Eminem is known for being one of hip-hop’s most skilled lyricists and is respected as a rapper. From Lil Wayne to Jay-Z, the Detroit artist (real name Marshal Mathers) has collaborated with the best in the culture. However, akin to many MCs, he is highly versatile and has a wide range of influences, including rock music.
Growing up in Detroit during the late 1980s and early 1990s, Eminem was inspired by many rap acts such as LL Cool J and Run-DMC. Mathers has previously delved into detail about his love for LL Cool J.
Speaking to MTV for their Behind the Music series in 2021, the Detroit rapper revealed, “When I saw the ‘Bad’ video, I was like, ‘the f*ck?!’ He had the whole package — the look, the swag, the chain, everything! You know, you just wanted to be LL Cool J!” Mathers continued, “He was like the first rock star of rap. I’m like, ‘Yo, I wanted that.’ That is what actually made me want to rap.”
However, Eminem’s crew, D12, also had some heavily rock-inspired tracks such as ‘Fight Club’ and ‘Rockstar’. However, D12 wasn’t the only time Em decided to combine his love of rock and hip-hop.
In 2002, for his third and most successful album, The Eminem Show, the lyricist sampled Aerosmith’s 1973 hit ‘Dream On’ for the track ‘Sing For The Moment’. The track entered the top ten and went double-platinum.
Not only has he made use of Aerosmith numerous times, but for his polarising 2010 project, Recovery, the 8 Mile creator sampled Black Sabbath’s 1972 ballad ‘Going Through Changes’. With Ozzy Osbourne singing the iconic line as an intro, Eminem manages to turn it into an introspective rap track.
In 2010 Eminem also collaborated with Lil Wayne for his single ‘Drop The World’. A single on Lil Wayne’s hated rap-rock album, Rebirth, which sees the New Orleans become a quasi-pop-punk star.
You can hear D12’s ‘Fight Music’ in the video below.
