Eminem to play first gig for five years in the UK after agreeing to drop homophobic lyrics

Eminem will return to the British stage for the first time in five and a half years after promising to tone down his homophobic lyrics.

Organisers of the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park have persuaded the rapper to drop his gratuitously anti-gay songs to avoid any demonstrations.

Following Eminem's pledge, they have agreed a deal with gay rights groups not to picket the event next summer.

The last time Eminem toured the country in 2001, gay rights group OutRage! protested outside his shows, saying his lyrics were homophobic.

Event organisers were said to be worried that another such protest would cause major disruption to Wireless, which attracts tens of thousands of people.

A festival insider said: “This is a huge signing for Wireless and it will be the hottest ticket this summer.

“The organisers were afraid campaigners could potentially ruin the event. So there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing and Eminem only agreed to sign up when assurances had been made that there would not be any protests.

“It was very touch-and-go but he has finally agreed to appear. Any kind of demonstration against him could have been disastrous.

“He will be bringing a huge entourage of security with him but there is still the risk that protesters may picket the hotel he stays in.”

OutRage! spokesman David Allison said: “We have a condition that he does not use lyrics that encourage or incite hatred against gay people.

“He is free to express his views on gay people, as long as he stays off the violence and hatred. He has got plenty of other lyrics to choose from. In recent years he has become quite well-behaved.

“I think he realises singing songs advocating hate and violence just won’t wash any more. Society’s moved on in the last 10 years.”

Activists picketed his 2001 shows, waving banners and the rainbow flag of the gay movement while chanting “stop the bigotry”.

Although Eminem claims his lyrics are not meant to be taken seriously, gay rights groups objected to his use of the word “faggot” and called him a “gay-basher”.

For instance in Kill You on the 2000 Marshall Mathers album which sold 10 million copies, he singer: 'You faggots keep eggin' me on/til I have you at knifepoint, then you beg me to stop?/SHUT UP! Give me your hands and feet/I said SHUT UP when I'm talkin' to you/YOU HEAR ME? ANSWER ME!'

Eminem was to perform in London in 2005 but cancelled the European leg of his world tour citing “exhaustion”, although it later emerged he was addicted to sleeping pills.

He returned for a secret show at the O2 Academy in Islington in 2004 — the last time he performed in London.

So far, Pink and The Ting Tings have been officially confirmed for this year’s festival, which takes place from 2 to 4 July.

adapted from->dailymail.co.uk

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Eminem Is MTV News' #9 Man Of The Year

Which stars had the biggest 2009? Over the next week, we'll be unveiling our top nine most newsworthy, controversial and fascinating men and women of the year. We based our list on factors like music sales, box-office performance, MTVNews.com headlines and traffic, overall reach (crossover singles, appearances in movies, licensing of songs for commercials, clothing lines, etc.), plus X-factors like "impact" and "buzz." (And no, President Barack Obama didn't make the list — we'll leave that to the folks at Time.) This is by no means an exact science, but we think the list we've put together represents the men and women who helped make 2009 the most exciting and memorable 12 months in recent history.

We'll be rolling out our list of the Top 9 Men and Women of 2009 two per day until Friday, when we unveil MTV News' Man and Woman of the year! As always, we also want to know what you think, so weigh in with comments below, or upload them to Your.MTV.com!


9. Eminem

The (formerly) Blond Bomber returned in 2009 with Relapse, his first album in nearly five years, but if he was rusty, it certainly didn't show. Em sold a million-plus, put the entire industry on blast, feuded with his fellow MCs and reestablished himself as one of the biggest names in the game. It was just like old times. Along the way, he also managed to stir up a whole kettle of controversy, get mauled by a fictional German TV personality and make a cameo in a Judd Apatow flick. All of which made 2009 a very big year for Mr. Mathers.

2009 Highlights: Well, for starters, there was Relapse, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard albums chart in May, with sales of more than 608,000 copies, the year's biggest bow (until Susan Boyle dethroned him in December). But in the months leading up to the album, Em hyped it with big-name collaborations ("Crack a Bottle," which featured his old running mates 50 Cent and Dr. Dre) and videos that saw him revisiting his trash-talking ways (the now-infamous "We Made You" video, which slammed the likes of Jessica Simpson, Sarah Palin and a whole lot of other folks).

That, of course, of course, was followed by a public spat with Mariah Carey and her husband Nick Cannon. (He paid for his transgressions by being symbolically run over by a bus in Carey's "Obsessed" video.) He then met the wrong end of Brüno at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, in an incident he would later refer to as a "gag."

There were the controversies, too. "We Made You" got Bill O'Reilly all hot and bothered, and as the year drew to a close, Em was getting heat for perceived anti-gay lyrics in a new song, "Elevator," which took aim at the likes of Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken.

But 2009 will be remembered as the year Eminem returned to prominence. Relapse was a smash, and songs like the gory "3 A.M." and the somber "Beautiful" earned him critical acclaim. His verse on Drake's "Forever" arguably outshined the likes of Kanye West and Lil Wayne. He was nominated for four MTV Video Music Awards, second only to Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, and won Best Hip-Hop Video. And as '09 drew to a close, he was touting a re-issue of Relapse. He capped things off by being named the best-selling artist of the decade by Nielsen SoundScan, having sold more than 32 million albums in the '00s.

He also joined Jay-Z for a surprise performance at the party announcing their "DJ Hero" game. ... Was lightheartedly accused of cheating at Pac-Man by Fif. ... Channeled Rain Man in the "We Made You" video. ... Inducted heroes Run-DMC into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ... Promised to reunite D12 for a new album. ... And made a cameo in Judd Apatow's "Funny People."

Source: MTV

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Eminem Is The Best-Selling Artist Of The Decade

Back in 1999, Eminem was best known as the slightly screwy, bottle-blond protégé of Dr. Dre. Ten years — and millions of albums — later, he's about to be known as the best-selling artist of the decade.

On Tuesday (December 8), Nielsen SoundScan — which tabulates the Billboard charts — released their lists of the best-selling artists, albums and songs of the '00s. And let's just say the past 10 years have been very good for Mr. Mathers.

Em sold more than 32.2 million albums in the 2000s, edging out the Beatles to claim the title of top-selling artist. The Beatles ended up with the decade's best-selling album (they sold nearly 11.5 million copies of 2000's greatest-hits comp 1,) besting the likes of 'NSYNC's No Strings Attached (11.1 million copies sold) and Norah Jones' Come Away With Me, (10.5 million). Eminem was the only artist to place two albums on the list; his The Marshall Mathers LP and Eminem Show records landed at #4 and 5, selling 10.2 million and 9.8 million copies, respectively. Interestingly, of the top 10 albums of the decade, the most recently released is Usher's Confessions, which came out in 2004.


Top Selling Albums Of The Decade

The only areas in which Eminem or the Beatles didn't dominate the decade were songs and radio play. According to Nielsen — which began keeping track of digital sales in July 2003 — Flo Rida's "Low" was the decade's top-selling digital song, having been downloaded more than 5.2 million times. It bested the likes of Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" (nearly 4.7 million downloads), Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" (4.6 million) and the Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" (4.3 million).

And there was none of that funny downloading stuff when it came to the decade's most-played radio songs (generational divide, anyone?) a list topped by Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" — which was spun more than 1.2 million times since being released in 2001 — and featuring names like Train (whose "Drops Of Jupiter" was racked up more than 1.1 million plays), Lifehouse, 3 Doors Down and Lee Ann Womack.

Nielsen Soundscan created the decade lists using data collected from January 1, 2000-November 1, 2009, and though figures might rise through December 31, they won't alter the rankings.

The top-selling albums of the decade, according to Nielsen SoundScan:

1. The Beatles, 1,11,499,000 units sold
2. 'NSYNC, No Strings Attached, 11,112,000 units sold
3. Norah Jones, Come Away With Me, 10, 546,000 units sold
4. Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP, 10,204,000 units sold
5. Eminem, The Eminem Show, 9,799,000 units sold
6. Usher, Confessions, 9,712,000 units sold
7. Linkin Park, Hybrid Theory, 9,663,000 units sold
8. Creed, Human Clay, 9,491,000 units sold
9. Britney Spears, Oops! ... I Did It Again, 9,185,000 units sold
10. Nelly, Country Grammar, 8,461,000 units sold

The top-selling digital songs of the decade, according to Nielsen SoundScan:

1. Flo Rida feat. T-Pain, "Low" 5,214,000 units sold
2. Lady Gaga feat. Colby O'Donis, "Just Dance," 4,690,000 units sold
3. Jason Mraz, "I'm Yours," 4,619,000 units sold
4. Timbaland feat. OneRepublic, "Apologize," 4,439,000 units sold
5. The Black Eyed Peas, "Boom Boom Pow," 4,349,000 units sold
6. Soulja Boy Tell'em, "Crank That," 4,315,000 units sold
7. Lady Gaga, "Poker Face," 4,200,000 units sold
8. Coldplay, "Viva la Vida," 4,140,000 units sold
9. Taylor Swift, "Love Story," 4,005,000 units sold
10. Katy Perry, "Hot N Cold," 3,945,000 units sold

Source:MTV

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Adam Lambert On Eminem's 'Elevator' Dis

Last week, a new Eminem song called "Elevator" hit the Internet, on which the rapper may or may not have used an anti-gay slur in a lyric about Adam Lambert (and Clay Aiken and Lance Bass).

"Sorry, Lance, Mr. Lambert and Aiken ain't gonna make it/ They get so mad, when I call them both fake/ It's all these f---ing voices in my head, I can't take it/ Someone shut that f---ing baby up, before I shake it," he apparently raps on the tune — with the "Fake/ It's" combination sounding a lot like a common anti-gay slur.

In the time since, fans of both artists have weighed in on the lyric in question, Em's label has declined to comment on it (or confirm what he was actually saying) and gay-news sites like Towleroad.com have decried it as "boorish" and "homophobic." But, aside from a pair of Tweets, we hadn't heard much on the matter from Lambert himself.

But Tuesday night, on the red carpet for the launch of online music service Vevo, MTV News had a chance to ask Lambert about "Elevator," the lyric in question, and whether or not he felt Eminem crossed a line with either. Turns out, he's not taking any of it personally. In fact, he said the whole thing was a pretty smart business decision by Mr. Mathers.

"Well, you know, he used a word that's not necessarily very nice, but I'm sure he's got some sort of justification for it. And I'm not going to take it personally. It's cool, Eminem!," Lambert said, giving a sarcastic thumbs up. "If you get mentioned in an Eminem song, you're doing something right. And I'm sure he was planning on creating some controversy, because he's a smart guy."

"Elevator" is one of several new songs from Em's upcoming Relapse: Refill album, which hits stores on December 21.

Source:MTV

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Eminem D12 Live At Voodoo Fest

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Eminem Might Come In 2nd To Susan Boyle

Eminem currently holds the record for the most albums sold in the first week for 2009, but that could all change very soon. British television sensation Susan Boyle's album "I Dreamed A Dream" is currently on pase to sell more than Eminem's "Relapse" project which sold 608,000 copies in it's debut week. So the question is... what's wrong with people?

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Eminem Wants to Judge 'X-Factor'

Eminem sees a lack of Hip-Hop in the judging panel of "The X-Factor" and therefore, he wants to participate. The rapper thinks that the current line-up, Dannii Minogue, Louish Walsh and Cheryl Cole, have no vast knowledge about Hip-Hop that many acts from the genre cannot win the talent search.

"No disrespect to the current judges but you need people who are global, platinum-selling stars," Eminem states his reason. "You need to prepare contestants for what it's really like out there, and what sort of pressure you are going to be under." He would like to enter the show attached to his long-time music partner Dr. Dre.

He adds, "So much average talent comes out of these reality shows, it's time to give people a chance who deserve it. A hip-hop star will never win a show like The X Factor without somebody like me on the panel. There are a lot of very talented hip-hop stars who would kill for a break in Britain but the judges aren't qualified in hip-hop."

Eminem admits to have been keeping an eye on the urban scene in Britain and found that many actually have potential to be big stars. "It needs somebody in power to open a door for them," says the rapper.

How he would do as a judge, Eminem looks up to acid tongue judge Simon Cowell. "I am not sure I would have the time to do it full-time, but I would come and be a guest judge," he continues. "Simon tells it like it is and I am down with that. If somebody ain't good enough they ain't good enough."

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Eminem's Refill Track List & Art Work

To avoid confusion we have just confirmed the track list and artwork for Eminem's upcoming "Relapse: Refill" album with his manager, Paul Rosenberg. The new album will hit stores on December 21st and feature seven new tracks. Eminem's recent VooDoo concert (his only concert of the year) will broadcast on Shade 45 on Fri 11/27 6:00 pm ET and Rebroadcast: Sat 11/28 12:00 am ET; Sat 11/28 10:00 am ET; Sat 11/28 6:00 pm ET

"I want to deliver more material for the fans this year like I originally planned" Eminem says. "Hopefully these tracks on The Refill will tide the fans over until we put out Relapse 2 next year". Eminem has been busy in the studio creating even more new material since Relapse was released. "I got back in with Dre and then a few more producers, including Just Blaze, and went in a completely different direction which made me start from scratch. 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 to be heard."

Tracklist
1. Forever ft Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne
2. Hell Breaks Loose
3. Buffalo Bill
4. Elevator
5. Taking My Ball
6. Music Box
7. Drop The Bomb On ‘Em

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Eminem And 50 Cent Deliver Knockouts At American Music Awards

Emimen strode out onto the American Music Awards' stage on Sunday night (November 22), looking very much like a prizefighter ready to deliver a knockout.

"In this corner, weighing 175 pounds, with a record of 17 rapes, 400 assaults and four murders," Em shouted, channeling his inner Michael Buffer, "The most diabolical human in the world ... Slim Shady."

He then launched headlong into a hulking version of "Crack a Bottle," delivering lines like body blows, bobbing and weaving across the stage, his face covered by a hood. Em spit with fire and hunger, and the crowd nodded their heads with the beat and went nuts when Em welcomed a very special guest to the stage: none other than another heavyweight brawler, 50 Cent.

The two exchanged daps in the middle of the stage and then 50 got to work on his verse, looking lean and mean in a stocking cap and bubble vest.

50 disappeared just as quickly as he'd arrived, and Em's DJ cut "Bottle" short, flipping instead into the chorus of Drake's massive hit "Forever." The crowd threw their hands in the air and Eminem, now with his hood removed and his eyes scanning the audience, dove into his verse of the song.

The censors got on most of his lines, but there were sill jokes about macadamia nuts and fromunda cheese (we told you he was hungry). Then, at the end of his tight verse, he thrust his fist into the air as the crowd cheered wildly, further proving he's still the champ.

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Eminem Gets A Refill For Christmas By Re-Releasing Relapse

Eminem is a man of his word. He promised fans he would drop off two doses of music this year, and it looks like it's happening. On December 21, the rhyme legend is putting out a new version of his Relapse LP, subtitled The Refill, according to RapRadar.com. It will include five brand-new songs as well as the hit "Forever" and "Taking My Ball," which was featured on the Eminem/Jay-Z "Renegade Edition" of "DJ Hero."

And Slim Shady said this is just a taste of what's to come. "I want to deliver more material for the fans this year like I originally planned," Em told the Web site. "Hopefully these tracks on The Refill will tide the fans over until we put out Relapse 2 next year."

Eminem has been working on Relapse 2 for several months now, and in October, he revealed that Just Blaze was one of the producers on the record. During an interview on his Shade 45 satellite radio show last month, he said the sequel will be different from the original.

"[The album] is gonna be a lot different than people expect," Eminem told DJ Tony Touch. "As far as the contrast from the last album to this one, I got a couple of tracks with [D12's] Mr. Porter, two tracks with him so far. Four, possibly five with Just Blaze. The overall basis of this record, I went back to songs that are more emotionally driven. The last record I made, I think I was concentrating more on spitting. On this album, I feel like there's some of that, but I went back to songs with [feelings] to them as opposed to just rap records."

Source: MTV & RapBasement

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Exclusive: Hear Travis Barker's Remix Of Drake's 'Forever'

Apparently, Travis Barker doesn't sleep. At all. Which is how he's able to keep cranking out remixes while simultaneously working on a new Blink-182 record, his own solo album, and rehearsing for an upcoming show with none other than Slash (a November 22 benefit for the Los Angeles Youth Network). And that's not even getting into his business ventures, or his role as a rock-and-roll dad.

"Yeah, I wake up at 6," he laughed. "I'm a busy man, I guess."

Seriously, the guy never rests. And as if you need further proof of this, check out his brand-new remix of Drake's "Forever" (with video of Travis drumming), which Barker emailed to MTV News Wednesday (November 11) morning. It's just the latest in a long line of hip hop tracks he's remixed (earlier this year, he took a stab at Eminem's gory "3 A.M." and his take on Soulja Boy's "Crank That" has already established itself as a YouTube staple), and it just proves that he can't leave a good beat alone.

"This song gets played so much — whether it be on TV or on the radio or XM — and I think songs like this that you can't escape, you start to get ideas in your head about how you'd want to flip it," Barker said. "And this song is awesome; every verse is crazy. Who could ask for a better lineup as far as rappers? And everyone's going in on their verse. So I was excited about it, I didn't have to think twice about getting on it."

Working strictly off an a cappella track, Barker crafted his "Forever" mix from the ground up, spending a week tinkering in the studio with his production partner, Sweatshop. The main goal, he said, was to build a drum line that matched the constantly shifting mood and tempo of the song, which famously features verses from Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem, even if that meant showing a bit of restraint on the remix — something he's not used to doing.

"Remixes are hard, because some of my critics will be like, 'Trav, you shoulda gone bananas on it,' but going bananas on it will sometimes take away from how cool a song is — it's a happy medium," he laughed. "With this one, I see a gradual crescendo — it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger, all the way up until the last chorus, where I crash out and there's a big Phil Collins moment, with a drum-fill solo underneath Drake's chorus. It was a tough one, man."

So is Drake happy with the end result? Barker has no idea — seems Drizzy hasn't even heard the remix yet. No one has. Until now, that is.

"No one's heard this!" Barker said. "Actually, Marshall [Mathers, a.k.a. Eminem] heard it, and he loved it — but no one else has."

Source: MTV

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Eminem's "Till I Collapse" Used In 'Call Of Duty' Trailer

Eminem's "Till I Collapse" track featuring Nate Dogg was used on the trailer for the upcoming "Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" video game. The beat of song, which was on Eminem's "The Eminem Show" album, is first used showing scenes from the game then later Eminem's rhymes start and later Nate Dogg's chorus is featured.

Source: RapBasement

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Just Blaze & Mr Porter Talk Eminem's Relapse 2

Not much is known about Eminem's upcoming "Relapse 2" album but a producer on the album (and fellow D12 member) Mr Porter recently talked about the much anticipated album. Saying this is the "first time I’m producing songs for Em under me without D12 [since Infinite]. That’s big for me," Porter says one of the songs they did together is "as if we were back in the day." Many of Eminem's critics who say his early work was better than his new stuff, will be happy to know "everyday the kid is writing. I don’t know if Jay-Z is writing all day. He owns multi-million dollar businesses. Em writes all day," he said before adding "I’m fighting, because Just Blaze came in and kicked ass."

Just Blaze, who has been very quiet about his work with Eminem, kept details out of it when he said "It’s a challenge for both of us in the sense we’ve never worked with each other before. We’ve both been in the business 10 plus years." He continued "We’re both very self-contained. He has his own production compound, and I have my situation with Bassline Studios in New York. Sometimes I’m like I need this [song] back in New York and he’s like I need it back in Detroit. It’s interesting because we’re both protective of the work and not wanting it to leak out. I’m in the same boat, because we both would lose money. Creatively it’s a good process. When it goes beyond a business arrangement, it always works out. I’ve had cases where people just want a beat because you’re Just Blaze. But here we are 2 people that are fans of each other’s work."

Source: RapBasement

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Eminem, Lady Gaga Join American Music Awards Lineup

Eminem and Lady Gaga have been added to the performer lineup for the American Music Awards. The 37th annual show, which airs on ABC live from Los Angeles on November 22, will also feature performances from Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Lopez, the Black Eyed Peas and, in the television debut of the title track from his upcoming album For Your Entertainment, Adam Lambert.

The show will be an "American Idol" reunion of sorts, as alumni Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry and Carrie Underwood will perform as well.

The awards show will feature a similarly glittering array of nominees determined by data from Nielsen SoundScan radio and retail figures, with Taylor Swift in the lead with six nominations, followed by the late Michael Jackson and Eminem at five apiece. Though Jackson had not released new material for nearly a decade, his nominations are based on the strong sales of his catalog albums following his June 25 death.

Swift's nominations include Artist of the Year; Favorite Country Album (for Fearless); Favorite Female Pop or Rock Artist; and Favorite Female Country Artist. MJ was also recognized in the Pop or Rock Artist of Year category, Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Album (for Number Ones). Em's nominations include Artist of the Year; Favorite Male Pop or Rock Artist; Favorite Male Rap/Hip-Hop Artist; and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album (for Relapse).

Other multiple-category nominees include Lady Gaga, T.I., Kings of Leon, Beyoncé and the Peas, who all have three. For the third year, winners will be determined by online voting.

Source: MTV

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Eminem Rocks New Orleans' Voodoo Fest With First Full Concert of 2009

Eminem fans braved mud, rain and high winds over the weekend to catch the rapper's only full concert of 2009 thus far. (He played a 35-minute set in Detroit in May.) Taking the stage at the Voodoo Festival on Friday night — nine years after his first appearance at the gathering — Slim Shady played with a full band (dressed in glow-in-the-dark skeleton costumes) for most of the set, hitting fans with a bevy of his biggest hits, opening with the homicidal "3 A.M." and asking fans, "Did you miss me? I missed you too, man. It's been a minute, huh, New Orleans?"

The kind words likely did little to warm the crowd, which was standing in a mud bog created by an earlier downpour that afternoon, as well as temperatures that dipped below freezing by showtime, which reportedly put a damper on the typically robust last-minute walk-up sales at the three-day event.

Wearing a black hoodie over a white T-shirt and black jeans, Em ran through "Hello," "Kill You," "The Real Slim Shady," "The Way I Am," "We Made You," "Superman," "Cleaning Out My Closet" and "Stan," freestyling lyrics on the latter to make it about an obsessed fan he met in New Orleans.

The show featured a series of cameos from Em's D12 crew on songs including "My Band" and "Purple Pills." It included a tribute to the rapper's late bandmate and best friend, DeShaun "Proof" Holton, who he referred to as "the real singer of the band" as a giant image of the late MC was projected on the big LED screen behind him.

The segment, the first joint appearance by the Detroit crew in nearly five years, also found Em — who chronicled his struggle with prescription pills on Relapse — joking about his formerly drug-abusing ways, recalling a time in Amsterdam when he was in haze before breaking into a slightly re-tooled version of "Under the Influence."

The upbeat, fast-paced 75-minute set ended with the one-two punch of "Without Me" and a rousing run through his ambition anthem, "Lose Yourself."

The festival also featured sets from Kiss, Jane's Addiction, the Flaming Lips, Justice, the Black Keys, Wolfmother, Silversun Pickups, Gogol Bordello and Lenny Kravitz.

Source: MTV

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Eminem Talks Being His Own DJ (DJ Hero)

DJ Hero (and it's Renegade Edition), hit stores today so it's only fitting we have a new interview with Eminem talking about the game. "Back in the 'Hip Hop Shop' days, a DJ would throw on a record and you had to spit a rap to it so it was the heart and soul of battling," Eminem says. "The cool thing about DJ Hero is that the music is actually part of the video game itself," the Detroit rapper says as he's shown playing the game.

"As soon as I master it it's going to be fun because then I'm going to get my ass in the studio and learn how to scratch. Then at live shows, I'm going to be my own DJ, run up there thrown the record on, run down...and rap," Eminem says before talking about the Eminem/Jay-Z special Renegade Edition of the game. "Im going to be better at this game than Jazzy Jeff by the way," Eminem adds "give me a couple years, but I'm going to better than him at this game."

Source: RapBasement

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Eminem's Relapse 2 Is 'Comin' Out Good,' Just Blaze Says

Eminem has said that the forthcoming Relapse 2 will be more "emotionally driven," and pointed out that he's working with some new collaborators.

"[The album] is gonna be a lot different than people expect," Eminem said in an interview on his Shade 45 satellite-radio station last week. "As far as the contrast from the last album to this one, I got a couple of tracks with [D12's] Mr. Porter, two tracks with him so far. Four, possibly five with Just Blaze. The overall basis of this record, I went back to songs that are more emotionally driven. The last record I made, I think I was concentrating more on spitting. On this album, I feel like there's some of that, but I went back to songs with [feelings] to them as opposed to just rap records."

Blaze — who has worked in the past with Jay-Z, Kanye West, Usher, Mariah Carey, and many others — talked about working with Eminem during an interview with Distortion to Static that was posted on Monday.

"Now that he's put it out there, I am working with Eminem on his new album," Blaze said. "We are working on Relapse 2 pretty heavily. As of yesterday, we've done about six or seven records. I go back in with him in a couple of weeks and do three or four more maybe. I've been quietly goin' back forth from New York to Detroit the past two months, just gettin' a feel for it and gettin' a feel for working with each other. He hasn't worked with too many people outside his camp. I haven't worked with him before. We got a good working relationship now, a good friendship now, so the records is comin' out good."

While Eminem has kept a fairly low profile in the weeks since the first Relapse was released, he told Shady 45 that he'll decide whether to go on tour after the second album is released.

Source: MTV & RapBasement

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Eminem's 'Taking My Ball' Hits The Net

"DJ Hero: Renegade Edition" will be in stores in less than two weeks, but one of the marquee items that comes with the game, a new Eminem record called "Taking My Ball," hit the Internet on Friday.

"It feels so wrong, 'cause it feels so right," he raps on the chorus. "But it's alright/ It's OK with me/ I'll do my steps/ All by myself/ I don't need nobody to come play with me/ But if you just give me a chance/ I can put you in a trance the way I dance/ But don't nobody wanna play with me/ So I'm taking my ball and going home."

Throughout the record, Slim Shady addresses female celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and comes with his off-the-wall rhyme scenarios, like being a cannibal and placing coins in a certain part of his body.

"They call me the Fruit Loop from Jupiter," he declares in the second verse. Em also references Mischa Barton, Tara Reid and a former talk-show host: "Mosey on over to Rosie O'Donnell's/ With McDonald's/ Jump in her lap/ And watch 'The Sopranos.' "

In his last verse, Em talks about a famous political figure.

"They're afraid I might get Sarah Palin by the hair," he says in the last verse. "And make her get in a bathing suit/ And take her parasailing/ 'Shady, why you gotta pick on the lady for?/ Why you make her read 84 bedtime stories to you in baby talk?' "

"DJ Hero: Renegade Edition" comes out October 27 and features some of Eminem's and Jay-Z's biggest records, including "Lose Yourself" and "D.O.A."

Source:MTV

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Madonna Snubbed By Eminem

What Madonna wants, Madonna gets, right? Well, yes – unless you mean working with one of the world’s biggest rappers.

In a hefty new interview with US Rolling Stone magazine, the Queen Of Pop admits Eminem snubbed her offer of a collaboration.

But Madge doesn’t think it was personal. (She wouldn’t…)

She tells the mag: "I wanted to work with Eminem. I don't think he wanted to work with me. Maybe he's shy."

Yup, he certainly comes across that way, Madge.

At least Justin Timberlake was accommodating.

Of the greasy-limbed lad, she said: “Justin is a brilliant songwriter. I mean: ‘What Goes Around…..Comes Around?’ Brilliant.

“I thought it would be a challenge to work with him. He's sort of a Cary Grant. I love him. I love working with him."

Well, you’re both single…

Source:MTV AUSTRALIA

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Eminem, Public Enemy Celebrate Def Jam Catalog At VH1's 'Hip Hop Honors'

Usually when hip-hop heads new and old gather to celebrate someone being recognized as a "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" inductee, it's a pioneering act like LL Cool J, Rakim or Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

However, on Tuesday night (October 13), during the telecast of the sixth-annual production, the Tracy Morgan-hosted event broke new ground, honoring an entire record label.

And it was only right that the label was Def Jam, the most influential rap imprint in history. The 25-year-old label was founded by Rick Rubin and cultivated by the likes of Russell Simmons, Lyor Cohen and so many other prominent figures in hip-hop. LL Cool J was the face of the label for so many years, so it was fitting that his music kicked off the event.

The Roots started things off with "Rock the Bells," but the Philadelphia band's frontman, Black Thought, wasn't alone. Thought ripped through the first verse before he gave way to a surprise guest: Slim Shady. Eminem has long been a Todd Smith fan, and he didn't disappoint when he got his chance to prove it to the world.

"Now I'm worldwide known/ Whether you like it or not/ My one-man band is Cut Creator/ When he's on the fader/ What's my DJ's name?"

"Cut Creator!" the crowd yelled as they finished the line.

Kid Rock also paid homage to Uncle L with "I'm Bad." The Detroit rocker was decked out in a red Troop tracksuit with matching Kangol bucket hat. Rock also manned the turntables during the night, splitting House DJ duties with Ed Lover.

The second performance of the night was from one of Def Jam's signature groups, Public Enemy. Chuck D immediately captured the crowd's attention with the opening lines of "Rebel Without a Pause": "Yes, the rhythm, the rebel." Chuck still has one of the most recognizable and commanding voices in all of music, not just rap.

Flavor Flav came out wearing a white tuxedo jacket, matching top hat and a black bow tie. PE arguably had the performance of the night with help from the Roots, S1W and the Coup's Boots Riley. The Long Island-bred rap chiefs were just born for the stage and had the entire crowd on their feet.

Another bricklaying squad for the house that Russell and Rick built was, undoubtedly, the Beastie Boys. KRS-One, Wale and the Gym Class Heroes did a rocking rendition of "No Sleep Till Brooklyn." The song was well-received at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, where the event was held — marking the first time the show took place outside of Manhattan's Hammerstein Ballroom.

Travis McCoy, who wore a black T-shirt with the names DJ AM and Roc Raida in the shape of the Run-DMC logo, took on the first verse. The Blastmaster, who is a former HHH honoree himself, took verse two and ended by saying, "Adam, get well soon," referring to Adam Yauch, who is currently battling cancer. Wale finished off the song and later in the night paid tribute to new jack Def Jam artist Kanye West by wearing a backpack and performing "Touch the Sky."

Throughout the night, Simmons and Rubin traded pre-taped memories of their days as '80s music hustlers. Cohen, who has a reputation for being temperamental, also testified about his experiences at the legendary label, even briefly poking fun at his militant demeanor. Former Def Jam executives Kevin Liles and Julie Greenwald also shared stories about their time at the House that Russell Built.

When Def Jam alumni Onyx performed their monstrous cut "Slam," it felt like the group had stepped out of a time capsule: They looked almost exactly the same and still had the insane energy that made them famous.

Sticky Fingaz climbed on top of a large speaker toward the side of the stage, forcefully delivering his closing verse — one of the most memorable in Def Jam's catalog. Rather than descend from the speaker after the performance, Sticky just climbed into the balcony seats for his exit.

Other performers included Rick Ross, Fabolous, Foxy Brown, Redman, Method Man, Mary J. Blige, EPMD, Ghostface Killah, Chrisette Michele, Warren G, Trey Songz, the reunion of Ashanti and Ja Rule, Ludacris and DMX — many of whom teamed up with the Roots for a show-closing medley of Def Jam hits.

Offstage, friends-turned-foes Ja Rule and DMX had their own reunion of sorts. The two came up together through Def Jam and, along with Irv Gotti and Jay-Z, helped breathe new life into the label in the late '90s before the gravel-voiced MCs began dissing each other on records. As X was walking out Ja was returning to his seat, and the pair saw each other, hugged and talked for a few moments.

Chris Rock, Eve, Jazzy Jeff and director Brett Ratner were among the many notable names in attendance.

Source: MTV

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Eminem Talks Hearing 50 Cent Was Shot

Tonight at 8PM, VH1 will continue their "Behind The Music" series with a special on 50 Cent. During the special they of course interview Eminem and he recalls first hearing about 50. "I heard the record 'Lifes on the Line,' then not long after that I heard 'How to Rob,' and I was like "wow this guys crazy," Eminem recalls.


Eminem continues by describing that shorting after hearing the songs, he found out 50 Cent got shot and no one thought he was going to make it. "When you hear someone got shot nine times, you don't really expect them to make it," he says "we heard about 50 getting stabbed and it was like just like wow, this dude has a lot of drama surrounding him right now."

Source: RabBasement

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B.o.B Says Eminem & Lupe Are On His Album

B.o.B. aka Bobby Ray (or whatever name you would like to refer to him as) recently revealed some BIG news. This past week, B.o.B was on the red carpet for the upcoming BET Hip-Hop Awards and Angela Yee got a chance to ask him a few questions. During the mini-interview, Bobby Ray revealed that not only is Lupe Fiasco on his debut album but none other than EMINEM is also on it (we heard a rumor that Bobby is signed to Shady Publishing, maybe that helped). The Lp, titled "The Adventures Of B.o.B," currently doesn't have a release date, but whenever it does drop, it's bound to be a classic.

Source: RapBaement

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Lil Wayne & Jermaine Dupre Question MTV Over Eminem Omission

Lil Wayne has become the latest artist to question why Eminem was not included on MTV's Hottest MCs list. "Eminem [is not on the list]? Who else is on the list? Gucci who? Gucci Mane? Gucci Mane was on the list and Eminem wasn't on it? [laughs] Shout-out my n*gga Gucci," Wayne told Tim Westwood. Reacting to Jay-Z being number one, Lil Wayne joked around. "Uhm, who's number one?," Wayne asked radio personality Tim Westwood in an interview. "Jay-Z? Nah, that's cool [me being at number two.] That's cool. That's okay, I thought Drake was gonna be number one.

JD (aka Jermaine Dupre) took to his blog last week to talk about Eminem being left out. "TODAYS QUESTION IS ABOUT THE MTV HOT MCs LIST. MY QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT EMINEM NOT MAKING IT? I PERSONALLY THINK THE LIST JUST LOST ITS CREDIBILITY BY NOT INCLUDING HIM. NOT ONLY DID HE MAKE A ALBUM THIS YEAR BUT THAT ALBUM OUT SOLD 75 PERCENT OF EVERYBODY ON THE LIST .SERGE WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO ME THE LIST AND WHY THIS HAPPENED BUT TO ME THIS IS WHY SO MANY PEOPLE KEEP SAYING HIPHOP IS DEAD," JD wrote.

Source: RapBasement

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Eminem Performs LL Cool J's Rock The Bells

The VH1 Hip Hop Honors debuts on October 13th at 9pm/8cn but you can preview it now! In a new clip recently leaked, Eminem is shown performing LL Cool J's "Rock The Bells" track with the help of The Roots and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Source: RapBasement

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MTV Tries To Explain Eminem's Omission And Fails (Jay-Z Agrees)

Recently MTV posted an article Why Isn't Eminem In The Hottest MCs Top 10? Since posting their 'List' MTV has been getting blasted for not including Eminem, even from their #1 Hottest MC, Jay-Z. "Eminem?!?! I think you do the credibility of this list a disservice if you don’t thoroughly explain his omission. As of this second he has the highest selling rap album of the year and a scene stealing verse on the best ‘posse’ cut of the year," Jay wrote to MTV.
So once again, we will use quotes from MTV to show how they not only were wrong but constantly contridict themselves. In their response, they said the list was based on...

MIC SKILLS - Did they not hear "UNDERGROUND" from ''Relapse,' which was one of his most lyrical and hungry songs in years. Let's not forget his diss towards Mariah Carey ‘THE WARNING’ which is arguably his hardest diss in years, even if it was to some of the softest peops in the game (Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon)

BUZZ - Anytime there is a single word mentioning Eminem as a feature or a producer, people come storming in requesting and commenting. Even with false rumors like the whole ‘Eminem Gets Fat’ thing, the stories and headlines start buzzing immedietly.

COMMERCIAL SUCCESS (SALES AND AIRPLAY) – Eminem had the highest selling first week this year along with going platinum in 2 weeks. Relapse was #1 in sales in over 14 countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Polish, Taiwan, UK, US) not to mention the first single from Relapse ‘Crack a Bottle’ was #1 on the charts in both US and Canada.

BUSINESS VENTURES – Anyone ever heard of Shade 45 (highest rated hip hop channel on satelite radio) or Shady Records? (which happens to include 50 CENT, one of their hottest mcs)

WEB PRESENCE – NO other Rap artist has as many fan and other sites dedicated to them. It doesn't matter what music site you go to you will see Eminem somewhere.

IMPACT – Last years hottest MC was Lil Wayne. Eminem has such impact on Lil Wayne that he numerous times throughout the year begged for a Collaboration with Slim Shady. Eventually the two got together on ‘Forever’ (featuring Drake and Kanye West as well). So from last years hottest mc, to one of the newest mc’s in the game (Asher Roth) artists have expressed HUGE thanks to Eminem for his impact and contributions to Hip Hop even giving him the hope of becoming a rapper one day.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MOMENT NOT AN ENTIRE CAREER - what about winning MTV's own 'Best Hip Hop Video' award?

The only real reason that MTV could use for not including Eminem took himself out of of the public eye after releasing his "Relapse" album. That means that appearing on BOTH MTV's "Movie Awards" and "Video Music Awards" plus taking over Jimmy Kimmel Live, appearing on BET's shows, multiple interviews on his Shade45 and even releasing three music videos, doesn't factor in.

MTV then says timing was an issue stating... "If the Brain Trust had compiled the Hottest list back in May, there's no doubt Eminem would have made the Top 10," yet they included Kanye West and Lil Wayne who both had albums come out BEFORE Eminem, not to mention including Drake, who doesn't even have an album out yet.

TRY AGAIN MTV

Source: RapBasement

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Why Isn't Eminem In The Hottest MCs Top 10?

MTV News' Hottest MCs in the Game list was rolled out over the past week, and from the jump, one topic has garnered much of the attention.

First, we would like to thank all of you who logged on and got involved. You voted, left thousands of comments and engaged in the conversation with tremendous passion. We respect your opinions and appreciate your continued participation.

The Hottest MCs in the Game list is created entirely by the Hip-Hop Brain Trust, a group of 10 passionate, informed, opinionated people who rank, discuss and debate artists' heat in a precise moment. With this list, it's all about the now.

And right now, the most discussed topic is Eminem's absence from the Top 10. While he didn't qualify in previous years due to a lack of musical activity, he released Relapse, his first full album of new material in five years, in May. And Slim Shady's fans have told us that the omission of the legendary MC from the 2009 list was a major misstep.

So how was the list determined?

The 2009 Hottest MCs in the Game list is based on an MC's achievements of the moment, not an entire career. The criteria are based on a combination of mic skills, buzz, commercial success (sales and airplay), business ventures, Web presence, and impact.

Each member of the Brain Trust compiles his or her list based on those criteria. The fan list is factored as an 11th judge. Each ranked artist is then awarded a number (number 10 is worth one point, and so on). Those 11 lists and their respective values are combined to form a final list, which is then discussed and debated at the Roundtable.

Eminem's ranking was one of the most discussed topics at the Roundtable. His hotly anticipated return to hip-hop after a long absence drove first-week sales of over 600,000 — the highest first-week sales of the year so far. He granted a handful of select interviews here and abroad, and was part of a massive moment with Sacha Baron Cohen at the MTV Movie Awards.

But then Em retreated to the lab, where he spent the summer crafting Relapse 2. From June to September, Em all but took himself out of the public eye, while other MCs generated week-to-week heat with mixtapes, guest appearances, performances and Web activity.

He returned in September with comedic moments and a win at the VMAs, then dropped a verse on Drake's "Forever" (also featuring Kanye West and Lil Wayne). The song's move into heavy rotation came subsequent to our roundtable vote. In between, he kept his profile low.

Eminem is one of the best ever on the mic. His track record is undeniable. The Hottest list deals with right now, though. If the Brain Trust had compiled the Hottest list back in May, there's no doubt Eminem would have made the Top 10.

In the end, the Hottest MCs in the Game is representative of the opinion of the members of the Brain Trust. You have every right to disagree. That's what the Hottest MCs is all about: engaging in a thought-provoking, informed, fervent dialogue about hip-hop, the music and culture we all love.

Source: MTV

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Eminem's Relapse 2 Will Be More 'Emotionally Driven

If Relapse marked the return of Slim Shady and his outrageous rhymes, then the sequel is shaping up to be Marshall Mathers' turn back in the spotlight.

In an interview on his Shade 45 satellite-radio station Tuesday night, Eminem explained the concept behind the forthcoming Relapse 2.

"[The album] is gonna be a lot different than people expect," Eminem told DJ Tony Touch. "As far as the contrast from the last album to this one, I got a couple of tracks with [D12's] Mr. Porter, two tracks with him so far. Four, possibly five with Just Blaze. The overall basis of this record, I went back to songs that are more emotionally driven. The last record I made, I think I was concentrating more on spitting. On this album, I feel like there's some of that, but I went back to songs with [feelings] to them as opposed to just rap records."

During the recording of Relapse, Eminem admitted he suffered from writer's block at times, and to return to form, he revisited his earlier style of rhyme that helped him earn his alter ego. Songs like "Insane" and "Underground" showcased his rapid-fire flow and outrageous lines. "Dre, I'm down here, under the ground, dig me up/ Broken tibias, fibias, yeah, fix me up," he rapped on "Underground."

"I had to get it all out of my system," Em said of the lyrical urgency behind Relapse. "I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it again."

Once the Detroit MC broke free from his struggles with the pen, he went on to record three albums' worth of material. He and his camp decided to whittle the songs down to two projects. In April, the rapper announced that Relapse 2 was done before the first one even arrived. He said during the mixing process, new tracks might be added.

Recently, he's raised his profile with a guest verse on Drake's "Forever," also featuring Kanye West and Lil Wayne. His standout turn on the track increased anticipation for his next album. On "Forever," Eminem hearkened back to the "8 Mile" style that endeared him to fans with his personal tales.

The focus on polishing the second album, though, has consumed Eminem so much that he's only made scattered appearances since Relapse debuted in May. Once Relapse 2 arrives, tentatively later this year, Eminem said he'll decide then whether to go on tour.

"During the process of me getting sober and starting to record again like I used to, I got so excited about making music again that I wanted to concentrate [just] on that," he said. "I started recording so many records that we thought about putting out two albums. Then that became my motivation. I wanted to stay grinding and keep making music. But the time I got engulfed in [Relapse 2], it just kind of worked out this way, where I wanted to fall back from live performances for right now and concentrate on making the best music I could make. After this record comes out, we'll see what happens from there."


Source:MTV

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Eminem On Cinco De Shady

Eminem stopped by Toca Tuesday's with Tony Touch (aka Tony Toca) to celebrate the five year anniversary of Shade 45, his Sirius-XM Satelite Radio station. Many topics were covered including (of course) Eminem's upcoming "Relapse 2" album, the Voodoo Festival (the only live concert Eminem is doing this year) and his video game with Jay-Z, DJ Hero.

When asked what he had planned for after the new album, Eminem said he is just trying to focus on the new record and anything after that is up in the air, including possibly doing another movie.

Source: RapBasement

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Eminem Gives Relapse 2 Details

Eminem recently stopped by his Shade 45 radio station for DJ Whoo Kid's birthday bash and he ended up giving some details on his upcoming "Relapse 2" album. "Me and Fif did a couple of records, couple of months ago in Vegas, one song for my record and another for his," Em revealed in an interview.

Em then went on to give details on the 50 Cent collab. "We just wanted to like, I just had an idea to like 'Yo, why don't we do something we ain't done yet.' And kinda go back and forth, we've kinda done it on other records but not to the extent of what we're doing on this one."

Before he left, Eminem also talked about production for his upcoming LP. "The way that it's going now, Denaun (Mr. Porter of D12) has two [produced] tracks on the record and Just Blaze has four, possibly five...I definitely feel like I'm in a little different space right now. I don't know, with the last record, it felt like a lot of it had to do with me being sober...With Relapse 1 -- a lot of that album, I wanted to rap at fire and do punchlines."

Source: RapBasement

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50 Says Em Turned Down $15 Mill Movie Offer

We all know that after D12 founding member (and Eminem's best friend) Proof died, Eminem stepped out of the spotlight to take time to himself and apparently nothing could get him to come out, not even $15 million dollars. In a new interview with DJ Whoo Kid, 50 Cent said "You could barely get him out the house! I mean you can't get him out the house for money."

50 was talking about a possible movie he wanted to do with Eminem. "I flew down there, I had 15 million for him. I flew down there with a script called 'Con Rail,' and I had everybody on deck, they was ready to him 15 million dollars to do the movie. And we was gonna shoot it in Detroit so he could still drop Hailey off and pick her up. That n---- still didn't want to come outside!"

Source: RapBasement

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50 Cent Says Eminem Doesn't Like "Forever"

In a new interview, Shady Records artist and G-Unit general 50 Cent told Angie Martinez that he feels Eminem is not happy with the new "Forever" track which also features Drake, Kanye West and Lil Wayne. "I don’t think Em knew everyone was going to be on the record," 50 Cent said. "Initially I think he just did a verse with it. He mixed his records and then they remixed it. I don’t think he’s happy with that at all."

In related news, although he was featured on "Forever" with Eminem, Lil Wayne recently talked about how much he wants to do a collaboration with the Detroit rapper.

Source: RapBasement

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Nick Cannon Says He Doesn't Respect Eminem 'As A Man'

Nick Cannon may sport tailored suits as the host of "America's Got Talent," but the prime-time entertainer isn't a made-for-TV drone, especially when it comes to defending his wife, Mariah Carey, from Eminem.

In the new issue of In Touch Weekly, Cannon takes a hard-line stance against the Relapse rapper.

Em and MC have been tossing barbs at each other for a couple years now. The words turned more hurtful this year, however, when Carey's "Obsessed" seemingly mocked Slim Shady, and the rapper responded with "The Warning," a scathing freestyle threat targeting the singer.

"Oh gee, is that supposed to be me in the video with the goatee?/ Wow, Mariah, didn't expect ya to go balls out/ B----, shut the f--- up before I put all those phone calls out/ You made to my house/ When you was wild 'n' out/ Before Nick, when you was on my di--," Eminem rapped on the track.

Cannon and Em have exchanged both taunts and apologies, as well, but it seems like Mr. Mariah isn't keen on letting up this time. Not until he and Eminem have a talk, according to Cannon. In the tabloid interview, Cannon even boasts that the rapper should be thankful the two haven't bumped into each other yet — a far cry from the biblical tweets Cannon previously wrote when responding to Em.

"[Eminem is] lucky I haven't run into him yet," Cannon warned, his toughest challenge to Em so far. "I'm supposed to protect my woman if someone can be so heinous and disrespectful. Until we speak, I don't respect him as a man. He and I need to have an old-school sit-down."

Source: MTV

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Slaughterhouse To Sign With Shady?

Just one day after Slaughterhouse was spotted behind Eminem in the new "Forever" music video, there are rumors going around that the rap group is in negotiations with Eminem to join his Shady Records. Radio personality Miss Info recently said "So here are the 'rumors' that I'm hearing...That Slaughterhouse appearance in "Forever," was indeed a non-verbal announcement of the contract negotiations going on behind the scenes. For the past month, both sides have been working towards bringing the group to the Shady label. And that the gathering of Em and the guys at the shoot, is the first of more collaborations to come."

In related news, Redman had previously said that he would love to join Eminem's record label if given a shot. "Even like Shady, even to have that idea, or Eminem to even have that idea like thinking Redman was gonna be off Def Jam and he coming through is a privilege," Red explained. "Like, I will leave right now and go over there to Shady. I don't care, 'cause they still doing hip-hop and I love it. Anybody supporting it, I'm there. Big up to Shady though, but I ain't off Def Jam yet, f*ck. But I'm there though. I'm still rockin'. Come get me for a record though, let's make it happen."

Source: RapBasement

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Eminem, DMX, The Roots Pay Tribute To Def Jam At 2009 VH1 Hip-Hop Honors

Since its inception five years ago, VH1's Hip-Hop Honors has paid tribute to the preeminent figures in hip-hop history. For the sixth annual show, taped at Brooklyn's Academy of Music in New York last night (Sept. 23) and set to air on the network on Oct. 13, event coordinators decided instead to celebrate an entire label: Def Jam Records.

Eminem, backed by The Roots, was opened the show with "Rock The Bells," in honor of one of the Def Jam's first signees, LL Cool J. He was followed by another of the label's signature groups, Public Enemy. Backed by the Roots and members of Street Sweeper Social Club as well as PE's military dressed SW1s and sporting a white tuxedo, top hat and clock, Flava Flav took the stage with longtime partner Chuck D and Boots Riley for a live performance of "Rebel Without A Pause."

Next to the stage were KRS-One, Gym Class Heroes' Travis McCoy and Wale for a rendition of "No Sleep Till Brooklyn," in commemoration of another Def Jam power group: the Beastie Boys. McCoy wore a black T-shirt with the names "DJ AM" and "Roc Raida," in the shape of the famous Run-DMC logo, while KRS ended his verse by saying, "Adam, get well soon," referring to Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch, who is currently battling cancer (http://www.billboard.com/#/news/beastie-boys-adam-yauch-has-cancer-tour-1003995446.story).

Nineties rap group Onyx came on the stage shortly after and had possibly one of the most energetic performances of the night with "Slam." For his verse, Sticky Fingaz jumped atop a large speaker on the side of the stage, and then jumped off to an adjacent balcony before exiting.

One of the most anticipated performances of the night was that of rapper DMX, who made a rare non-courtroom appearance. DMX collaborated with Gym Class Heroes on his 1999 hit single "Party Up" for a super-hyped crowd.

At this point, host/comedian Tracy Morgan was joined by Oran "Juice" Jones for a quick verse of "The Rain," before introducing Rick Ross, who performed a musty version of "Hustlin'," followed by a bouncy execution of "Da Rockwilder" by Method Man and Redman backed by the legendary DJ Scratch.

The Queen of Hip-Hop soul, Mary J. Blige, went on right after, as she joined Method Man for a rather short interpretation of their Grammy award-winning single, "I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By."

The performances continued with Warren G and Trey Songz running through G's "Regulate," and then the reunion between Ja Rule and Ashanti, who did their own hits "Down For You" and "Always On Time."

Next, two of the label's southern reps, Ludacris and Scarface, had another of the evening's finest performances with "Guess Who's Back" and "Southern Hospitality," respectively, followed by Jazzy Jeff and Kid Rock and then Foxy Brown, wearing a bust enhancing bustier during her hit single "I'll Be," sans Jay-Z.

All three of these performances were part of the show's memorable end, a medley of some of Def Jam's most iconic hits performed by The Roots, Rock, Brown, Fabolous, Ghostface, Chrisette Michele and others.

Off stage and off camera, Ja Rule and DMX had their own reunion, when they two shook hands and hugged each other up during a filming break for one of the event's highlights.

Source:BILLBOARD

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LeBron James Thinks Eminem's Verse On The 'Forever' Remix Was 'Perfect'

The big debate in the Newsroom for the past few weeks has been about who has the sickest verse on "Forever." Did Drake steal the show from the veterans or is it Kanye's game to win? According to James, everybody delivered big, but in the end it was Slim Shady who took it home. "Eminem really finished it off," James told MTV News. "The last person on that track had to finish it off perfectly, and he did that." Never one to leave a teammate behind, James also praised West's punchlines and the work turned in by Drake and Wayne.


But for LeBron, it all comes back to Jay-Z, who James refers to as his "big brother" (he was also wearing a Roc-A-Fella chain during the interview). "Jay-Z is the best," he said. "11 number one albums, more than Elvis. Who else could beat that?"

Source:MTV

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Eminem Is More 'Maniacal' On Relapse 2, DJ Whoo Kid Promises

DJ Whoo Kid is lurking. The spinner said he's been sticking around the studio lately, and he's heard some of the newer material from Mr. Marshall Mathers. The G-Unit member said Eminem is only going to come crazier on his next album.

"The comeback is crazy," Whoo Kid said about Em's return in May with Relapse. "What I really laughed at was the Mariah Carey [dis record]. That was funny. But that's nothing compared to Relapse 2. What I heard, that's just 2 percent [of the intensity]. Eminem from back in the day has returned. The crazy, lyrical, maniacal Eminem is back. Maniac!"

Whoo Kid said the difference between Relapse and Relapse 2 is the level of insanity.

"He was maniacal, but that was like, 'Let me come back now. Let me get my sh-- situated. Who I gotta go at? Let me see what's going on. Let me get comfortable.' Now that he's comfortable, now he's gonna be like [a monster] in Relapse 2. Good luck, people."

Source: MTV

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Hottest mcs in game poll closed

Attention, ladies and gents: Speak now or forever hold your peace! The Hottest MCs in the Game fan poll closes Monday (September 21) at midnight.

In August, we asked you, the people, for your Hottest MCs picks. We posted more than two dozen names in the poll and got almost 1.5 million votes. Thousands left comments, debating the merits of Rick Ross, T.I. Joe Budden and Lil Wayne, as well as trumpeting some of the rappers not on the poll, like Wale, Tony Yayo and Maino.

The conversation is even more expansive and passionate than it has ever been. In addition to fans and artists chiming in on our Hottest list, athletes like Usain Bolt and Kevin Garnett and celebs like the cast of the upcoming film "Fame" have been chiming in. 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks took an initial lead in the poll, then Joe Budden rose up the ranking. Eminem's fans went to the polls in droves, catapulting Slim Shady to the top. Rick Ross has been surging too. It's not too late to help your pick leap to the top.

Once the poll is closed, the votes will be tallied and handed over to the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust, who will convene this week at the roundtable and devise the official list of the top 10 Hottest MCs in the Game. (To see what it takes to make the list, check out our Hottest MCs criteria.)

The fan poll is meant to spark up debate and give the people a voice. For the first time ever, the fan's votes will be factored into the Brain Trust's initial voting. Our moderator, Sway, will represent your case. Prior to sitting down at the roundtable, the Brain Trust comes up with an initial top 10 list. Once at the roundtable, names on the top 10 can move up, move down or move off the list completely in favor of an MC whose name was on the bubble. On Tuesday, we will announce when the names on the Hottest MCs list will be revealed. Once again, thanks for your overwhelming participation thus far, and we look forward to your continued feedback once we start rolling out the top 10 list.

Who Is The Hottest MC In The Game Right Now? (Poll Closed)
50 Cent 15%
Asher Roth <1%
Busta Rhymes <1%
Cam'Ron <1%
Drake <1%
Eminem 39%
Fabolous <1%
Gucci Mane <1%
Jadakiss <1%
Jay-Z 1%
Joe Budden 9%
Kanye West <1%
Kid Cudi <1%
Rick Ross 23%
Lil Wayne 1%
Lloyd Banks 4%
Ludacris <1%
Plies <1%
Nas <1%
Raekwon <1%
Redman <1%
Soulja Boy <1%
T.I. <1%
The Game 2%
Young Jeezy <1%

Source:MTV

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Diddy Reportedly Joining Eminem, 50 Cent & Dr. Dre

Diddy is reportedly leaving Atlantic Records to join the likes of Eminem, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre and more as an Interscope Records artist for his upcoming Last Train to Paris album

Word has it that the Bad Boy's head honcho is fleeing the Warner Music Group to set up shop in the house that Jimmy Iovine built. The music mogul currently is hard at work on his Last Train to Paris album. It's uncertain which label would release the album, if Diddy indeed signs with Interscope. Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and Warner Music Group signed a joint venture deal back in 2005, giving the record company a 50% stake in Bad Boy Records. Under the three-year agreement--for which Warner reportedly paid $30 million--the recording giant undertook digital and physical distribution of worldwide Bad Boy releases. (Vibe)

Source:sohh

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Eminem Turns Method Actor In VMA-Nominated 'We Made You' Clip

Eminem's clip for "We Made You" might seem like a laugh, but for the rapper, the tabloid-target-blasting video was a chance to indulge in some deep method acting. Seriously.

"Having worked with him so many times, the thing people don't realize is that he's a fantastic actor," said music-video vet Joseph Kahn, who won a Grammy in 2002 for his work on Em's "Without Me" clip, which also won that year's VMA for Video of the Year. "He actually stays in character on set. So when he's Tony Romo, he's Tony Romo the whole time. If he's Bret Michaels, he talks like Bret Michaels. He learned it from ['8 Mile' director] Curtis Hanson. He's a method actor, like Daniel Day Lewis."

Kahn, who is up for Video of the Year at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards for "We Made You" — and is competing against himself in the same category for Britney Spears' "Womanizer" — said the concept for the video was a collaboration between himself, Eminem and Em's longtime manager Paul Rosenberg.

"They called me up, and Marshall — I never call him Eminem — said they wanted to do a funny video," explained Kahn, who has helmed iconic clips for everyone from Britney Spears to Wu-Tang Clan, Mariah Carey, Aerosmith, Kelly Clarkson and the Black Eyed Peas. After listening to the song a few times in a recording studio, Kahn got on the phone with Slim Shady and the rapper explained that he wanted to do a sequel of sorts to "Without Me," in which he takes out verbal and visual hits on the pop icons of the day. "He didn't know if we could hit all the references, though, because he was rapping so fast. I listened to the song, and I was like, 'Nope, we can do it. Let's hit every one of those lyrics.' "

No punches are pulled in the clip, in which Em dresses up like Bret Michaels, riffs on Jessica Simpson's voluptuous assets, pops a few shots at Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson, lays into former Alaska governor and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, goofs on John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston and Amy Winehouse and ex Blake Civil-Fielder, and takes Kim Kardashian to the wood-chipper.

And, as with "Without Me," Kahn went into the hectic two-day shoot with just a basic sketch of what would happen, happy to let Em do what he does best: improvise. "I'm confident in his improvisational ability to come up with a million things on set, which he always does," Kahn said. After Eminem mapped out which celebs he wanted to take down and 14 different sets were built in a Los Angeles warehouse, including the repurposing of a "Star Trek" bridge that was previously used on a porno shoot for a scene in which Em's mentor Dr. Dre agreed to play Captain Kirk to his protégé's Mr. Spock.

One of the most iconic scenes, however, was shot at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas: a takeoff of the card-counting scene in the Dustin Hoffman/ Tom Cruise savant flick "Rain Man." In a nod to what Kahn said are Em's previously unknown method skills, the director said that when he went up to the rapper's room before the shoot, he found Marshall deeply studying the movie. "He was watching it over and over, saying, 'OK, this is how he stirs his drink,' breaking down Dustin Hoffman's performance," he said. "Marshall is a freak. Everyone thinks he just does stuff, but he really studies it closely, down to how they hold the cards."

Despite a nearly four-year break from solo videos, Kahn felt confident in Em's ability to nail the scenes, especially after watching his performance at this year's MTV Movie Awards. "When Brüno fell on his face, everyone was completely shocked," he said of the thong-only reverse handshake actor Sacha Baron Cohen laid on the rapper at the event. "I knew instantly that he was an amazing actor."

The one scene Kahn was nervous about, however, was a bit where Em had to play the young Elvis and do the dancing jailhouse scene from "Jailhouse Rock." While the rapper's acting skills are sharp, the director said his dancing skills are, well, not as on point. "Marshall is not a dancer. He doesn't dance, he's a rapper," Kahn said. "But he had to learn how to dance like Elvis because we're doing the actual dance from 'Jailhouse Rock.' And he did it. He learned the whole dance in an hour and nailed it."

Watch the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards Preshow this Sunday, September 13, at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the big event, airing live at 9 p.m. New York is celebrating the VMAs all week long, so stay tuned for party coverage, concert reports, behind-the-scenes updates and more.

Source: MTV

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Eminem Will Be VMA Twitter King, Predicts iJustine

The 2009 VMA Preshow, which airs on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET, will not only feature celebrity fashion correspondent Ashley Greene, but for the first time ever, the show will also have a Twitter correspondent. Justine Ezarik, a.k.a. iJustine, has been chosen to integrate Twitter updates into the TV broadcast.

Justine won't just be reading off your tweets, she'll be analyzing trends that arise on Twitter as the celebrities make their way onto the carpet. "Basically, I'm going to be making sense of all of the tweets that are coming in about the VMAs. I'm going to be the visualizer of it," she told MTV News. "It's going to be pulling in hash tags and pulling in different data about celebs and what everyone is saying, so I'm gonna kind of explain to people what the Twitter reaction is."

iJustine, for those who aren't familiar with her, is an Internet comedienne who has more than 620,000 Twitter followers. And as a sort of social-networking expert, she has some idea of what people will probably be talking about on Sunday. "It's like a whole different crowd on Twitter, so I'm really not sure who is going to be the most talked about," she said. "I'm sure whatever Britney Spears does [if she comes to the show] is going to be probably a huge Twitter effect, so I'm definitely looking forward to see what people are saying about her. And of course, everyone loves Taylor Swift as well. Those would be my two picks."

As for unpredictable performer Lady Gaga, Justine isn't sure what people will have to say about the nine-time-nominated artist. "You know what, that's probably going to be a very interesting reaction," she said. "I don't exactly know what people are going to say, but hopefully it's going to be something positive."

Justine does suspect that the reaction when any "Twilight" stars hit the carpet will be overwhelmingly positive. "Obviously, 'Twilight' is such a hit ... I can only imagine what the Twitter reaction is going to be. It will probably be overwhelming," she said, adding that when Robert Pattinson arrives, "All hell will break loose!"

On the other hand, Justine predicts that the Twitter king of VMA night will be Eminem — who is up for four Moonmen. "Anything he does is always a big hit," she said. "I'm definitely looking forward to seeing if there's any crazy stuff they'll be doing with him this year. I think people really enjoy everything he does. All of his videos are very out there, so everyone always has an opinion on everything he does."

Source:MTV

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Soulja Boy Wants Eminem & Jay-Z On His Album

The real question is...Who Doesn't? Soulja Boy recently spoke about who he really wants to do a collaboration with and feature on his new "The DeAndre Way" album. "I want Jay-Z and Eminem on the album, but I don't think I'm in that circle yet because I can't just call Jay-Z like that. I can call Diddy and he can put a word in for me, but I just think that I gotta do work. Maybe after I put Wayne on this album and we make something historical, me and Kanye work together and make something historical, and me and Drake spit something hot as h*ll together, I think that's what's going to determine the future -- I think I have a better chance of getting Eminem on my album than Jay-Z. I don't know nothin' about Jay-Z, but I'm affiliated with Eminem 'cause we on the same label and I know a lot of people that know him," Soulja Boy says.

Although he says he doesn't think he can get Jigga yet, Soulja Boy does think he is moving up in the game. "When I first came out, everybody was like 'F*ck Soulja Boy,' he explained in an interview. "And now everybody's calling me to get on their songs. I see the difference and I feel the difference. I got Kanye caling me, Jeezy caling me. I guess I'm in that circle now. I got a long, long, long way to go to get up there with [Lil] Wayne and Jay-Z. Look how much rank Jay-Z got, but look how long he in the game."

Source: RapBasement

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Fans Say Eminem Had Best "Forever" Verse

Ever since the new "Forever" track debuted online last week, since it features Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem, everyone has been talking about who had the best verse. As we previously reported, the track's producer, Boi-1da, said he felt Drake had the best verse, although he felt Eminem was very close. "Really it’s between Drake and Eminem," he said. "I’ve never seen anybody hold up on a song with Eminem, like usually Eminem blows out. Drake's my dude, and he’s my favorite rapper, but knowing Eminem I thought he was gonna blow by everybody, but Drake came strong. It’s like a toss up. And like that’s never been done before, I never heard a toss up between Eminem, it’s always just Eminem cause he’s a monster."

Well it seems that fans do not agree with producer. In a new poll through XXL Magazine, after only five days and 3500 votes, fans overwhelmingly think that Eminem had the best verse on "Forever". Eminem got 69 percent of the votes while Drake came in second with only 13% followed by Kanye at 10 and Lil Wayne in last with only eight percent. What do you think? The new song will be featured on the soundtrack to the upcoming LeBron James documentary titled "More Than A Game."

Source: RapBasement

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Eminem, Drake, Kanye & Wayne Shoot Forever Video

Reports are going around that Eminem has joined Drake, Kanye West and Lil Wayne in Florida to shoot the video for their new hit "Forever" track. Although a release date hasn't been released, the four rap forces have started shooting in Miami. In a recent poll, after only five days and 3500 votes, fans overwhelmingly think that Eminem had the best verse on "Forever". Eminem got 69 percent of the votes while Drake came in second with only 13% followed by Kanye at 10 and Lil Wayne in last with only eight percent.

In related news, beat submission website www.pmpworldwide.com is currently accepting beats and production that will be considered for Eminem's upcoming "Release 2" album. As previously reported, Eminem's "We Made You" [watch here] single had it's beat originally made by producer Doc Ish and submitted through this website. According to the website, "Relapse 2" still has a possibly release date as the 4th Quarter of this year. So if you want to submit beats for Eminem's next project make sure you get them in before the due date of September 13th.

Source: RapBasement

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50 Cent Says Soulja Boy's Music Is Big At Eminem's House

Last month, 50 Cent and Soulja Boy excited some fans and confused others during a West Coast stop on Young Money Presents: The America's Most Wanted Music Festival. Fif stepped onstage in California and performed with his much younger club-floor-catering peer. Those in attendance seemed to love it, but on the Net there was speculation about how and why the collaboration came together.

Reader 4EvaShady commented, "Curtis Jackson, what the **** are you doing? Get the **** off that stage and ******* bust a rap with Dre and Eminem!"

Meanwhile LAsalvi09 was way more receptive to the team-up. "Hot performance. Good stuff," they wrote.

"All the haters need to fall back," Blacko wrote. "Y'all just being negative towards two artists that did a show together? WTF is wrong with that? People who were there enjoyed it. Leave it at that. Point blank."

A reader under the handle of FriscoKid commented, "Stop being stupid guys. Soulja wouldn't have brought 50 to the show if [50] was played out. Doesn't make sense. Soulja Boy wanted to give the tour a different look. I didn't hear anything about LeBron James being over for showing up for Young Jeezy? No chatter about Chris Brown showing up for Lil Wayne either. It's just a chance for both of them to upstage the headliners ... This may have been the best part of that night."

Well, 50 Cent told us last week exactly why he wanted to come onstage with Soulja Boy. The answer is ... well, the General doesn't have to answer to anyone. The truth is, 50 and Soulja are cool. Fif even admires the youngster for writing and producing a hit as huge as "Crank That" and said that Soulja's popularity even resonates in Eminem's crib.

That's right.

"I was at Em's house," 50 said recently. "He has a basketball court that doubles as [daughter] Hailie's dance studio. That dance studio has the hardwood floors. I watched the kids do the Soulja Boy dance to the song. They're into organized dancing. That was something they were into. They're a world way from where Soulja Boy comes from. But it's translating and it's actually a hit record and he continues to make hit records that work."

So Fif says kick off his homie's back and let the teenager do his thing.

Source: MTV

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Ross Likes Eminem's Verse But Wants To Battle

Rick Ross still wants to battle Eminem, but he isn't mad that Eminem has ignored his invitations (if you can call them that). "He’s smart," Ross says, "That’s what I’m waiting for. That’ll be a gift — a great Christmas present for me." When asked what he thought about Eminem making a Mariah Carey diss record instead of responding to him, Ross laughed saying "You know what my thoughts are, man. We just laugh at it. It’s all ‘hood, man. Shout-out to Mariah Carey, she needs to reach out to me. We could eradicate some things."

Rick Ross did have some other thoughts and notes for the Detroit rapper. "On a better note, I wanna shout out Eminem. I heard a record he did with Lil Wayne, Drake and Kanye West. Eminem, you’re smart. I understand … we all know what you doing now. You’re moving on to better things. Like I said, he might wanna do a record with me. We here. Triple Cs."

Source: RapBasement

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Eminem Will Perform at VH1's Def Jam Hip-Hop Honors

Although he was never signed to the house that Russell and Rubin built, Slim Shady still is fittingly payin' tribute in VH1's upcoming tribute to Def Jam Records. Em joins other confirmed guests like Mary J. Blige, DMX and Public Enemy. Get the feeling "Jason from Miami" is gonna do an Uncle L tune? Hmm. Show airs Oct. 13. Score another one for Video Hits One.

Source: KFSM

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"Forever" Producer Says Drake Held Up With Eminem

The producer of "Forever", the new huge collaboration between Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem, says that he feels Drake held his own with Eminem on the track. When asked who spit the best verse on the song, Boi-1da said "Honestly I’m gonna have to be biased and say Drake," he said, "really it’s between Drake and Eminem. I’ve never seen anybody hold up on a song with Eminem, like usually Eminem blows out. Drake’s my dude, and he’s my favorite rapper, but knowing Eminem I thought he was gonna blow by everybody, but Drake came strong. It’s like a toss up. And like that’s never been done before, I never heard a toss up between Eminem, it’s always just Eminem cause he’s a monster."

The producer also went on to give a little history on the track. "It was originally supposed to be a song that Drake was supposed to come out to, maybe we were trying to make it like a first single. Somehow it got leaked out onto the Internet, a version with him, Wayne and some dude named [Nut da] Kid and everybody was upset about it or whatever, but we knew that it was just a huge record and we had to do it justice."

Source: RapBasement

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Eminem, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Drake's Collabo: Preview

It's one of the greatest collaborations in hip-hop history: Eminem, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Drake on the same song. "Forever" was inspired by the forthcoming LeBron James documentary "More Than a Game" — and you can check out a preview right here!

Earlier this week, Young Money president Mack Maine told MTV News about the track, titled "Forever." An early version of the song — featuring Wayne, Drake and Nut Da Kidd and produced by Boi-1da (Drake's "Best I Ever Had" and "Uptown") — has already hit the Internet, but this week, the version with some of hip-hop's hottest MCs is expected to debut.

"They redid it, it got mixed over the weekend, now it's getting mastered," Maine said Monday.

"Forever" will appear as part of a collection of tracks inspired by the film (due in theaters October 2), with the soundtrack coming September 29 on Interscope Records. Polow Da Don will executive produce the set, which will also include songs by T.I., Mary J. Blige and Young Jeezy, according to Rich Paul, who works with James as a part of their marketing company LRMR.

Paul said that "Forever" was originally only going to include Drake and Kanye West.

"It was done, it was just Drake and Kanye, and then they went back and got two more prolific talents, and it just made it even crazier," Paul told MTV News late Tuesday. "They blessed Drake crazy."

The song came together when Gee Roberson, an executive at Atlantic Records who also manages West and helps oversee the careers of Drake and Wayne, visited LeBron during the playoffs in May.

"He came over and played this — it was me, LeBron and Maverick [Carter, James' manager]," said Paul, who will co-executive produce the project for James' camp. "And he played the track. It was hot. It went right with the movie. It was like perfect for a moment that you want to be forever. And when he decided to put Wayne, Drake, Kanye and Eminem on it [together], it just makes it better. It's one of those songs fans will really want to hear forever. It's that type of feeling."

Lil Wayne has long expressed a desire to rap alongside Eminem on a track — and now, he's done it.

Mack Maine also revealed the song may be getting a last-minute addition.

"There's gonna be an unexpected feature on the hook," he said. "Right now, we have three different R&B singers writing the hook to see who comes up with the best one. I'mma be shocked. So I can't tell you who it's gonna be."

On the original, Drake performs double duty, rapping and singing the chorus. Plans call for Drake, Wayne, West and Em to shoot a clip for "Forever" next month in New York, Paul said, directed by Hype Williams.

Source:MTV

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Eminem, Kanye, Lil Wayne & Drake Collab, "Forever"

According to hip hop blog site Nahright.com, a new Eminem, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Drake collaboration is reportedly set to debut this week in support of the upcoming LeBron James documentary "More Than A Game." Although the site didn't give many details, the track will reportedly debut this Friday (August 28th).

"Drake, Lil Wayne, Kanye West & Eminem. Supposed to be hitting radio/iTunes on Friday. Are you focused? In collaboration with some More Than A Game movie event with Lebron." - NahRight.com

Source: RapBasement & RapRadar

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Update: Relapse 2 Date Fake

Despite our story earlier where we reported on stories online about Eminem's 2nd "Relapse" album coming out on November 17th, there apparently is no truth to it. The rumors started when Amazon's UK website posted a November 16th release date for the album (making the United States date the 17th). According to Eminem's long-time manager, business partner and Shady Records head honcho, Paul Rosenberg, there is absolutely no truth to the November 17th date, whatsoever.

"Relapse 2" will be the follow up to Eminem's album of the same name that dropped last may. The album has gone on to sell over 1,361,700 copies. This isn't the only rumor that Eminem and Paul Rosenberg have had to deal lately. Earlier this week there were false reports that Eminem died in a car crash, the stories even showed up on Yahoo news. As of now there is no release date to "Relapse 2."

Source: RapBasement

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Eminem Pulls Ahead Of 50 Cent To Lead Hottest MCs Poll

Marshall Mathers has an army of supporters, and thanks to them, Eminem has risen to the top of the fan voting in our Hottest MC poll. With 40 percent of the votes thus far, he's pulled ahead of Joe Budden and 50 Cent, who had been the leading vote getters in the weeks since we opened the poll. Now that those votes are being factored into this year's official list, it seems fans are aware that the stakes are higher.

A reader named Stacey is among the Em fans wearing the cyberspace rally cap and encouraging folks to get behind the Detroit rap legend. "Eminem is the hottest one in this list!!! Vote for Eminem," she wrote.

Meanwhile, a commenter called the Champ has posted a top 10 list: "1. Eminem; 2. 50 Cent; 3. Kanye West; 4. T.I.; 5. Jay-Z; 6. Fabolous; 7. Lloyd Banks; 8. Young Jeezy; 9. Drake; 10. Lil Wayne.

"Em is the undisputed Hottest MC. Relapse [is the] best album put out since [T.I.'s] Paper Trail," Champ added. "Lyrically and artistically, he is simply on another level than Jay-Z, Weezy and Kanye."

But don't count out Lil Wayne. It looks like more of his fans are going to step to the plate and show support for Weezy F. Baby.

"Lil Wayne is the best rapper alive," user CaliSky wrote. "Eminem is definitely talented, but have you heard Tha Carter III? What about his new track, 'I'ma Go Getta'? And now he's doing this rock/rap blend? Lil Wayne for sure has my vote."

Due to the whopping 420 percent increase in voting, we decided to delay revealing the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust's list and let you guys weigh in. We're encouraging everyone to continue to be engaged in this conversation and cast your vote for the Hottest MCs in the Game until September 21.

Source: MTV

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Eminem Alive And Well Says Manager

Over the weekend, the world briefly gasped as rumors claiming that Eminem was killed in a car crash circled through difference social networking sites such as Twitter but that has been quickly dismissed as a rumor. Paul Rosenberg, President of Shady Records and Eminem's Manager, confirmed to the Detroit Free Press that there is no validity to the made-up story and that it began as a "Twitter rumor."

In related news, many other celebrities have had rumors have had the same problem including Miley Cyrus and even Lil Wayne. The original posting that Eminem was killed was taken down but even this morning Twitter users were still asking the question "Is Eminem dead?" and fans were being pointed to a story on Yahoo News that claimed the "Relapse" rapper was using his cell phone before he died "in a terrible car crash." The fake news story even included a quote from a "Dr. Adams," too bad it wasn't Dr. Ballsack.

Source: RapBasement

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Bobby Creekwater Parts Ways with Eminem’s Shady Records

Bobby Creekwater has left Shady Records. The Atlanta rapper made the announcement over the weekend, saying his decision to leave Eminem’s imprint was strictly a business decision and that there was no bad blood.

“That particular relationship wasn’t helping, as far as the plans I had for Bobby Creekwater, so we parted ways,” he told Mauricegarland.com in an interview, adding that he did not get dropped. “I felt like it was time to move on so I made a phone call to [Shady co-founder] Paul [Rosenberg]… I said I think it’s time for me to go my way. He said he understood.”

Creekwater went on to say that labels can often “choose to be assholes” by holding on to an artist wanting to leave, but that Rosenberg did no such thing.

“He understood my plight and I appreciate him for that,” Creekwater said.

Creekwater signed to Shady in 2005. He appeared on 2006’s Eminem Presents the Re-Up, a compilation designed to launch him and other new Shady artists Stat Quo and Cashis.

Creekwater’s mixtape The Day It All Made $ense is expected to drop later this month.

SOURCE:EXCLAIM.CA

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Nick Cannon Claims Mariah Carey's 'Obsessed' Is About Him, Not Eminem

Despite what you might think about Mariah Carey's single and video for "Obsessed" being directed at Eminem, when the singer made an appearance Wednesday night on husband Nick Cannon's show "America's Got Talent," Cannon used it as another chance to insist the song isn't about Em.

"I don't care what nobody say, that song is about me, because I am obsessed with this beautiful girl right here," Cannon said on the show after Carey performed the controversial track. "This beautiful woman next to me has more #1 hit singles than any single artist in the world. How do you do it?"

After Carey clarified that the Beatles have more hit singles than her, Cannon added, "We ain't worried about them, because it's all about Mariah right now. ... She's modest, she's beautiful. Ladies and gentlemen, my soul mate, Mariah Carey."

Cannon had been angling to get Carey on the show since its premiere earlier this summer. "They keep asking me that — I don't know. It's a possibility. She loves the show," he told MTV News in June. "She has a hot new album coming out. It's the hottest show on TV, so why wouldn't that work out? So hopefully the timing works out and she does get to come represent."

He also had previously mentioned that he thought the song was about him when he spoke to us while promoting "AGT." "I always say I thought the record was about me, 'cause I'm obsessed with my wife," he said. "But if somebody's out there and you feel like you might have been obsessed, then the record's about you."

Source: MTV

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Eminem: That's Not Me Dissing Soulja Boy Tell'em On 'Die Already'

Eminem has quickly gone from years of beef-less silence to a raging war of disses with Mariah Carey and husband Nick Cannon. But despite ramping up his fighting skills in taking on the pop power couple with his latest verbal beatdown, "The Warning," one person Em is not taking aim at is Soulja Boy Tell'em.

A hard-hitting dis track called "Die Already" leaked on Monday in which an MC who sounds an awful lot like Slim Shady takes some serious shots at the "Crank That" rapper, beating down his lyrical style and (alleged) lack of substance with some cutting verbal jabs.

"Wow, whoever made 'Die Already' really does sound like me," tweeted Eminem on Monday. "But it ain't."

While the person on the track does sound similar to Eminem, he doesn't have quite the same lyrical aptitude as Marshall Mathers. The low-quality track with a thumping Em-like beat has the faux-Minem slapping "SouljaGirl" with the lines, "Do the Superman, f---in' die already ... I wouldn't buy your CD for half price on eBay ... Ice-T told you don't make me say it the mean way/ I'm not a bad person, you just suck like BJ."

The hook taunts, "Excuse me ma, America, do ya'll understand any English anymore?"

Despite the seeming similarity, even Eminem's fellow D12 member, rapper/producer Denaun Porter (a.k.a. Kon Artis), wrote in to AllHipHop.com, one of the first places to report on the track, to say that the track wasn't real. "That new Em dis is a straight up hoax. Can't y'all tell? Couldn't Allhiphop?"

No one's claimed credit for the dis track yet, and Soulja Boy, currently on tour in Canada, doesn't appear to have taken the bait.

"Die Already" comes on the heels of Eminem's scathing and personal attack against Carey and Cannon in retaliation for the song and video for Carey's new single, "Obsessed." Many alleged that the couple had taken a shot at Em when Mariah dressed up as an obsessed stalker in the video. But Cannon told MTV News last month that Mariah Carey wouldn't waste her time beefing.

"My wife doesn't beef. She's Mariah Carey. She's not beefin', she's a vegetarian," the singer's husband said.

Cannon appeared ready to quash the beef (kind of) on Monday, when he posted Biblical tweets the likes of which read "Never take your own revenge."

Source: MTV & RapBasement

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