports and music, and in a new podcast appearance, Big Daddy Kane was prompted to name who he thinks is the closest thing to Kobe in hip-hop history. His answer makes a lot of sense.

One of the all-time rap greats called into Cherie’s World podcast with Cherie Johnson, explaining that he believes Eminem is the rap equivalent to Kobe Bryant. Telling a story about how he first met Kobe Bryant and his reaction after hearing of his tragic passing, Big Daddy Kane noted that he believes the closest thing to Kobe in hip-hop would be Em.

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Without giving much explanation, Big Daddy Kane’s choice is actually pretty accurate, if you ask me. He speaks about how, before meeting Kobe, he was informed about his “cocky and arrogant” reputation, however, the basketball legend proved that incorrect in a few minutes. Eminem also doesn’t have the squeakiest reputation. BDK went on to discuss how Kobe rose the ranks because of his pure talent on the court, which is another thing he has in common with Marshall Mathers. The Detroit icon earned his self-proclaimed Rap God title by being one of the best in his field, proving his superiority instead of simply stating it.

Watch what Big Daddy Kane had to say below.

Barbara Streisand revealed that not only did she present Eminem‘s award for “Best Original Song” at the 2003 Oscars for “Lose Yourself,” she actually voted for the 8 Mile anthem in that category. Eminem’s surprise performance of “Lose Yourself” at the Oscars on Sunday night caught plenty of people off guard and sparked major confusion. While it was certainly unexpected, his performance was framed as a celebration of how songs have defined the films for which they were written over time, since Em notably won the Oscar for “Best Original Song” 17 years prior to this year’s Academy Awards.

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On Monday, Em shared a clip of the moment he was announced as the winner of “Best Original Song” back in 2003, an award he wasn’t able to accept in person since he was so convinced he wouldn’t win that he didn’t even attend the ceremony. In the caption of the video, in which Barbara Streisand presented the award to one of Em’s co-writers for “Lose Yourself,” Luis Resto, Em wrote, “Look, if you had another shot, another opportunity… Thanks for having me @theacademy. Sorry it took me 18 years to get here.”

Barbara reposted the video on her own Instagram account, and revealed in the caption that she actually played a larger role in getting Eminem that Oscar that he ever knew.

“@eminem I had voted for your song too!” Barbara wrote. “Was really looking forward to handing you the award. Next time!” While he wasn’t able to bask in his victory back then, Em has shared that this year’s performance was his opportunity do just that. “I kinda figured maybe since I didn’t get a chance to do it at the time, maybe it would be cool,” he noted.

The 2020 Academy Awards have come and gone and there was plenty to unpack from this year’s ceremony, including Parasite‘s total domination and Eminem’s surprise performance, which apparently ended with him getting doused in water by Salma Hayek Pinault. Over seventeen years following his Academy Award victory for Best Original Song at the 2003 Oscars, Eminem performed “Lose Yourself” to a crowd of shocked attendees. Martin Scorcese could barely keep his eyes open during the show and Billie Eilish looked unenthused. However, it was one of the most talked-about moments from the entire evening, and one portion of his appearance wasn’t even revealed until now.

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As he made his way to the backstage area, Marshall Mathers ran into Salma Hayek Pinault, who was preparing to hop on stage to present the next batch of awards. She was so surprised to see the rapper that she accidentally spilled her water all over him, telling the story on Instagram.

“In these pictures it might look like @Eminem and I are best friends, but what really happened is as he was walking offstage and I was getting ready to walk onstage, I was so shocked to see him that I spilled water all over him,” said the actress. “If you examine our faces, I look mortified and he looks terrified of me- As I was trying to wipe it off I impulsively hugged him and I said ‘Nice to meet you Eminem- I’m a HUGE fan!’ because I AM! But I was so disappointed that I made such a fool of myself in front of him… and then I read this [swipe right] in @rollingstone. Eminem you’re the greatest!!!”

Read Salma Hayek Pinault’s full post below and have a good chuckle at the photos that were taken directly after the spillage.

If you were caught off guard on Sunday night when Eminem appeared onstage at the Oscars to perform “Lose Yourself” backed by an orchestra, then everything worked out exactly as planned. Following the performance, confused viewers took to Twitter to try and decipher why Em would be recruited to perform a song that had won the Academy award for Best Original Song a whole 17 years earlier. Well, you no longer have to scratch your head about this mystery because Robert Mills, Senior Vice President of Alternative Series, Specials and Late-Night Programming at ABC, has explained the whole backstory of the performance to Entertainment Tonight.

“I want to say the first time it was ever talked about was after Justin Timberlake opened with ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’ in [2017],” Mills said. “There are just these songs when you have an iconic performer opening with an anthem like that it just gets everybody pumped up. We talked about it with the Academy that Eminem, the fact that he never performed that song and it’s such an anthem, and it’s one everybody knows and it won the Oscar. Wouldn’t it be great to figure out a way to get him to come and do that?”

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Everything fell into place this year to get Eminem to finally bring his hit to the Oscar stage because the ceremony’s producers had a relationship with his label, Interscope. All that was left to figure out was how they would keep the performance a secret until it occurred, since “the element of surprise” was a priority for both Em and the showrunners. So much so, that Mills believes that Em might have backed out had the news leaked beforehand. According to Mills’ recollection, only the Academy, the network, the producers and Eminem’s team were aware of the surprise up to two days before the ceremony. 

The organizers were also very particular about other details in order to optimize the performance’s impact. “It had to be the right time, it had to be in the right place in the show,” Mills explained. The “Lose Yourself” spectacle came after a montage showing iconic musical moments in movies, ending with Em’s song in 8 Mile. 

Wait, there’s more. Em & Co. were so stealthy that they held just one rehearsal for the performance and had a whole plan in case any outsiders happened to walk in on it. “When we did dress rehearsals, there was a whole alternate beat where it was just Eminem’s band playing ‘You Should Be Dancing’ by The Bee Gees with John Travolta in the background, so that’s how much it was kept a secret and surprise,” detailed Mills. “There was a whole alternate ending to that beat. If anybody happened to wander in and see it they would have been like, ‘Oh yeah, there’s been a switch with a salute to Saturday Night Fever. It was a fake-out.”

Eminem has provided his own explanation for why he wished to do this performance. While “Lose Yourself” is widely accepted as classic, one of our writers wondered, is it really the defining song of Eminem’s career?

The majority of music Eminem‘s released in recent times hasn’t been championed in comparison to his older catalog. That’s why the release of Kamikaze and Music To Be Murdered By had a lot of hip-hop heads optimistic about the future of his career. Mind you, he isn’t rapping on the same level he once was but in the past two years, he’s been in his pocket far more than he’s ever been in the last decade.

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Despite any criticism Eminem faces, he continues to prove that he’s a commercial giant at the end of the day. Music To Be Murdered By and Kamikaze were the most recent examples of this. With no warning whatsoever, the rapper released both albums, shutting down the internet and a week later, debuting at the top of the Billboard 200. Music currently sits at number three on the chart but three other albums of his have found their way back on the chart. The Eminem Show re-entered at #122 while Kamikaze and Curtain Call: The Hits sit at #168 and #184, respectively.

In related news, the rapper’s single “Lose Yourself” has seen a major surge in streaming activity in the past few days, Billboard reports. Following the rapper’s performance at the Oscars this past weekend, the rapper’s single sold 4K downloads in the U.S. on Feb. 9th. In comparison to Feb. 8th, the song’s up 1,894%. 

Atlanta rapper Russ has one of the most interesting stories in hip-hop right now. The 27-year-old is disliked by a number of influential genre-centric commentators, yet he boasts a massive fanbase all around the world. His artistic growth has been nothing short of tremendous, happening organically as he continues to sell out arena shows across the globe. Russ is easily one of the most successful rappers out today but, for some reason, people still hate his guts. He doesn’t take it to heart though. Even though it’s “cool” to hate on him, Russ experiences some of the biggest sales numbers when compared to his peers. If you need some hard evidence on that, look no further than right here.

Russ recently shared last week’s final Billboard sales totals, which show his name on top of some other notable new releases. While his project was not streamed more often than Lil Wayne’s Funeral, which also debuted in the same week, Shake The Snow Globe sold more pure copies than anybody else. The body of work was packaged strategically with merch on his website but Russ’ fans made sure to go out and buy physical copies of the album as well, keeping him ahead of pop stars Kesha and Louis Tomlinson, and Detroit legend Eminem.

“Most albums sold this week, Best fans in the world,” celebrated Russ on Instagram, clearly impressed that he was able to pull off such a feat. Congratulations to him!

For some reason, the Oscars allowed Eminem to touch the stage to perform his hit single, “Lose Yourself” seventeen years after its release. It stirred up social media with both confusion and excitement but unfortunately, not even that was able to help the Oscars’ record-low ratings. The song won Best Original Song at the Oscars in 2003, even though he didn’t even decide to show up.

“I kinda figured maybe since I didn’t get a chance to do it at the time, maybe it would be cool,” he explained to Variety. “Back then, I never even thought that I had a chance to win, and we had just performed “Lose Yourself” on the Grammys with the Roots a couple of weeks before the Oscars, so we didn’t think it was a good idea. And also, back at that time, the younger me didn’t really feel like a show like that would understand me.”

The rapper later dispelled rumors that the reason he turned it down was that they asked him to perform a censored version of the song. He did, however, find the timing for last night’s performance since recently released a new album. 

Em also dished out some rare insight into his listening habits. After being asked about the new generation, he revealed that Young M.A., who appeared on Music To Be Murdered By, was one person he’s into right now. Along with Griselda, he revealed one more artist that he’s feeling. “YBN Cordae, he’s dope,” he said. 

After Eminem brought up Nick Cannon‘s name on Fat Joe’s most recent album, the comedian decided that he would devote a bunch of interview time to the Detroit rapper, speaking on him almost every chance he gets. At this point, some people believe it’s almost laughable how often Nick Cannon speaks about Eminem, releasing a handful of diss records against him as well. The most recent instance of Nick shit-talking the self-proclaimed Rap God comes his interview with DJ Vlad, who has been asking some instigative questions as he attempts to get the juicy scoops about their long-lived beef. A fourth song referencing the rapper, titled “Used To Look Up To You,” was released last month and in it, Cannon seemingly talks trash about Marshall Mathers’ fans but, in reality, it turns out that the lyric in question was actually about 50 Cent.

“N***as out here tweetin’ like they been a savage/Used to Look Up to You/Dick ridin’ lil Marshall Mathers,” raps Nick Cannon on “Used To Look Up To You.” The bar was perceived to be a dig at all of Em’s fans but it was actually meant for Shady’s longtime collaborator, 50 Cent.

“‘Used To Look Up To You,’ if you actually listen to it, is more about 50 [Cent] and a lot of these other rappers,” says Cannon in the newest upload from his interview with Vlad. “That was clearly about 50 and a lot of his other fans.”

Elsewhere in the interview, the actor says that Eminem is a product of institutionalized racism. Watch below.

At this stage, Eminem and Lord Jamar have become entwined in a shared destiny. Despite nursing a genuine dislike for one another, neither seems particularly willing to turn the other cheek and let bygones be bygones. In Em’s case, he’s taken to songs like “Fall” and “I Will” to air his grievances with the Brand Nubian rapper-turned-podcaster. In Jamar’s, he’s opted to sit down with DJ Vlad and poke fun at both Slim’s musicality and fanbase. At least, until now. In his latest appearance on Vlad TV, Jamar mused on the possibility of getting the band back together for a diss track. 

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“Premier!” he calls, after teasing the possibility of retaliating on wax. “Send me that joint! Premier, who else. How about Just Blaze? If you not scared, I’ll take one. MF DOOM? I’m just saying.” When Vlad points out that Dr. Dre wouldn’t be a ble option, Jamar doesn’t appear overtly concerned. “I can’t say I would necessarily want one from Dre,” he shrugs. “I don’t feel that’s necessarily my style. The people I named right now are more in my lane.” 

“I was going to say Daringer, but he’s running with them,” says Jamar. “That’s kinda in that lane.” Both Vlad and Jamar proceed to conclude that Primo is the best option, pledging the producer to move “for hip-hop. A lot of trash has been put out right now. The bar is very low. Between what Eminem put out and what Nick Cannon put out, I think it would not be hard to surpass that.”