Despite being regarded as one of the finest spitters around, Eminem has never been afraid to show his affection for other rappers and hip hop artists. Over the years he has not only picked out some of his favourite rappers of all time on a bonafide list but also mentioned them in a song too. There has always been one rapper that he’s loved more than most, despite LL Cool J being his childhood favourite, it’s safe to say, that Em respects 50 Cent more than most.
Having been a pivotal factor in 50’s career over the years, it seems only right that Eminem should be proud of the New York rapper. But, according to a birthday post a few years back, there was one moment when it seemed as though 50 would send his friend and confidant into retirement.
As part of a birthday message, sent a few years prior, Eminem picked out 50 Cent’s song ‘Places To Go’ as one of the rapper’s best. Featured on the soundtrack for Eminem’s 8 Mile, the track features a verse so hard that Eminem claims it made him “want to stop rapping”, which considering Em’s position and love of the game, makes it one of the best verse of all time.
Eminem raps the verse as part of the video message: “Picture a perfect picture, picture me in a pimp hat / Picture me starting shit, picture me busting my gat / Picture police mad, they ain’t got a picture of that / Picture me being broke, picture me smoking a stack / Picture me coming up, picture me rich from rap / Picture me blowing up, now picture me going back / To my mama basement to live, shit, picture that / Where I’m from it’s a fact, you gotta watch your back / You wear a vest without a gat, you’s a target, Jack / Hustle hard, money stack, sell that dope, sell that crack / Sell that pack, sell that gat, sell that pussy, holla back / 50 Cent, too much Henny, man, I’m bent, I’m outta here”
It’s one of the best songs from a movie soundtrack and places 50 Cent as far more than a simple pop-rapper, as is often sent his way. the dexterity of words was enough to impress Eminem, which is saying something. 50 replied to the video message by saying he was “still the best in the world”.
Watch Eminem rap the 50 Cent verse for ‘Places To Go’ below:
