Eminem

Demi Lovato Says Working With Eminem Would Be 'Amazing'

06 Jan 2012 10:17:18 EST

She's just one of several pop stars bridging the gap between hip-hop and rap.
By Jocelyn Vena

Demi Lovato
Photo: MTV News

Demi Lovato and Eminem are not two names often tied together. But the pop singer recently shared that she'd like to change that, saying she'd love to hit the studio with the legendary rapper.

"Hopefully, I can work with Eminem," the singer told E! News about her dream collaboration. "He's my favorite rapper, so anything with him would be amazing." Hip-hop fans might be surprised to hear about Lovato's love for the genre, but Lovatics are more familiar with it. She made headlines last fall with her gut-busting cover of "How to Love" by Lil Wayne. When she spoke to MTV News about the deeply personal track, she fessed up about her love for the rapper and his song. "I just loved the way that Lil Wayne took a risk doing the song 'How to Love,' and when I really listened to it, it's such a great song," she said. "It has such a deep meaning to it and I wanted to perform that, and I put a little spin on it and tried to make it a little more empowering. And I think it fit with the platform and the message that I have with my fans." Lovato's one of many artists crossing over between pop and hip-hop. Taylor Swift was at the forefront of the trend in 2011, hitting the stage with the likes of T.I. and Nicki Minaj. And Justin Bieber said he'll likely work with Drake and Kanye West on his 2012 release, Believe. So it seems this trend isn't going away anytime soon.

What hip-hop/rap duo would you like to see in 2012? Let us know in the comments!

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Eminem Critiques B.o.B's Strange Clouds

01 Dec 2011 14:52:54 EST

Bobby Ray calls working with Slim Shady, featured on his new E.P.I.C. (Every Play Is Crucial) mixtape, 'a dream come true.'
By Steven Roberts

B.o.B
Photo: MTV News

B.o.B's first album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray, featured plenty of guest appearances, but arguably the biggest was Eminem's feature on "Airplanes Part II." Em is not exactly ubiquitous, but he found his way onto the up-and-comer's track. So, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that they'd team up again.

When Bobby Ray dropped his newest mixtape, E.P.I.C. (Every Play Is Crucial), seemingly out of nowhere Monday, it featured an older track with Eminem, titled "Things Get Worse." Though the track leaked in February, B.o.B decided to not let it go to waste. When MTV News caught up with Bob on Tuesday evening, he said the track was recorded in Detroit around the same time as the "Airplanes" sequel. He also said he relished the opportunity to work so closely with two artists — B.o.B is signed to T.I.'s Grand Hustle — that were already legends. "Working with artists like Tip and Eminem, you really learn a lot from people who have put out countless albums," he said. "Being that I'm fresh in the industry and really eager to learn and really show people everything I can do musically, they kind of help me. I remember Tip telling me, 'I'm with you. I support everything you do.' " B.o.B revealed that he and Em have been in touch, and he had a chance to play Slim Shady his new record, Strange Clouds. Bobby Ray said it was still surreal to sit down with Em and have the rapper critique his work, especially since Em has been supportive of what he's already done. "I grew up listening to Eminem, so to be able to work and get advice on your music from him is a dream come true," he said. "It was free, a free environment. It really wasn't rigid, just real free with the music, no ego."

Share your review of B.o.B's E.P.I.C. (Every Play Is Crucial) mixtape in the comments below!

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Eminem, Yelawolf Tackle Race, Drugs In New Interview

18 Nov 2011 09:56:50 EST

'As I was listening to his music, I am not even thinking about any of that,' Eminem tells Vibe about working with Yelawolf.
By Rob Markman

Eminem and Yelawolf on the December 2011 cover of VIBE magazine
Photo: VIBE

Eminem wasn't the first-ever white rapper, but when Slim Shady kicked in hip-hop's doors in 1999, he was still an anomaly. In 2011, Yelawolf doesn't have quite the same difficulty, as the white rapper stigma, for the most part, has subsided. It's a topic that Em and Yela discuss in the December/January issue of Vibe magazine.

In the magazine's cover story, Eminem tells veteran writer Erik Parker that he and Wolf, who Em signed to Shady Records earlier this year, hardly consider race while in the studio. "We make jokes about it, but I don't think we talk about it in depth," he said. "As I was listening to his music, I am not even thinking about any of that sh--. It's just the music. That's one of the things that's great about it. I'm not even thinking about it when I hear the music." They did make light of it in the studio, however. "We do poke fun of it because it's funny. Like, he calls me White Dog," Yela said. "Yeah, or Beige Sheep," Em joked. Growing up in Alabama, Yela learned a lot about race relations, especially as it pertains to hip-hop culture. And while a rapper like Kreayshawn affiliate V-Nasty may feel comfortable dropping the N-word, Wolf insists that that is a no-no. "[In Alabama] we have a dark history concerning the relationship between black and white people. I'm not a role model by any means, but if I said it around the house, I got popped in the mouth," he said. Eminem insists that race is secondary to music. "We deal with it enough as it is. So now, let's make music," Eminem said. "Let's make great records. At the end of the day, that's all there is to do," Yela, whose debut album, Radioactive, hits shelves November 21, added. When the topic of drugs came up, a clean and sober Em joked that he recently shot heroin, making light of a situation that he had previously taken so seriously. That opened the door for Yela to talk about his own experience with narcotics. "I started smoking weed at 11. By 12, I was smoking dust. Thirteen, acid, Freon, Special K, mushrooms; 16 years old, I was selling X pills at school. Not even because I was a good dope boy, but because I was a scumbag," the tatted-up rapper revealed. "It was called chocolate chip, and it had heroin in it. I used to take that sh-- and go to class. I went so heavy into drugs that I had a bad trip one time that lasted for months." The December/January issue of Vibe magazine hits newsstands nationwide on December 6.

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Eminem, Dr. Dre Inspire 50 Cent To Take His Time

10 Nov 2011 06:53:20 EST

'I'll be dead, I'll be gone, and the material will still be here to influence new artists,' 50 tells MTV News.
By Rob Markman

Eminem
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

Recording with Dr. Dre and Eminem is bound to rub off eventually. While in the middle of recording his upcoming fifth solo album, 50 Cent has learned to take his time in the booth, and that in part explains the delay in releasing his LP. "This is the first time that I've recorded and I haven't put pressure to release at a specific day. I've been on the shot clock the entire time. Dre and Em — I mean Dre's record hasn't been out in 11 years, so when you talk about perfection, it's gotta be crazy, right?" he told MTV News while at a New York book signing for his just-released anti-bullying book, "Playground."

Dre's 2001 was released in 1999 and not long after its release, fans began to hear rumblings about the oft-delayed Detox. Dre, a noted perfectionist, has been said to be putting the finishing touches on the LP for quite some time now, and recently Fif has adopted the super-producer's ear for detail. "I think that provides additional pressure for him that it's taken this long, and in Em's case he has high standards too," 50 said. "You wouldn't believe how many times he records the records that you hear. He's done it over and over and over and over to make it sound like the way that he feels it's supposed to sound." For his 2003 breakout hit "In Da Club," the G-Unit general wasn't nearly as meticulous as he has recently become. "In the beginning, it was like 30 minutes, 'In Da Club' was 30 minutes, to write it, have the vocals laid," 50 revealed. "I punched in a few times, it didn't matter it was good. Everybody bought it, they said it's a classic and now it's a process where I'm recording it, listening to it and saying, 'I can do that better than that.' " The veteran hitmaker has realized the influence that his catalog has, and it is that realization that has him thinking differently. "I understand it now because all the material that I put out is gonna be here longer than I am," he said. "So I'll be dead, I'll be gone, and the material will still be here to influence new artists moving forward."

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'X Factor' Mini-MC Astro Channels Eminem

09 Nov 2011 23:10:41 EST

Chris Rene and Rachel Crow also earn high praise from the mentors.
By Adam Graham

Astro on "X Factor"
Photo: FOX

Youngsters stole the night when "The X Factor" went to Hollywood on Wednesday (November 9), with the top 11 contestants singing songs from the movies. Well, maybe Songs That Were at One Time Used in Movies would be more appropriate, since few people associate Coldplay's "Fix You" with the Owen Wilson starrer "You, Me and Dupree" or U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" with the Julia Roberts/ Richard Gere flick "Runaway Bride." Regardless, Astro, the 15-year-old rapper with enough confidence to fuel a rocket ship to the moon, soared with his rendition of Eminem's "Lose Yourself," which kept the Oscar-winning song's structure but saw all new verses — including a shout-out to boxing legend Joe Frazier, who died this week — from the pint-size spitter. "You are a champion tonight," Nicole Scherzinger told him, while Simon Cowell seemed equally impressed with Astro's performance and the show's ability to clear the use of the notoriously protective Eminem's song. Elsewhere, 13-year-old Rachel Crow was compared by Cowell to a "mini-little Beyoncé" after her stirring, show-closing take on Bey's "I'd Rather Go Blind" from "Cadillac Records." All four judges were wowed, with L.A. Reid telling her, "Up until now, I wasn't sure if you were a true contender ... but tonight, you proved that you have your eye on the target." Here's how the rest of the contestants fared on Wednesday's show: The Boys
Marcus Canty was nearly engulfed by smoke onstage while singing "I'm Going Down" (from "Car Wash"), but three of the four judges agreed he was a "star," with Cowell offering praise but saying next time, he should ditch the corny sequined jacket he wore during the performance. And Chris Rene took the Astro route and went full-on hip-hop with his performance, rechristening Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" as "Pastime Paradise," which earned high marks from the judges and was called "amazing" by Abdul, while Cowell offered a congratulatory "Welcome back, Chris Rene." The Girls
Drew took on Coldplay's "Fix You," and after Abdul criticized her dress, she was forced to take her foot out of her mouth when Cowell told her the 14-year-old designed it herself. Reid complimented Drew's performance but said it was too similar to her offerings from past weeks. Melanie Amaro took on Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" and was dubbed "bloody fantastic" by Cowell, though Reid said it was "strong, but predictable," saying she didn't take enough risks with the song. The Over 30's
Stacy Francis split the judges with her version of Whitney Houston's "Queen of the Night," which "delivered in a big way" according to Abdul but left Reid puzzled ("Why did you do the third most popular song from the album?" he asked, criticizing a song he helped pen for the "Bodyguard" soundtrack). LeRoy Bell's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" was dubbed "dignified" by Cowell, and both Reid and Abdul said it was the performance they've been waiting for from the 60-year-old. Burrito maker Josh Krajcik put some extra chipotle sauce on his version of Joe Cocker's "With a Little Help From My Friends." While Cowell dogged the production ("You were like Dracula and the brides up there," he said of Krajcik and his backup dancers), Scherzinger stood and applauded during the performance and said he's deserving of the $5 million prize. The Groups
Abdul's students suffered a blow last week but looked to battle their way back on Wednesday. Lakoda Rayne were praised for their unity on their version of Keith Urban's "Someone Like You" — from "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," apparently — and Cowell said they've become "the group I always hoped and prayed you'd become." Meanwhile the Stereo Hogzz, who narrowly escaped elimination last week, did a gender flip on Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man" (used in "Get Smart") which Scherzinger labeled "bananas" but Cowell criticized for not being the kind of song they'd make in the studio. One finalist is scheduled to be eliminated during Thursday's live "X Factor" results episode, which is also slated to feature performances from Willow Smith and Jessie J. What did you think of Wednesday's "X Factor"? Let us know in the comments!

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Eminem Gave Yelawolf Priceless Input On Debut Album

27 Oct 2011 15:59:26 EDT

Em's ideas and opinions are 'worth more than I can pay for,' Alabama MC tells MTV News.
By Rob Markman

Yelawolf
Photo: MTV News

It's been a long road for Yelawolf, but on November 21, the Gadsden, Alabama, MC will finally release his official debut album,Radioactive.

The Southern rapper first signed to Columbia Records in 2007, but never got to release his LP. After that deal fizzled out, Yela hit the mixtape scene and became one of rap's most anticipated newcomers, eventually linking up with Eminem's Shady Records. For Yelawolf, Eminem's input during the making of Radioactive was priceless. "His ideas and his opinions are worth a lot," Wolf told MTV News on Tuesday. "Artistically, it's worth more than I can pay for — for him to even say what he thinks about a record." In February, Yelawolf talked with us about the significance of being signed to Shady and working with Eminem. "I mean, it's a huge deal being able to have a mentor who's done this for so long and [has] been through so much," Wolf said. "Also, artistically, [he just pushes] me to be better. Being around them dudes will make you better naturally. So we're excited, man." Yelawolf also told us this week that Em was present every step of the way during the making of the album. The first official single, "Hard White (Up in the Club)," features Lil Jon and it's the perfect mix of crunk and rowdy rock. Many of the album's tracks mark a departure in sound from what fans would expect to hear on a Slim Shady record. Even the one record that Yela's boss appears on, the hyped-up "Throw It Up" with Three 6 Mafia co-founder Gangsta Boo, is sonically different from anything that has appeared on Eminem's Relapse or the Grammy Award-winning multiplatinum Recovery. Still, Yela insists that the living rap legend's value stretches further than a single appearance. "I've been in the studio with him when I was writing a couple of records for this. He mixed, he did arrangements, he was fully involved," he said. Yelawolf wraps up his Hard White Tour on Friday in Las Vegas. Are you looking forward to Yela's debut album? Tell us in the comments!

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Eminem's 'Southpaw' Boxing Movie Back On Track

21 Oct 2011 09:41:57 EDT

Sony Pictures picks up film, pegged to start production early next year.
By Gil Kaufman

Eminem performs at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images

Talk about an epic battle. Eminem has been circling the gritty boxing drama "Southpaw" for more than a year now. But it seemed like the rapper's second feature film was down for the count when its original distributor, DreamWorks, shelved it in August. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the scrappy tale of a welterweight boxer who becomes a champ despite being a lefty has gotten off the mat and is back in contention. Sony Pictures Entertainment has picked up the flick, which would be Marshall Mathers' first major movie role since his acclaimed debut in the semi-autobiographical 2002 drama "8 Mile." The movie is expected to start production early next year and will be directed by Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day"), from a script written by Em and "Sons of Anarchy" creator Kurt Sutter. Like "8 Mile," Eminem says the tale is a parallel to his own life: the story of a boxer who rises to the top only to see tragedy strike, forcing him to mount a personal and professional comeback. Em famously reached the pinnacle of rap fame in the early 2000s, only to fall into a nearly fatal spiral of drug addiction, which he later snapped, getting clean and releasing a triumphant comeback album, Recovery, in 2010. Eminem has done a few cameos since "8 Mile," including the Adam Sandler movie "Funny People" and HBO's "Entourage," but has not headlined a movie since his screen debut. He was recently named a "God of Rock' by GQ magazine, which put him on the cover alongside Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and Lil Wayne. "I've realized that the way I am helps with the music," he said about the natural personality quirks that fuel his music. "Sporadic thoughts will pop into my head, and I'll have to go write something down, and the next thing you know, I've written a whole song in an hour. But sometimes it sucks, and I wish I was wired like a regular person and could go have a f---in' drink. But that's the biggest thing about addiction: When you realize that you cannot — for f---'s sake, you cannot — f--- around with nothing ever again." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Eminem, Lil Wayne Named 'Gods Of Rock' By GQ

18 Oct 2011 06:53:15 EDT

Hip-hop duo featured on November cover alongside Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.
By Rob Markman

Eminem, Keith Richards and Lil Wayne on cover of GQ magazine
Photo: Mark Seliger/ GQ

Eminem might rap for a living, but when you examine his career trajectory, it reads more rock star than hip-hop heavyweight. No surprise, then, that GQ magazine named him a God of Rock and placed him alongside Keith Richards and Lil Wayne on their November cover. Em and Lil Wayne were shot for the cover at the 2011 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in June, while the Rolling Stones guitarist was shot separately in New York. In a portfolio consisting of 43 such Gods of Rock, Eminem's story and photographs particularly stand out. In his feature, the 39-year old rhyme icon talked about his downward-spiraling addiction, which began with his 2000 album The Marshall Mathers LP and peaked during the recording of his fourth album Encore. "Five or six songs leaked from the original version of Encore," Em told GQ Senior Editor Will Welch in an interview. "So I had to go in and make new songs to replace them. In my head, I was pissed off: 'Oh well. Songs leaked. F--- it. I'm just going to take a bunch of f---ing pills and go in there and have a party with myself.' I'm sure the more pills I took, the goofier I got." The multiplatinum rapper now embraces his sobriety and utilizes his natural quirks to fuel his music. "The same way that his brain was wired that gave him problems with substances also sort of makes him a virtuoso," Welch told MTV News. "I've realized that the way I am helps with the music. Sporadic thoughts will pop into my head and I'll have to go write something down, and the next thing you know, I've written a whole song in an hour," Em said in the magazine. "But sometimes it sucks, and I wish I was wired like a regular person and could go have a f---in' drink. But that's the biggest thing about addiction: When you realize that you cannot — for f---'s sake, you can not — f--- around with nothing ever again." Em, however, is just one of several survivors GQ spotlights in a special portfolio, which was shot by Mark Seliger. Metallica, Robert Plant, Beck and Erykah Badu also appear. As for the three cover subjects, GQ wanted to pick prime examples of musical perseverance. "We wanted to answer the question: Who are the living legends out there that have survived against all adversity?" Welch explained. "It has to be people who are still incredibly influential. It can't be somebody who has been through hell and back and reached a zenith in their career in 1976 and isn't still relevant and isn't still making music." GQ's November 2011 issue goes on sale October 25 nationwide.

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Eminem King Of BET Ciphers, Slaughterhouse Say

12 Oct 2011 15:44:25 EDT

'We enjoy what everybody else is doin', but our focus is us, and in our minds, we're the best rap group,' Joe Budden tells MTV News.
By Rob Markman

Joe Budden, Crooked I, and Royce da 5'9" of Slaughterhouse
Photo: MTV News

At its core, hip-hop is a competitive sport. Hit records are nice, but the greatest MCs are often defined by their wordplay.

Judging from fan reaction across Twitter, the highlight of Tuesday's 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards were the nine different rhyme cipher segments, which showcased a total of 41 MCs all vying for rap supremacy. Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, B.o.B, Machine Gun Kelly, Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group and Eminem and his Shady 2.0 crew all contributed lethal bars to the program. According to Slaughterhouse member Joe Budden, it was Marshall who reigned supreme in his round of rhyming. "We wasn't chumped, though," Budden told MTV News on the show's black carpet. Yelawolf set it off with a tongue-twisting verse, while DJ Premier spun the instrumental from the East Flatbush Project's 1996 classic "Tried by 12." Joey threw the gauntlet next, with lines referencing some of rap's elite, including Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne. "I'm grown, I'm not watching the throne, I'm sabotaging it," he spit before dropping, "Enough raps from you scrub cats about cocking the snub back/ Wayne couldn't teach me how to love that." When asked to contemplate Shady's place among other rap crews, Crooked I pounded his chest and nominated Slaughterhouse for the highest honor. "Right now, we're the best f---in' rap group, straight up," he said. "Best rap group in the universe," Budden chimed in. "We thinking about us and what we're doin'. We enjoy what everybody else is doin', but our focus is us, and in our minds, we're the best rap group."

After last night's performance, Slaughterhouse certainly made a case. With his verse, Royce Da 5'9" expressed his appreciation for pop star Rihanna, and after the cipher aired, "Hi Rihanna" became a trending topic on Twitter. Still, the segment's main draw was Eminem, who stacked rhyme triplets atop each other in vivid and witty ways. Taking poetic license, Em described his rollout plans for both Slaughterhouse and Yelawolf's upcoming album releases, spitting: "You're about to see peace destroyed, it'll never be restored/ When I unleash these beastly hoards on your CD stores/ Wanna stop it? You will need a priest, at least three swords/ A license to ill from the Beastie Boys, three Ouija Boards and a squeegee/ And please be warned, don't ask what the squeegees for/ Or the holy water, acid raps that'll eat these floors." And it all sounds delightful. Who had your favorite verse during the BET Hip Hop Awards ciphers? Let us know in the comments!

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Lady Gaga, Eminem, Justin Timberlake Take Home Emmys

12 Sep 2011 10:41:56 EDT

The Creative Arts Emmys were handed out Saturday night, with the prime-time Emmys slated for next Sunday.
By Jocelyn Vena

Lady Gaga
Photo: Scott Gries/ Picture Group

A number of the music industry's biggest names took home some prizes over the weekend. No, you didn't miss some big music awards show. Instead, the likes of Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga and Eminem won Creative Arts Emmy Awards for their recent work on various television projects. Timberlake took home two Emmys: one for guest-hosting "Saturday Night Live" and another for co-writing the lyrics to his monologue song from the show, according to The New York Times. Timberlake previously won four Emmys for his work on the hit sketch comedy show. Gwyneth Paltrow took home an Emmy for her guest-starring role on "Glee." The Chrysler 200 commercial starring Eminem also took home an Emmy, according to Allhiphop.com. The commercial, titled "Born of Fire," features the Detroit-born rapper driving through his hometown while his track "Lose Yourself" plays in the background. "We were very surprised," Aaron Allen, the creative director at Wieden + Kennedy, the ad agency that created the commercial, said. "We really wanted to win but wondered if humor would win instead." HBO's drama "Boardwalk Empire" was the big winner at Saturday night's Emmy ceremony. The show took home seven awards including art direction, editing, sound editing and visual effects. HBO also took home awards for "Mildred Pierce," the Lady Gaga Monster Ball concert special that aired earlier this year and the children's program called "A Child's Garden of Poetry." The Creative Arts Emmy show will air on the ReelzChannel on Saturday. The prime-time Emmys will take place Sunday in Los Angeles.

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