Eminem Declares 'I'm Back!' With Roaring Epicenter Concert

Detroit descended upon California as Eminem made a triumphant return to the West Coast at the Epicenter 2010 Festival on Saturday. Marshall Mathers performed just before fellow Motor City mavens KISS, and what the rapper lacked in pyro he more than made up in fanfare. Still one of the biggest-selling artists in the world, Epicenter was one of only a handful of concerts Em put on in 2010. Cali happily welcomed Eminem back, roaring, dancing and rapping their approval.

Epicenter's first of two days was marked by sweltering heat in the 100s and a handful of performers whose absence from the stage was even longer than Slim Shady's self-imposed hiatus. 1990s alt-rockers Bush, featuring frontman (and Gwen Stefani's husband) Gavin Rossdale, made the fest their first major show in nine years, while House of Pain made it their first in 12 years. Oft-troubled rapper DMX rapped for a VIP-only audience.

Sponsored by Los Angeles rock station KROQ, Epicenter is only in its second year and is the brainchild of the same veteran music-industry trio who put together Rock on the Range in the Midwest and Canada. Last year's lineup included Tool, Linkin Park and Alice in Chains. This year, Epicenter moved to the parking lot of the expansive Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, part of California's Inland Empire.

The first major player to hit the main stage was one half of the mega-selling progressive hip-hop duo Outkast. Big Boi emerged in the afternoon, after opening sets from Hollywood Undead-spinoff Deuce and keyboard-heavy L.A. trio Crash Kings. Big Boi's DJ complained about the heat nearly melting his vinyl, but the Atlanta MC smoothly mixed solo tracks into an otherwise Outkast-leaning set that included some freestyling.

Papa Roach may not sell as many records as they used to, but the band received a heroes' welcome the second they hit the stage. They've updated their look, too, trading the nu-metal garb for skinny jeans, hipster sneakers and longer hair, all of which suits them. They unleashed a dirtier, darker side than was apparent on their earliest hits, and frontman Jacoby Shadix was the consummate showman, leaving fans hanging on his every hand motion. "Last Resort" closed the set, sounding appropriately more raw and energized than the version on their major label debut.

Gavin Rossdale may have dabbled with the band Institute and a solo career, but at Epicenter, the singer/guitarist got back to Bush, performing the music that put him all over the radio in the '90s and touring with an opening act called No Doubt. Back then, Bush became one of the first bands to capitalize on the mainstream doors blown down by Nirvana. Bush hail from England, not Seattle, but grunge motifs are all over their numerous hits, many of which they played: among them "Machinehead," "Swallowed," "Everything Zen," "Glycerine" (which Rossdale belted out solo with an acoustic guitar) and a set-closing "Come Down."

The sun mercifully went down as the second stage prepared for hip-hop headliners House of Pain, who came on after Kinda Major, Smile Empty Soul, the Knux and Big B warmed up the crowd. It's been an eventful journey for rapper/singer Everlast, who began his career as a scrappy solo artist, found fame with House of Pain and their massive hit "Jump Around," before reinventing himself as a guitar-slinging country/rap troubadour after suffering a surprise heart attack.

Everlast had his guitar for most of the set as he led a full band (drums, bass, keys and a horn section!) flanked by Danny "Danny Boy" O'Connor. The pair rapped House of Pain songs like "Shamrocks and Shenanigans," "On Point," "Put Yer Head Out" and, of course, "Jump Around" over a variety of familiar songs, including the beats made famous by Dr. Dre's "The Next Episode" and Tupac's "California Love," all during a rousing and lively set that included a dedication to Gang Starr's late MC, Guru. There was also an appearance by members of their most recent project, La Coka Nostra.

Expectation was palpable for Eminem's first West Coast concert appearance this year. Video screens projected a message written as if it were taken from news headlines. The text spelled out the dark period in Eminem's career, when retirement seemed a possibility, before heralding his triumphant return. Looking healthy and ready for battle, Eminem was backed by huge production (including several clever, stylized videos that played throughout), a hype man, a band, and even D12 for a short medley. Like his September stadium shows with Jay-Z, Eminem kept the song selection diverse, drawing from newer material and classic tracks like "The Way I Am." The show kicked off with "Won't Back Down" and "3 a.m.," setting the tone for the rest of the performance.

"I'm back, man," he told the crowd early in the set. "You miss me? I missed y'all."

He led the crowd in a "Free Lil Wayne" chant as he launched into "No Love." Em asked the crowd if they had ever "had beef" with their parents just before "Cleaning Out My Closet." A "Big Proof Forever" message was displayed on the screen when the rest of his Detroit crew D12, including a shirtless Bizarre, flooded the stage for tracks like "Fight Music." Cell phones and lighters were raised high during the Aerosmith-sampling "Sing for the Moment." It was a long marathon of quality tracks during which Em proved to have as much stamina as ever, despite his lack of touring.

Sandwiched right between the night's biggest acts, DMX gave the tiny VIP tent something incredible to remember when he banged out hits like "Party Up in Here," as well as one new track. The Ruff Ryder looked to be in good health and grateful for the audience's enthusiasm. He made several references to his faith, thanking and praising God profusely.

What can you say about KISS that hasn't been said? The band closed the night with pyrotechnics and dependable spectacle. There's the makeup, the production, the costumes, the stunts, the constant marketing of everything from condoms to Dr. Pepper, sure, but you know what else? There's the songs! KISS, who have been together for close to 40 years, crafted a catalog at their height that includes lean, mean, muscular rock anthems like "God of Thunder," "Detroit Rock City" and the ubiquitous "Rock N' Roll All Night."

Founding members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are both gone, but Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons still tear it up live for their the KISS Army, and Epicenter was no exception. Drummer Eric Singer has of course been part of the KISS family for a longtime and Thommy Thayer does an admirable job of filling Space Ace's shoes, guitar effects and all.

Sunday (September 26), the second and last day of the outdoor festival, will feature Blink-182 in their only North American appearance this year, alongside Rise Against, Bad Religion, Against Me! and more.

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Maino Says He Had Eminem Songs 3 Yars Before

New York rapper Maino says he had three of Eminem's new "Recovery" album not only before him but three years bofore the album was released. Maino even says that the lead single, "Not Affraid," was his along with two others, all done three years before.

"I had three records on Em's album," explained Maino, before revealing that the tracks ultimately became "Not Afraid," "25 to Life," and "Talkin' to Myself." "I recorded that in 2007," he recalled of "Talkin' to Myself." "A lot of times, you record a lot of the album, you record a lot of music before you actually put the music out. What happens is, sometimes you don't actually love everything you do. That particular record, I didn't love my performance on it--to the point where I loved the hook, but I didn't feel like I did it [justice]. I was gonna get back to it and redo it, but I had never done it."

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Recovery Sold 89,182 Copies This Week

As expected, Linkin Park debuted number one this week as their new "A Thousand Suns" album sold over 250,000 copies in it's first week in stores while R&B star Trey Songz also had a nice debut week as his "Passion Pain & Pleasure" album only missed LP by a few thousand units. Eminem, of course, came in 3rd with an increase of 10% in sales of his "Recovery" album from last week (putting him at around 90,000 this week alone and a total around 2.75 million already, almost triple platinum in the United States already).

Drake only drops one spot this week as his debut "Thank Me Later" album, which he recently said he could have done better with it, took the 15th spot with just over 19 thousand copies sold (up 9% from last week) while Usher is right behind him with his new "Versus" album selling 12% more this week and landing in 16th. Rick Ross only drops one spot but manages to sell 9% more than last week, Usher's "Raymond vs Raymond" gained 3 spots to 26th due to it selling 24% more this past week than the week before and B.o.B moved up a spot to 36th with 13% more in sales (just under 10k). Finishing up this week's sales is the Black Eyed Peas taking the 45th spot moving down 9 spots (to 45th) and losing 15% in sales.

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Eminem Talks About Returning To Movies

He has already won an Oscar, now the Grammy-award winning rapper Eminem has opened up about a possible returne to the big screen and what it would take for him to make the move from music to movies again. Eminem said in order for him to turn to Hollywood, it would have to be the right conditions.

"We just haven't got the right script yet," Em said about starring in a movie. "We've had a couple of things here and there, but nothing's jumped out. It's gotta be something that makes me wanna stop doing the music. It's gotta be good enough to make me wanna stop doing that. I love it so much."

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Eminem: 'I Had To Learn To Write And Rap Again'

MC discusses the effects of his deadly drug addiction with New York Post.

How bad was Eminem's descent into prescription drug addiction? It not only nearly robbed him of his life, it scrambled his brain so badly that he literally had to learn how to rap again, he revealed to the New York Post.

On the eve of his historic two-night stand at Yankee Stadium with Jay-Z #8212; and his two VMA wins #8212; the paper spoke to Slim Shady, 37, about his tumble into drug addiction and the long, hard road to redemption on his hit album Recovery.

"I had to learn to write and rap again, and I had to do it sober and 100 percent clean," Em said, explaining the more mature, focused nature of his rhymes on Recovery. "That didn't feel good at first ... I mean it in the literal sense. I actually had to learn how to say my lyrics again #8212; how to phrase them, make them flow, how to use force so they sounded like I meant them. Rapping wasn't like riding a bike. It was [as much] physical as mental. I was relearning basic motor skills. I couldn't control my hand shakes. I'd get in the [recording] booth and tried to rap, and none of it was clever, none was witty and I wasn't saying it right."

The rapper recalled taking his first Vicodin when he was 24 or 25, back before he could afford anything he wanted. "It was easy in the beginning," he said. "I didn't have the money to get really involved in drugs. I'd do them when somebody offered them to me. As my career took off and the crowds got larger and life got faster, I reached out for that sh-- more and more. I used it as a crutch to calm my nerves. Especially the sleeping pills."

But as his addiction deepened, the drugs began affecting his art, stifling his creativity, shutting off his brain and making him so lazy he preferred watching TV to making new tracks. He said that while listening to albums such as 2004's Encore, he can hear how high he was in the music. "I think the drug use was obvious," he said.

While late partner Proof tried to get him off the pills, Em said even hearing deep concern from his childhood best friend wasn't enough to get him to come clean. "He'd say what was on his mind," Marshall said of Proof. "But as close as he was, it didn't matter. I wasn't ready to listen. There wasn't a person who could tell me I had a problem.

What came next was a nearly four-year hiatus during which the rapper first went to rehab, but then relapsed and settled into a drug funk that he was only beginning to come out of when he released last year's album Relapse. In retrospect, he realized that there were some problems with the record.

"I wasn't disappointed when I put it out. When I felt that was later, when I was reassessing my work #8212; trying to figure out why my songs didn't sound like they used to sound," he said. "The further I got away from Relapse, I was able to hear the problems with all the accents I was using to slip in and out of characters, and how the serial killing didn't work. The joke was over #8212; I ran it into the ground."

He realized the problem was an obvious lack of "personal honesty" on the tracks, a situation he rectified on Recovery with such hit tracks as "Not Afraid" and the Rihanna collabo "Love The Way You Lie." Once his head finally cleared, Em said, he was a new man, which might explain why he ditched plans to make Relapse 2 and start over with Recovery.

"When I got clean and sober, it was like I was a kid again," he said. "Everything was new. Not to sound corny, I felt like I was born again. I had to learn my writing skills. I was relearning how to rap. I didn't know if my MC skills were intact. But everything was fun and suddenly I started feeling happy. I hadn't felt happy for a long time

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Weekly Chart Notes: Eminem

While all six of his major-label studio sets have topped Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, Eminem has not translated his retail dominance to similar sovereignty on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

This week, however, the rap superstar inks his first top 10 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs as a lead artist in eight years, as "Love the Way You Lie," featuring Rihanna, bounds 14-8 as the chart's Airplay Gainer award winner. Eminem had last ranked in the top tier as a lead act with the No. 4-peaking "Lose Yourself" in 2002. He notched sole other top 10 as a featured act, with Kanye West and Lil Wayne, on Drake's "Forever" (No. 2) last year.

"Love the Way You Lie" marks Rihanna's sixth top 10, a sum that includes three rap tracks for which she's provided vocals, following T.I.'s "Live Your Life" (No. 2, 2008), on which she guested, and "Run This Town" with Jay-Z and West (No. 3, 2009).

Eminem's "Recovery" leads R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for an 11th week, extending his longest command of the chart. "The Eminem Show" ranks second with six weeks in charge in 2002, followed by "The Marshall Mathers LP" (four weeks, 2000).

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Eminem Pushes Alchemist To 'Step My Game Up'

Alchemist pulled it off once again. Al, who rose to fame with his production for the likes of Mobb Deep, Lloyd Banks and Lil Wayne, has been prospering lately as Eminem's DJ. Em doesn't perform too much, so when a star of his caliber takes the stage, every show is high-profile. This month, Al was in the DJ booth during Em's Home and Home shows with Jay-Z in Detroit and in New York.

"With the band now, it eases a little bit of the pressure," Al said. "My friends say, 'You're pressing play and stop.' I'll tell them, 'It's pressing play and stop; it's not the technical part of it. If you mess it up, it's a stop and go, but you better do it right on time.' It's like the pyro. The pyro guy can't be a second off. Somebody can get blown up. Em being the perfectionist he is, it was clear: 'All right, Al, when you're on the stage with Em, there's no room for error.' I respected that. I was like, 'Oh, that's gonna make me step my game up.' I'm watching his shows, before I was his DJ, looking at how his vocals were perfect. In sync, perfect. I felt like this is important. I took it real serious."

Al said he, Eminem manager Paul Rosenberg and D12's Mr. Porter all give Em input on the show.

"At first I was nervous. Like, 'This is one of the greatest of all time. It's nothing I can really tell him,' " Al thought back. "But as you vibe together, you get ideas. I would test the waters a little bit. He would listen, not always take your idea, but be open-minded. As we started rehearsing, I started implementing some of the stuff I'm known for."

Paul and Em told Al to put some of his own flavor into the live sets. Fans got to hear some of that flavor during the Home and Home series.

"It was 'The Way I Am,' " Alchemist explained. "It was an old version where they had Edie Brickell in it: 'What I am is what I am.' So ... I was like, 'We should bring it back when we play it live.' It was a reason they didn't use it on the original song. Maybe clearance or something. Stuff like that. Or at the end of 'Not Afraid,' when the band is breaking it down, I made them get the a cappella and I put in the 'Holla if you ... ' Start cutting that up. I think about [DJ] Premier a lot. I think about how to be subtle as a DJ. The band's up here, Em is running the show. I look at it as accents. I was around [DJ] Muggs for so many years. I got to see so many great people do it. Definitely try to think of what I saw through the years, be subtle and play my part. Add some flavor."

Next Wave of Flav

On Eminem and Slaughterhouse: "I didn't make the Recovery album. Shout-out to DJ Khalil, the big homie. He did, like, four joints on the album. Em's got him on the album. Mr. Porter made the album. Havoc made the album. It adds to me wanting to go even harder. I think what it was, that I'm so accustomed to making stuff for Mobb Deep or Dilated [Peoples] or the people in my immediate circle. Being around Em more, I'm starting to get it. People vibe, and we make the best music. Now that I'm around him more, there's talks of the Slaughterhouse project. I think that might be one of the first moments I might be able to pick up some dust."

On Gangrene: "I got this project Gang Green with Oh No, a real good friend from the West Coast, a collaboration project we did together. We did the rhymes and beats together. It's like I'm almost going backwards. I've had my years when I tried to make big stuff after I had a little success. Now I'm gong back to the raw beats, making something every country can feel. Raekwon's on the joint. Guilty Simpson, Evidence, Fat Sean, a bunch of people I have relationships with."

On Prodigy: "P comes home in February. It's gonna be a very busy time. It's amazing. He feels like he's home already. He's in the best health he's been in. He's really excited. I've been sending him beats. Havoc is sending him beats. I e-mail them to his wife, and she puts it on some type of cassette. It's like he's in the studio, he's just not recording."

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Rihanna's suprise cameo Top Twitter Topic

Even though the VMAs were only half over, nothing got Twitter followers more excited than Rihanna's surprise opening performance with Eminem. Slim Shady launched the show with a performance of "Not Afraid," before the camera cut to Rihanna standing on the stage singing the opening chords of "Love the Way You Lie."

Fans took to Twitter with their thoughts, and Rihanna and Eminem became two of the most talked-about performers of the night. More than 4,700 tweets per minute were posted after Rihanna's performance, with the VMAs following her and Eminem being third most popular.

Justin bieber also tweeted about eminem

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Rick Ross 'Salutes' Eminem After VMA Rehearsal

The night before the vmas, Ross had the opportunity to play fly on the wall. He saw Eminem's rehearsal of "Not Afraid" and "Love the Way You Lie" a full day before fans laid their eyes on it.

"I actually had a chance to sit through the whole rehearsal yesterday, man, and got to watch Eminem rehearse and perform for the first time," Ross said on the white carpet. "You know, I gotta salute him. I gotta take my hat off. He's a dope lyricist. Actually, seeing him in person brought his rhymes that much more alive to me. I'm actually looking forward to seeing Eminem do his thing."

In the past, Ross has both challenged Slim Shady to a battle as well as said he wanted to collaborate with the Detroit rhyme icon. The Miami hitmaker did say that he and Em did not meet during the practice.

"Nah, not at all," Ross said when asked if they crossed paths. "I just played my position. Waited for my opportunity to rehearse. I wanted to take my hat off to commend a fellow MC."

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Eminem smashes vmas with suprise Rihanna cameo

Whenever Eminem is in the house at the MTV Video Music Awards, you know fireworks are in store. And after the promise of a triumphant performance, Slim Shady did not disappoint. Going into the night as the most-nominated male with eight nods -- including shots at Best Male Video, Best Hip-Hop Video and Video of the Year for his smash comeback hit "Not Afraid," he blasted open the 2010 VMAs with another of his legendary spectacles.

Though he's performed in public only a few times since beginning his return to form last year with Relapse after almost four years out of the spotlight dealing with a nearly fatal addiction to prescription medication, Marshall Mathers showed few signs of rust as he opened the night's proceedings.

Emerging on the dark stage, wearing a black hoodie and holding a gleaming silver microphone, he stared into the camera and ripped into the redemptive lyrics of "Afraid" on a set that paid homage to the place where it all began, Detroit's gritty St. Andrew's Hall, where a then-unknown Shady first made his name more than a decade ago in the dingy brick-walled basement during epic lyrical battles. Rapping the song's lyrics over a reworked spare piano-and-drums remix, a hungry look in his eye, Em was surrounded by a small audience of fans for the first verse until he turned around and descended the grand staircase onto the soon-to-be-legendary 2010 VMA stage.

Borrowing from the back-from-the-precipice theme of the "Afraid" clip, Shady paid tribute to the record-setting year he's had with Recovery by blowing the song up to mega-status with a full string section, chorus of Taiko drummers and a gospel choir that gave the through-the-fire anthem a soaring, majestic feel.

Backed by his hype man, Mr. Porter (who took the place of Em's best friend and fallen comrade, the late D12 staple Proof), Shady spit hard on the lyrics, "I been through the wringer, but they can do little to the middle finger/ I think I got a tear in my eye, I feel like the kind of my world/ Haters can make like bees with no stingers, and drop dead," punctuating the lines with karate-chop hand gestures and a nimble stroll across the gleaming black stage, which was accented by the glittering lights of a cityscape in the background.

Pointing to the sky, he signaled the night's first big shock, as Rihanna kicked into the chorus of their smash hit "Love the Way You Lie." Wearing a white gauzy dress and a flaming red wig bisected by a silver headband, RiRi did a slow walk toward Marshall as the set turned into a sea of red flames and she locked eyes with her musical foil. The pair ended the performance back-to-back as the music faded, hugging it out before walking off the stage and leaving the audience electrified and primed for the rest of the night's festivities.

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Justin bieber tweets about eminem

Bieber tweeted="Ran into @eminem in the hallway!!! I love this day! Still a kid...still a fan"

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Florence And The Machine Singer Wants Eminem's Autograph At The VMAs

Ever since she was announced as a (rather unexpected) multiple MTV Video Music Awards nominee last month, things have gotten sort of weird for Florence and the Machine's Florence Welch. It's not so much the awards show thing — back in her native U.K., they have become mainstays at shows like the Brits and the Q Awards — as it is the overwhelming number of questions Welch has had to answer about fellow VMA nominees Eminem and Lady Gaga (both of whom have videos up against her "Dog Days Are Over" clip for Video of the Year).

But it's not the pesky press dogging her. Rather, it's been members of her own family.

"I think my sister has already asked me [all the questions]. Everyone at home is like, 'What's Lady Gaga like? Are you going to meet Eminem?!'" Welch laughed. "The first single I ever bought was 'The Real Slim Shady,' and my sister said that I should bring it to the VMAs and get him to sign it. That'd be so funny. I'd be like, 'Hi, I bought this from Woolworth's when I was 11, can you sign it for me?' He'd be like, 'What's Woolworth's?' "

She's probably right. Last time we checked, they didn't have a Woolworth's in Detroit. Regardless, Welch's autograph quest is a pretty nice metaphor for her entire VMA experience. After all, Florence and the Machine are starting to make a dent Stateside. And at Sunday night's show, where they'll not only perform but are up for four Moonmen, they'll take another step toward mainstream success in the U.S.

But Welch isn't really thinking about any of that. To her, the whole VMA experience has been one big whirlwind, and not just because her family keeps bugging her about Em and Gaga.

"I was sitting on the floor at home [in London], and all of a sudden this commercial for the show came on, and it's all these big names, and explosions and things like that, and I thought to myself, 'Wait a minute, I'm just sitting here,' " she said. "I would imagine most of the other nominees were doing something else. Or at least something more interesting."

And to that end, she makes it very clear that if she were to somehow shock the world and win on Sunday, she will not only be extremely excited, but extremely unrehearsed, too.

"I haven't really thought about it, actually. I don't know what I would say if I got up there, who I would thank," she laughs. "Maybe I'll get [a thank-you list] tattooed on my arm. I don't know. I am really unprepared for all of this."

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Eminem's VMA-Opening Performance Will Be A 'Triumph'

Eminem's voyage from the depths of addiction to the top of the Billboard albums chart is perhaps the music story of 2010, so it's fitting that he'll head into Sunday night's Video Music Awards as the most-nominated male artist, with nods for Best Male Video, Best Hip-Hop Video and, of course, Video of the Year for his massive "Not Afraid."

And, given all that, it's equally fitting that he's opening the show too. While the details of his performance have been kept a closely guarded secret, we now know a few bits of key information: He will be drawing heavily from both his rocky road to redemption and his triumphant ascension back to the top.

"Eminem is opening the show, and the theme of his performance is 'triumph,' " VMA executive producer Dave Sirulnick told MTV News. "It's a testament to the year he's had, his return to the top.

"He tells a story, and the viewers will definitely pick up on that."

Rehearsals for Em's performance are sure to be a closed-set affair, so we're a little short on specifics, but it sounds very much like he'll be taking his fans on a personal voyage. Of course, that's part of why his Recovery has been such a huge success: He doesn't flinch, and he doesn't hide from the truth. The album is an incredibly personal listen, not to mention a particularly brave effort. And come VMA night — where he's the odds-on favorite to take home plenty of hardware — he'll continue to get personal and continue to be brave. It's what makes him the best in the business, really.

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday. The party starts with MTV News' VMA Pre-Show at 8 p.m., followed by the main event at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Fans can go to VMA.MTV.com (or text VMA to 97979 if they are Verizon subscribers) to vote for Best New Artist from now through Sunday.

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Eminem Will Open This Years MTV VMAs

It looks like Eminem has been selected to open the curtains at this weekend's MTV Video Music Awards. The choice was confirmed by MTV general manager Stephen Friedman recently.
Mtv's manager Stephen Friedman said about opening of vmas by eminem-We thought that there's no better way to kick off the show than a performance from Eminem.

Eminem, who is nominated for eight trophies - will open Sunday's ceremony at the Nokia Theatre in LA, which has been transformed with a sprawling white set.

The mtv vmas 2010 will kickstart at sharp at 9 pm at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles,california.

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Eminem To Battle For Number 1 Again

Eminem will once again battle it out for the number one spot on the sales charts next week, this time with Epic Records recording artist, Sara Bareilles. Her "Kaleidoscope" album is set to sell around 80-90k which will put her right next to Eminem's "Recovery" which is also set to do around 90,000 more copies sold.

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Alchemist Talks Dr Dre At Eminem & Jay-Z Show

Eminem's DJ, The Alchemist, recently spoke about the Eminem and Jay-Z shows in Detroit and the special guests who came out, including Dr Dre.

"I think Em tested the waters [for these shows in Detroit and New York] when we did the Europe tour. You could tell when he went out there in [Europe], when he saw the reaction of the people again, it was like, ‘Right.’ He’s been through so much. For him to be out there sober, this is the first time he’s hitting the stage — God bless the dead — without Proof. The [European shows] were big shows and a big step. You got the feeling he knew he had the step still, and people love him the same way. I looked at the crowds in Europe and said, “You have to do those shows in America.” A lot of times you go overseas. The love is the same. But the energy you see at these festivals [overseas], wow! Coming back from that and hitting the stage [Thursday in Detroit], reassured me, with a little bit of organization and some thought, the energy is the same in America. I was thrilled, like, “Wow. We brought it home.”

"From the DJ booth Thursday night, it was hard. You see the sea of people on the floor. If I looked up, I saw a full stadium of people. If I squinted my eyes real hard when the records were playing, I could see them going just as hard as the people in the front were. That was amazing. Even when Jay hit the stage, he had to pause and take a moment to take it all in. I felt that too. That’s not scripted."

"When Dre came out, that moment of the show, I became a fan. I was no longer DJing. At that moment when Dre came out, it was like, “Oooooh.” He was five feet from me, he came out the floor. He was rising. It was like watching a video. It was the theatrics of a video. When he came out and did his Dre bop, it was like he never left. When Em said, “You see what I do for you, Detroit”, I knew Em was really comfortable."

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Ca$his talks about how Eminem's decision to get clean influenced him

AllHipHop.com: Did any of the situations Eminem went through with his decision to go to rehab, did that influence your decision to change your life?

Ca$his: No, because I didn’t know he was going to rehab. They kept it a secret from everybody. Because we used to talk everyday, than it became less and less. And I just thought that he was working, then he came out, and we talked about it, and it was so eye opening, and was like oh shit. But me, I used to go in the studio with like 80 valium, literally 80 valium, and record. And my speech used to be all slurred. Like, I couldn’t annunciate for nothing. What did it for me is that I kept getting in trouble. I kept getting cases, and it caused me to keep losing everything. I had looked up, and I had almost lost my family. My girl had came to me, and said look what you doing to yourself, baby. Like you don’t even know your kids, you don’t even know yourself. That’s not you. You becoming a walking zombie.

I just knew that I was moving too fast. You know, I was kind of hostile all the time. That ain’t a good influence on Eminem. Cause I’m sitting here popping pills, and he’s trying to get clean secretively. He can’t be around me, because I’m professing it. I got Xanax bars tattooed on me. I’m like we got them everywhere we go, pills by the hundred. Obviously, you would want that around someone who is trying there best to get clean. So, I started going through my own things, and started to get well. It just so happen that it was at a similar time that Em did. So, when I popped up in New York, and I was like what’s up, they were shocked because they could see a clear difference. And they were like, aww man, he’s back. Everything has been lovely every since then, and the music has been speaking for itself.

You can read rest of the interview here


Source: AllHipHop.com

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Dre Not Proud Of Crack A Bottle Grammy

Superproducer DR. DRE refuses to show off the Grammy Award he won for his EMINEM collaboration CRACK A BOTTLE - because they were only forced to release the song after it leaked online.

The rap legend produced and featured on the track alongside Eminem and 50 Cent, with a view to including it on the Stan hitmaker's 2009 album Relapse.

An unfinished version of the tune made its way online in December 2008 and record label executives at Interscope decided to rush it out as a single in February 2009.

Crack A Bottle landed the hip-hop heavyweights the 2010 Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group - but Dre has no desire to put the prestigious trophy on display at his Los Angeles home because the finished track has no "heart".

He tells Vibe magazine, "It's like a stab in the stomach. First of all we weren't even going to release the song. We won a Grammy for it, but I'm not even considering putting the Grammy up. My wife has a problem with that because she wants all of my achievements to be up in the house. But the way it came, it doesn't mean the same to me.

"We didn't get a chance to do the song with our heart in it because we had to go in and rush it out. We went in one day and finished it at least so people could hear a proper version but we didn't get to put our heart and soul in it..."

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The Rapper Eyes Up An Evil New Role…

We loved him in ‘8 Mile’ – and now it seems Eminem could be gracing our movie screens once again!

The rapper, who played the role of Jimmy ‘B-Rabbit ’ in the 2002 semi-biographical flick, is desperate to star in the next ‘Batman’ movie.

In an interview with National Enquirer the ‘Not Afraid’ singer said,

“You know I ain’t no fiddler…You tell them Batman biggies, I wanna play The Riddler!”

And while he might rule the hip-hop world, when it comes to bagging the part of the baddie, he faces some stiff competition from some of Hollywood’s finest actors, including Johnny Depp and ‘Inception’ hunk Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Last year Em, who’s still riding high at the top of the charts with his comeback album ‘Recovery’ spoke out about his desire to further his acting career.

He said at the time, “I am looking at scripts and I’m looking to get back into it quite soon.

"I don’t know exactly how soon I will get back but it will be soon.”

Would you like to see Eminem back on the big screen? Let us know by commenting below…

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Lady Gaga Pops Up At Eminem, Jay-Z Detroit Show

The stars definitely came out for Eminem and Jay-Z.

The hip-hop heavyweights brought big-name guests like Dr. Dre, 50 Cent and Drake onstage during their two-night Home and Home Tour run at Detroit's Comerica Park. One megastar didn't hit the stage but did show support during the duo's final Motor City show: Lady Gaga.

According to The Detroit News, the pop sensation, who was in town for her own Monster Ball Tour date on Saturday (September 4), checked out the show from a raised platform in the middle of the arena. Decked out in a silver miniskirt and sporting sable-colored locks, the native New Yorker grooved to Jigga and Alicia Keys' smash "Empire State of Mind." Gaga even threw up the Roc-A-Fella diamond when Hov ripped The Blueprint album cut "U Don't Know." Rap-Up.com reports the singer sipped from a plastic cup throughout the show, and took in Jay's set for about an hour before retreating backstage.

There's a good chance that Gaga and Em will cross paths during another major show: the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. The hitmakers have corralled the most Moonmen nods, with Gaga landing a record-shattering 13 nominations and Eminem scoring eight. The pop supernova's "Bad Romance" and the chart-topping MC's "Not Afraid" will also face off in the coveted Video of the Year category

After pulling off a slew of all-star guest appearances and shutting things down with two triumphant high-energy D-Town shows, Em will hit the stage at the VMAs, which will be broadcast live from Los Angeles on September 12.

Did you see Jay-Z and Eminem in concert? Let us know in the comments below!

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Eminem, Jay-Z Fans Recall Favorite Moments From Detroit Shows

There's no question that Jay-Z and Eminem's Home and Home Tour stops in Detroit were two of the biggest events the city's hip-hop community has ever seen.

On the final night, Em and Hov fans recounted an unforgettable show to MTV News, in which rap titans like Dr. Dre and 50 Cent joined Shady and Jigga on the Comerica Park stage.

Although she "loves Eminem," one D-Town fan gave Hov's set the biggest props. "It had to be Jigga. Coming from underneath, giving a shout-out to [Michael Jackson], it was Jigga," she said.

Another concertgoer said witnessing the hip-hop heavyweights rip up the stage with one of their classic collabos was her favorite moment of the night. "Probably when Eminem and Jay-Z got on the stage together [for 'Renegade']," Lindsay said, describing the show highlight. "That was pretty tight." Fellow audience member Bridget echoed the same sentiment, bellowing, "Renegade!"

Some fans loved when Em made a move that few hip-hop stars have the clout to pull off, and brought out his mentor, Aftermath kingpin and rap pioneer Dr. Dre.

"My favorite part was when Dr. Dre came out," said Jen, who was accompanied by a fellow Doc-loving pal. "We've been ... big [fans] for forever."

As Jay-Z and Em signed off from the Motor City, many fans were amped they were able to witness the historic show firsthand.

"I'm glad I was a part of it," said Dianca. "It was a great concert, it was awesome. I love Jay-Z."

Clutching an Eminem tee and bubbling with post-show energy, Christina was grateful for the opportunity to see the superstar MCs work magic in the D. "It was amazing. I'm glad I didn't miss it," she enthused. "I'm glad I got to be there. I really feel sorry for everyone who did miss it but it was awesome."

Juanita trekked from Jacksonville, Florida but conceded that the Motown show was a singular event.

"I loved everything 'cause I love Jay-Z. I loved the [extra guests] they brought out, I love Dr. Dre. I love everybody, Eminem, everybody!" she said. "Go Detroit, yeah! Only in the D!"

Did you see Jay-Z and Eminem in concert? Let us know in the comments below!

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Eminem's DJ Alchemist 'Became A Fan' In Detroit

ETROIT — To steal a line from Bun B, Jay-Z and Eminem did everything but walk on water for the crowd at Comerica Park on Thursday and Friday. G-Unit, Young Jeezy, Drake, D12 and Dr. Dre were all guests at the shows, playing on a stage so huge, you could fit the entire Tigers and Lions teams on it. Before night two of the Home and Home Tour, MTV News talked to the man who had a very integral role in Em's set, the Alchemist.

Though Em tried out something new with a live band, he also had Al holding down his duties on the 1's and 2's. A few hours before taking the stage on Friday night, Al gave us his recap about the combustion at Comerica.

"I think Em tested the waters [for these shows in Detroit and New York] when we did the Europe tour," Alchemist said. "You could tell when he went out there in [Europe], when he saw the reaction of the people again, it was like, 'Right.' He's been through so much. For him to be out there sober, this is the first time he's hitting the stage — God bless the dead — without Proof. The [European shows] were big shows and a big step. You got the feeling he knew he had the step still, and people love him the same way.

"I looked at the crowds in Europe and said, 'You have to do those shows in America,' " he continued. "A lot of times you go overseas. The love is the same. But the energy you see at these festivals [overseas], wow! Coming back from that and hitting the stage [Thursday in Detroit], reassured me, with a little bit of organization and some thought, the energy is the same in America. I was thrilled, like, 'Wow. We brought it home.'

"From the DJ booth [Thursday] night, it was hard. You see the sea of people on the floor. If I looked up, I saw a full stadium of people. If I squinted my eyes real hard when the records were playing, I could see them going just as hard as the people in the front were. That was amazing. Even when Jay hit the stage, he had to pause and take a moment to take it all in. I felt that too. That's not scripted.

"When Dre came out, that moment of the show, I became a fan. I was no longer DJing. At that moment when Dre came out, it was like, 'Oooooh.' He was five feet from me, he came out the floor. He was rising. It was like watching a video. It was the theatrics of a video. When he came out and did his Dre bop, it was like he never left," Al observed. "When Em said, 'You see what I do for you, Detroit,' I knew Em was really comfortable.

"When Drake came out, it's safe to say women really like Drake," Alchemist added. "The guys, of course, like him as well, but the ladies — it was a shock. I've seen them do ['Forever'] a couple times. Last night was their best interaction. They're getting into a zone where they are comfortable."

Were you at the Eminem and Jay-Z Home and Home shows? Share your concert reviews here!

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Eminem Turns Up The Volume In Detroit

DETROIT — By the time Eminem got to "Cinderella Man," near the bottom of his set list on Friday night, the air was filled with so much audible adoration for Slim Shady, Sam Kinison himself could have rose from the grave and screamed in your ear and you wouldn't hear it. The crowd at Comerica Park was so loud, many people had to text message the person sitting right next to them.

Once again, Eminem was treated like a pharaoh. He was the closer on a two-night stand of concerts headlined by him and Jay-Z.

The stadium seemed a tad bit fuller and two notches louder than Thursday — that's not to say the love on Thursday from the audience wasn't overwhelmingly prevalent. Slim Shady is the undisputed reigning king of the Motor City.

Once again, he turned in a very energetic, enthusiastic, inspired performance. This is a man in love with life, it looks like.

With the Alchemist DJing, a band playing and Mr. Porter from D12 as his hypeman, Em's Friday set was close to Thursday's. Of the many guest stars who took the stage on the first night, only Drake, who had a show in San Francisco, was absent.

Marshall Mathers rolled out instant classics, such as his opener, "Won't Back Down," and the song that made his career explode, "My Name Is."

On the part of the song where Em raps "Dr. Dre says..." Dre Dre himself rose from under the stage.

Cue pandemonium. Seeing a performance by Dre — who is rarely even seen anywhere, let alone on a stage — is surreal as it gets. During "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang," on which Eminem rapped Snoop Dogg's parts, 50 Cent strolled out onstage with a smile. Curiously, Em and Dre did not perform "Forgot About Dre."

"I love y'all, Detroit," Dre said. "I appreciate the love again."

Em, chimed in, "Detroit, do I love y'all or what?" He then commanded they show Dre how much they loved him.

"Deeeeeetox" chants, rang out. "I'm going to the studio," the Doc answered with a smile.

"Even in the rehearsals, after we did it, [Dre] was like, 'Yo, this is crazy.' I don't think he's been on a big stage since the Up in Smoke tour," Alchemist told MTV News earlier in the day.

Em ended the night with "Not Afraid" and his encore "Lose Yourself."

Once again, B.o.B opened the show, followed by Jay-Z. All three MCs will perform in New York on September 13 and 14.

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Eminem Channels Marlon Brando For VMA Promo

"I'm ready for my close-up," joked Eminem, who had two plugs rammed up his nose on the set of his MTV Video Music Awards appearance promo. Even though the superstar MC was covered in prosthetic bruises and hobbles away from an enflamed car in the commercial for the VMAs, Eminem kept things light behind the scenes at his shoot. In fact, the Recovery rapper said that he wasn't stressing the details, but was there get the job done and maybe horse around a little bit.

"They tell me that it's something for the VMAs, but I've been in my little rat hole. They just let me out to play," Eminem said. "So I'm kind of like that hamster in the ball, when they let him out and he runs around in the ball. I'm in my little ball right now, running around."

In between the running around, the hip-hop megastar, who is up for eight Moonmen, managed to turn in an intense performance in the clip. The commercial opens to the strains of "Not Afraid," with Em limping away from an overturned car right before it bursts into flames with a blast that sends the rapper toppling to the ground. After an onlooker helps him up, a slew of young men in '50s period clothing watch Em stagger along as he gains an upright, steely-eyed version of himself. Then, the confident, unharmed Eminem leads the crew of young men toward a city skyline in the distance. The rapper explained that the visual is based on a scene from a classic 1954 Marlon Brando flick. "It's kind of a take on 'On the Waterfront.' Like, loosely," Em explained. "The car is exploding and I'm hurt."

The promo is infused with the high drama of the chart-topping MC's return to the top of the music game after battling the lows of a debilitating drug addiction. If the power of the visual short is any indication, Em is going to run things as a performer at this year's VMAs.

What are you expecting from Eminem's appearance at the VMAs? Let us know in the comments below!

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12. The party starts with MTV News' VMA Pre-Show at 8 p.m., followed by the main event at 9 p.m. ET. Fans can go to VMA.MTV.com (or text VMA to 97979 if they are Verizon subscribers) to vote for Best New Artist from now through September 12.

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Eminem & Jay-Z Bring Out Tons Of Guests

Stars like Dr Dre, 50 Cent, Drake and more were just SOME of the guests brought out during Eminem and Jay-Z's show at Comerica Park in Detroit last night. Check out this story from Billboard below.

It's a motif the New York visitor returned to often, as he did his part to get the stadium shows off on a good foot with an energetic, aggressive and loud 80-plus minutes, during which he and his band throwed through more than 30 songs -- all without making the set feel crammed or rushed. Dressed all in black (of course) and sporting sunglasses (of course), Jay-Z came out swinging hard with an opening salvo of "Dynasty," "Run This Town," "Free Mason," "On to the Next One" and "D.O.A.," prowling the front of the centerfield stage as a large oval screen mixed live close-ups with video images. Perhaps deferring to the hometown headliner -- though he never mentioned Eminem by name during his set -- Jay-Z went light on guests in Detroit but did bring out Jeezy for a four-song mini-set, while Memphis Bleek joined in as hype man for two-thirds of the show, starting with "Take Over" and "You Don't Know," and had the crowd twirling T-shirts during "Big Pimpin'." (Billboard)

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Jay-Z, Eminem Stadium Show A Victory For Hip-Hop, Critics Say

It's one thing to produce a legendary concert, it's another for it to actually go down without a hitch. Jay-Z and Eminem set the bar pretty high for themselves back in May when they announced they'd be performing two nights of stadium shows in each of their respective hometowns. That's literally months of anticipation, and anything could have gone wrong during that time.

But according to early reports, last night's show at Detroit's Comerica Park was nothing short of historical.

"What [Detroit] got was an evening that may well go down as a milestone for hip-hop," Brian McCollum wrote in USA Today. "Rock 'n' roll has its enduring concert superstars, its Springsteens and Stones. But for hip-hop — whose live legacy has been comprised mostly of flash-and-burn young acts and retro-circuit oldies — Thursday's confident, high-quality production represented something unique. It was loud, resounding evidence that hip-hop can do the larger-than-life thing, too."

Aside from the evening being momentous for hip-hop culture, it was also a return to form for one of Detroit's native sons. "Eminem set out to confront his past demons, put them to rest and claim a victorious and potent present," Gary Graff wrote at Billboard.com. "[H]e largely did during an exhaustive, guest-filled 100-minute performance at Detroit's Comerica Park that spanned his entire recording career with full or partial performances of 33 songs."

At Spin.com, Chris Handyside wrote, "Both men stepped up huge with a one-two punch of sets that over four hours encapsulated the hip-hop flavors of their cities and pop music in general. For his part, Jay was at ease delivering a catalog of career-spanning crowd-pleasers from 'The Dynasty' to 'Hard Knock Life' to a majestic 'Empire State of Mind' ... Jay is, simply, a rock star."

But according to Handyside, for all the spectacle Jay's show had, it was merely an alley-oop for Em to slam-dunk the night away. "This was Eminem's night, after all was said and done," he said.

At the MTV Newsroom blog, Kyle Anderson compared the night's festivities, complete with its revolving circus of guest performers — Dr. Dre, D12, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Drake, Young Jeezy and Memphis Bleek — to the Band's 1976 retirement concert, "The Last Waltz."

"[T]he cameos were piling up like the junker cars that lined Em's set," Adam Graham wrote in The Detroit News. "Drake joined him for 'Forever,' returning a favor for when Em appeared at the Toronto rapper's hometown performance earlier this summer; 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks came on for mini-set of 50 Cent songs, including 'Patiently Waiting' and 'In Da Club'; and Dr. Dre appeared — wearing a Proof shirt, no less — and did a small set of songs with Em, including 'Nuthin' but a G Thang' and 'Still D.R.E.' Em got the crowd to chant for Dre's long-delayed Detox LP as Dre left the stage, and the reclusive star promised, 'I'm comin'!' "

But Graham also wrote that Em's performance dragged a bit during a D12 mini-set. He also noted that Jay-Z has played a lot more shows in the past few years, and hints that as a result, Jay's show seemed a bit more refined. "Unlike Eminem," he wrote, [Jay-Z] didn't seem to be relying on pre-recorded tracks to bolster his vocals."

Could be much ado about nothing, though, as Handyside felt differently. "Where Jay put on a full-on polished show," he wrote, "Em hosted a loose cannon revue and seemed to enjoy every minute of it. He's made clear that he's through with the 'game' element of hip-hop. And Thursday he let it be known what that looked like."

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Eminem's Return Thrills Detroit Fans

DETROIT — Thursday (September 2) was a night that the people of Detroit will never forget. Eminem, who hadn't performed in his hometown for years, co-headlined a show at Comerica Park with Jay-Z. And if you ask Em's fans, it was more than worth the wait.

"It was pretty sweet," said Jon Bitz. "Eminem was out there, doing his thing. I thought it was pretty much the best concert I've ever been to."

Jay-Z and Eminem pulled out all the stops at the show, which was chock-full of surprise guests. Local resident Juvenal Gutierrize said the re-emergence of Dr. Dre sent a number of ladies into a frenzy. "It went crazy when Dr. Dre came out. A bunch of girls lost their panties," said Gutierrize. "There was panties flying all over."

Gutierrize was also happy to see the return of D12. "It was also good to see D12 back together and [hear] them talk about Proof," he said. "Rest in peace, Proof."

"Seeing Dre was probably my best part," said Anthony Crachiola. "I definitely love Eminem."

Sara Ohle and Gioviani Villannava celebrated their birthdays at the show, and they wouldn't have missed it for the world. "We came out here all the way from Riverside and Corona, California, just to see Jay-Z and Eminem — mostly Eminem," said Ohle, who missed a flight from the West Coast but still managed to make it to Detroit on time for the show. "We loved him. He topped all of our dreams and everything that we could expect."

While the whole night was one to remember, it was Eminem who especially thrilled his hometown fans. "Jay-Z came out and he ripped it. He did it big," said Edward Richardson. "But basically Eminem finished the show. He shut it down."

Thursday night's concert was first of two sold-out shows with Em and Jay as headliners, and the show on Friday will likely draw more than a few repeat visitors.

"Best rap show in history," said Jordan Degeorge, who traveled from Wisconsin to be at Comerica Park. "You've got everyone — Eminem, 50 Cent, D12, Dr. Dre, Drake, Jay-Z, Young Jeezy. Best show of all time."

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Eminem, Jay-Z Joined By Dr. Dre, Drake At Historic Detroit Concert

Detroit hasn't screamed this loud at a baseball park since Kirk Gibson was hitting home runs in the 1984 World Series. Hip-hop history was made as Jay-Z and Eminem co-headlined the Motor City's Comerica Park (home of the D-Town Tigers for the past decade) on Thursday night (September 2), the first of two shows on consecutive nights.

While Jay's high-grossing touring schedule helped him to top this year's Forbes' "Hip-Hop Cash King" list, Eminem took a much-needed sabbatical to deal with a myriad of personal issues. Now beyond his darkest hour, Em had one of his brightest moments ever onstage. Not only did he gift his hometown with a seemingly endless string of hits, he pulled off some major surprises. After D12, 50 Cent and the G-Unit — acts that fans likely expected — came out for performances with Em, Slim Shady pulled off a shocker. Dr. Dre came out, first stunning the people then delighting them with smashes.

After his name appeared on the Comerica big screen, the man heralded by many as the greatest producer of his time came out to the opening notes of his world-famous "Next Episode." Then the familiar first keys of "Still Dre" were played.

"Haters say Dre fell off," the Doc rapped. "How n---a? My last album was The Chronic."

After that, the Shady/Aftermath duo took it back to Dre's Chronic days with "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang."

"One, two, three and to the fo," Em rapped in Snoop's cadence.

" 'Cause you know we came to rip sh-- up!" Dre spit later.

Dr. Dre appeared to be in the best shape of his life. Wearing a T-shirt with the late Proof's face printed on it, Dre looked strong enough to end the Undertaker's undefeated streak at Wrestlemania.

"Got dammit, Detroit. Do I love you or what?" Eminem asked his fans. "Look what I brought out for you."

Em then told Dre he wanted him to feel the love; Detox chants followed.

"Deeee-tox. Deeee-tox," they yelled from the bleachers to the bullpen. Dre just smiled and said, "I'm Comin'!"

One would-be guest who couldn't attend for obvious reasons was Lil Wayne. But Shady made sure to salute Weezy after "No Love." And the Young Money flag did wave proudly in Detroit as Drake came out for "Forever" and gave a special nod to the Motor City.

"In Detroit, faded off the brown," Drake rapped.

"Nino!!!!" the crowd responded.

"I'm so honored to be here to tonight. This is history in the making. I want y'all to make some noise for the muthaf---in' legend that is Emimem."

Em's legend was largely built off his mastery of music and a catalog made for the kind of environment he played on Thursday: stadiums. The Detroit rapper has been making sing-along anthems throughout his career. Not just tracks you rap in the shower or in the car, but big records like "Sing for the Moment," "Stan" and "Cleaning Out My Closet" — tracks practically begging for an audience of tens of thousands holding lighters up. Em proved he still has that rare connection with his fanbase. Grown men took off their shirts and got rock-n-roll rowdy when he rapped.

"Got dammit, Detroit, I'm back," Em said early on in the night. "Did you miss me?"

It was clear that Em missed his fans as well. He was engaging, lively and energetic on this night. After the "Real Slim Shady" and "Without Me," Em thanked his fans again.

"I love you. This song is for you." "Not Afraid" followed. After screams of "encore, encore," Em brought out the Unit, D12 and Detroit legend Trick Trick who had earlier performed on "Lose Yourself."

Thursday's Home and Home show kicked off with B.o.B, who came back later for "Airplanes, Pt. 2," and set the tone with a quick set that included "Nothin' on You."

The audience was eventually alerted that the Jiggaman was 10 minutes away from showtime. Two clocks filled two oversize screens on the enormous stage while the Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" blared from the speakers. When the countdown hit "0," Jay rose from beneath the stage, the lyrically intricate "Dynasty Intro" being played by his band, the Roc Boys. Then a brief snippet of "Lucifer" played before Jay went into his jaw-dropping verse from Rick Ross' "Free Mason."

During "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)," Jay rhymed "this might need a verse from Jeezy." On cue, the Snowman came out for the "Dey Know" remix followed by "Soul Survivor." His mini-set ended with "Put on for My City" and "Lose My Mind."

After that though, it was the Jay hit parade — with assistance from Memphis Bleek. The Brooklyn duo rocked with a flurry of big records, including "You Don't Know," "99 Problems" and "(Originator 99)." During "Big Pimpin'," Jay delivered Pimp C's verse in the late UGK legend's cadence.

"What y'all know about them Deetroit boys?" Hov asked.

A tribute to hip-hop's fallen soldiers ensued, as the audience shouted in unison, "Prrrrrooooooooof!"

"I know y'all going through a lot, but Detroit has heart and Detroit will be back," Jay said.

Hov and Slim Shady shared but a few minutes of stage time as Jay emerged for "Renegade" during Em's set.

The Home and Home Tour continues Friday night (September 3) at Comerica Park and comes to the Bronx, New York, on September 13 and 14 at Yankee Stadium.

Were you at Jay and Em's Detroit stop? Tell us what you thought of the show!

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Eminem, Jay-Z Fans Travel Across U.S. For Detroit Concert

Very rarely do two hip-hop titans of Eminem and Jay-Z's caliber team up to mount a series of stadium shows for their legions of rabid fans. Still, it's astonishing to see the lengths that Shady and Hov heads would go to see the pair onstage. Their fans crisscrossed the country to see the duo light up the stage at Comerica Park in Em's hometown of Detroit. The Thursday (September 2) event is the first stop on the duo's Home and Home Tour and their followers showed major support, braving a possible downpour and donning Jay and Em memorabilia.

"We're all psyched," said one fan who had rolled to the concert with three other homies. "How many times do you get to see Eminem play in his [hometown of] Detroit?" The fan, sporting a Jigga/Eminem T-shirt, added that the outing was really special because it was the first live show he'd attended. "The fact that it's Eminem and Jay-Z just helps a lot."

Kipper revealed that he and his buddy J.T. traveled from Green Bay, Wisconsin, to take in the show. "I ... came down to [see] something different, something big. This is the biggest concert of the year," he marveled. "You'll never see anything like it again."

Two of the rappers' most dedicated fans not only crossed state lines to catch the Comerica show but even employed their passports, trekking from Ottawa, Canada, for the collabo concert.

"I really hope Eminem plays 'Going Through Changes' [from Recovery]. I really like that song," said Karen who, along with her friend, had fashioned homemade tees emblazoned with lyrics from The Eminem Show's "Superman" and two Jay-Z's smashes, "Run This Town" and "99 Problems."

Another fan, Jay, who traveled from Pittsburgh, was happy that Em was giving back to his hometown in the form of a major musical event.

"He should show the love from where he came from. They helped him to get where he's at. The least [he] could do is put on a big-bang show for 'em [and] show some respect," he said. He added that he was checking out the show to see some of the game's most talented MCs show their skills. "I mean, the best two lyricists to ever do it [are performing]. So, I'm trying to come and get some knowledge real quick."

Not even bad weather could stop fans from seeing the Grammy-winning legends hit the stage. "I'm just so pumped to see it," "D" said. "I'll see it in the rain, I don't care."

One concertgoer, who donned a tank top that read "#1 Fan," had a personal message for Shady: "Eminem if you ever see this, my name is Lindsay and I go to Michigan State and you should totally call me."

Are you going to see Jay-Z and Eminem in concert? Did you catch the Detroit show? Let us know in the comments!

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Eminem And Jay-Z: By The Numbers

Cincinnati Bengals wide-receiving duo Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens refer to themselves as the Batman and Robin of the NFL, but in the hip-hop world, Jay-Z and Eminem are more like the Batman and Superman of music. And just like it's rare to see the two titans of comics together in the same panel, you know it's a special occasion when Slim Shady and Jigga team up for a live show.

That's why fans are freaking out about the first of four planned joint concerts between the dynamic duo, which kick off at Em's hometown stadium, Comerica Park, on Thursday night (September 2) and wind up next weekend in Jay's backyard at Yankee Stadium on September 12 and 13. Nobody knows who the pair will bring onstage as special guests or what they'll play, though we did learn Wednesday that VMA nominee B.o.B will open all four dates.

But how do the massive careers of these two titans measure up? Both have sold tens of millions of albums and played to hundreds of thousands of fans during their decade-plus in the public eye, and each brings a unique strength and style.

Let's break down their numbers to get a sense of what led up to this historic collabo:

On the Charts
Eminem has been a chart titan for his entire career, posting six #1 albums in a row on the Billboard 200, along with four #1 singles on the Billboard singles chart. According to Nielsen SoundScan, his U.S. album sales are 38.3 million, with an additional 30.5 million U.S. downloads on songs where he's the lead artist.

His best-selling download to date is "Lose Yourself," which SoundScan reports has sold 2.9 million copies, while his feature on the Akon tune "Smack That" pads his résumé with another 3 million in downloads credited to 'Kon. Marshall's best-selling album is The Marshall Mathers LP, which has banked more than 10 million copies.

Jay has some equally gaudy numbers, beginning with a jaw-dropping 11 #1 albums on the Billboard 200, along with four #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, though that includes only one solo #1, "Empire State of Mind," and three features.

Though Eminem has stronger overseas sales, Jigga's not far behind in total U.S. album sales, with Nielsen SoundScan reporting that the Yankees fan has sold 31.4 million discs to date, including collaborative works with R. Kelly and Linkin Park. He's also no slouch in the download department, clocking 21.4 million downloaded tracks as a lead artist, with the Alicia Keys-featuring track "Empire State of Mind" ringing up his biggest digital numbers at 3.9 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Vol. 2 ... Hard Knock Life stands as Jay's best-selling album to date, with more than 5.3 million units shifted.

When Nielsen SoundScan released the list of the best-selling artists of the decade so far, Em topped it at 31.1 million, with Jay rounding out the top 10 at #10 with 19.4 million.

The pair are almost even when it comes to Grammys, with Eminem edging out Jay 11-10. But when you tally up total worldwide sales, it's clear that Slim Shady holds the crown, with more than 80 million units shifted to Jay's 40 million.

On the Stage
"Rap, as a genre, does not translate as well to a concert stage as bands in the recorded music world," Pollstar Editor in Chief Gary Bongiovanni said. "And not a lot of acts have that strong a touring career, but among touring rap artists, I'd have to say these two, along with 50 Cent, are among the most successful touring rap artists of their time."

Eminem has the lighter touring résumé, according to Bongiovanni. Unlike Jay, who has toured more than half a dozen times in this decade, Em, 37, has only really had a handful of major outings, starting with some non-headlining dates in 2001 on the Up in Smoke Tour, as well as taking the lead on the inaugural dates of his Anger Management package.

In 2002, he headlined the second Anger Management outing, hooking up with Papa Roach, Ludacris and Xzibit and the X-Ecutioners, which Bongiovanni said averaged around 23,000 fans per show and grossed $1.3 million per date and, like the first effort, also went overseas for some European dates.

There were a few sporadic shows in 2003, and then Em brought Anger Management back in 2005 with Ludacris, G-Unit, Lil Jon and 50 Cent for a 24-show swing that, according to the data on the 22 shows reported to Pollstar, averaged more than 15,000 fans and grossed more than $1 million per show. The planned European dates were scotched when Em checked into rehab for treatment of an addiction to prescription medication.

Since then, Shady has only performed a handful of times. "There's something to be said for pent-up demand," Bongiovanni said of Eminem's success at drawing major crowds during his sporadic touring career.

Jay, 40, on the other hand, has lately made touring an intricate part of his career. He's gone from headlining 3,000- to 6,000-seat venues in 2001 to playing to an average of more than 10,000 on his aborted Best of Both Worlds double-bill with R. Kelly in 2004 — which grossed more than $1.4 million per stop — and right around that for his 2009 Blueprint 3 Tour with N.E.R.D., Wale and J. Cole. That tour hit arenas and played to an average of 8,500 fans, grossing $543,000 per show.

While he continues to be a big draw in Europe, with his high-energy, full-band presentation, Jay solidified his place as one of the premier rap touring acts in the U.S. in 2010 by hooking up with Young Jeezy and Trey Songz for a sold-out arena tour that averaged 12,900 fans and around $1 million per show, according to Pollstar. Jay will also open some dates for U2 in November and made stops at the Coachella and Bonnaroo festivals this summer.

The Scorecard
That puts the two rap giants around even, so you can expect them to bring the goods at what promises to be a historic four-night stand.

What special guests do you hope Em and Jay will bring out at the hometown shows? Let us know in the comments!

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Eminem Beef With Insane Clown Posse Long Over

Eminem and Jay-Z will take the stage at Comerica Park in Slim Shady's hometown of Detroit on Thursday (September 2) for the kickoff of the unprecedented Home and Home concerts. The shows feature arguably the world's two biggest MCs onstage together in baseball stadiums in each of their respective birthplaces. There was a time back in the day when the idea of Eminem representing Detroit would have called forth the ire of fellow Motor City madmen Insane Clown Posse, but that is now water under the bridge.

"The beef we had with him was 11 years ago," Shaggy 2 Dope explained. "That's like beefing with somebody in high school and going to your 20th high school reunion, and you still have heat with that kid?"

In fact, the proverbial hatchet between Em and ICP has been buried for quite a few years, and the credit for that goes to late D12 member Proof. "Proof squashed that beef before he passed away," Violent J said. "He contacted us and we had a bowling game — it was really cool. We're something different. They could have skipped over us and said forget them, but they included us and said let's squash it."

ICP have even been enthusiasts of Eminem's later work. "Some people call it horrorcore, we call it the wicked sh--, but it was cool to see him dabbling with that again on the first Relapse record, with '3 A.M.' and stuff like that," Violent J added.

Though their lyrics remain as intense as ever, ICP have clearly mellowed a bit. They have good reason to, as the 20-year veterans have legions of followers (the Juggalos), a minor merchandising empire and their very own annual festival. Their latest project is a just-released film called "Big Money Rustlas," comedy-western and a spiritual prequel to their cult hit "Big Money Hustlas."

With their focus on a number of different business ventures, ICP are goal-oriented. And though they're cool with Eminem putting a face on the city they call home, they've got goals of their own. "We're not really looking at how well he's representing Detroit, because we're representing Detroit ourselves," Violent J said. "So we got our eye on that prize."

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DJ Khaled Says An Eminem Collabo Would 'Rip The Streets Apart'

DJ Khaled is in the production stage of his upcoming LP, We the Best Forever. He has beats cooking every night in the We the Best studio in Miami. But while most of the people he wants on this project already have solid relationships with the mogul DJ, there is one MC he's never met — nor done a song with — and he needs him to be a part of the movement.

"The list goes on and on," Khaled said after rattling off some of the names of his past collaborators, including Kanye West, Jay-Z, the Birdman, Lil Wayne, T.I. and Akon. "This album I'm working with them boys again. It's gonna get bigger and bigger. The collaboration I want to make happen and the people want to make happen is a DJ Khaled/ Eminem collaboration. I know if I get with Eminem and put him on one of my anthems ... 'cause I make these anthems. I got something so special in my drive that for Eminem on there."

He added that if Em doesn't want to team up off the strength of Khaled's track record alone, then he should do it for hip-hop.

"We're doing it for hip-hop. We doing this for hip-hop," Khaled told MTV News emphatically. 'I'm a big fan of his. I don't have a way to contact him. I don't know how I can sit down and play him some music; whatever I gotta do. Eminem, I got love. I wanna make this crazy record with you. Let's make history. Let's rip the streets apart. I got the idea already [that] I wanna do with Slim Shady. I got the beat right now, so crazy, the concept. It's something the people are gonna love too. If I get Slim Shady on this joint, I'mma tear up the streets.

"The album is called We The Best Forever. There's only certain people who could be on this album," he said. "It's time, I think I deserve it. The streets deserve it. When [Eminem] meets me personally, he's gonna see this energy. He's gonna understand why these anthems come out like that. I'm gonna sit with him, and we gonna vibe. I know what he's gonna do: He's gonna go crazy!"

Khaled recently signed a recording deal with his good friends Birdman and Slim, the CEOs of Cash Money Records.

"I'm so excited about life, making music, excited to put my album out on Cash Money. I've always been excited to make music and make these hits. This album is coming out crazy already and I'm excited. All my albums, me personally, I feel they're super-big and classic. Every year I have one big record that's huge, anthemic."

Should Eminem jump on the Miami don's next album? Tell us what you think in the comments!

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