Eminem's Most Notable Collaborations
When this emcee makes a collaborative effort, it is nothing short of epic.
Nov. 6, 2013— -- intro: With nearly 15 years in the music business under his belt, rapper Eminem is one of the most critically acclaimed artists in the game. The hip-hop veteran shook the sound waves with his vulgar lyrics and spitfire flow in his 1999 debut. Now, with the release of his eighth solo album, "The Marshall Mathers LP 2," Eminem continues to shape the sound of popular music, collaborating with a diverse roster of artists.
Still, the "Rap God" lyricist is highly selective with whom he shares his mic. The 41-year-old rapper reserves his coveted chops for the best tracks in mainstream music, working with only a handful of artists outside of his Shady/Aftermath camp. However, when the emcee does make a collaborative effort, it is nothing short of epic. Here are some of the most notable Eminem collaborations.
quicklist: 1title: Eminem ft. Rihanna "The Monster" (2013)text:Perhaps a match made in heaven, Eminem's most recent musical partnership features the sturdy vocals of pop-hop artist Rihanna. Rude, crude and tattooed, both Em and Riri are fearless in their personal and professional lives. The track entitled "The Monster" is the latest single off of "The Marshall Mathers LP 2."
"The perception of the record, what it's saying, I thought it would be a good idea to have [Rihanna] on it because I think people look at us like we're both a little nuts," Eminem told MTV News.
"That's one of the things that I was telling her in making the record: 'I think that people look at us a little crazy,'" he added.
Earlier this year, Rihanna opened up about working with the emcee telling Complex Magazine, "I just love working with Eminem. He's just one of my favorite rappers, and his lyrics—he's a true poet, and I enjoy that about him."
This will be the fourth time the duo has worked together, first linking up for the 2010 hit "Love the Way You Lie." media:20792092
quicklist: 2title: Nicki Minaj ft. Eminem, "Roman's Revenge" (2010)text: Eminem and Nicki Minaj petitioned their alter-egos for this 2010 track from Nicki's debut studio album "Pink Friday." Yet, despite the rappers' kindred spirits, this collab almost didn't happen.
"It was Roman ... and it was Slim Shady," Minaj explained to MTV's Rap Fix.
"Honestly we stepped out on a whim when I asked him to work with," she continued in a British accent, presumably channeling her additional alter-ego, Roman's mother Martha. "He didn't like the first track that I sent to him, but he didn't tell me he didn't like it. He said it was dope but it wasn't 'him.' But when he got the second track he called me and said that he loved it and I was excited."
One year later, Eminem went on to make some controversial comments about Minaj's infamous assets on the Bad Meets Evil track "Fast Lane." Complex Magazine caught up with the rapper to discuss the sexual lyric.
"I wasn't saying anything that everyone wasn't already thinking," Em explained. " I mean, obviously I've worked with Nicki. I did a song with her. She's a phenomenal rapper, and phenomenal looking. I mean look, it was right there. I thought it was funny. I think she sees the fun in it too, but no, I haven't spoken to her about it. It's just hip-hop."media: 20792639
quicklist: 3title: Akon ft. Eminem, "Smack That" (2006)text: Eminem has some pop tracks under his belt including his 2006 collaboration with Akon. Credited with bringing Slim Shady out of a self-imposed hiatus, "Smack That" was the first single off of Akon's second studio album "Konvicted."
"Being on a record with Eminem and it being my record, that's major," Akon told MTV News. "He don't really work with a lot of outside people."
"He works like I work," he continued. "He don't need a studio. He leans out to get with his family, comes back in the following morning. We got the same hunger."media: 20791978
quicklist: 4title: Jay Z ft. Eminem, "Renegade" (2001)text: Two of the most iconic artists in rap music came together for this Eminem produced track on Jay Z's classic album, "The Blueprint."
"Renegade" features Eminem's epic storytelling alongside Jay's quick-witted flow to create a hip-hop masterpiece. Since then, the rap legends have collaborated on several different projects including the 2010 co-headlined "Home and Home" tour, when the rappers shared the stage at each of their hometown baseball stadiums.
"I always look for opportunities to work with Em," Jay Z told ESPN's Dave Obrien at the time. "We made a song called Renegade together that went down in hip-hop history. Any time we get a chance to collaborate on things…we just keep it in the spirit."media:20792260
quicklist: 5title: Eminem ft. Dido, "Stan" (2000)text: Eminem collaborated with British singer songwriter Dido for the third single off of his now legendary album "The Marshall Mathers LP." The track entitled "Stan" uses a vocal sample from Dido's 1998 Single, "Thank You."
Eminem sat down with VH1 in 2002 to discuss the making of the now infamous track.
"I heard ['Stan'] and was like, 'I need this,'" he said. "When I heard the words to that song, I was like, 'Yo, this is an obsessed fan.' Dido's words instantly put me there. Usually as I'm writing, the concept will form as I go along. But 'Stan' was one of the few songs that I actually sat down and had everything mapped out for. I knew what it was going to be about."
Likewise, Dido had no qualms when it came to the unlikely partnership with the Detroit emcee.
"I just thought ['Stan'] was brilliant," she told ABC News at the time. "I was so excited, because I thought it sounded really good. And I really do genuinely like him. If he didn't do this intelligently, if he was just an idiot, I might think differently about his record. I just think he's clever, and he's funny. He does it so well. He's a really great storyteller and entertainer.media:20792483
