Detroit’s hip-hop landscape is one of the most diverse regions in the game, and Eminem has been representing his city ever since he first started rapping. In fact, he recently held it down on the absolutely stacked “Friday Night Cypher,” featuring fellow Detroit representers Tee Grizzley, Kash Doll, Cash Kidd, Payroll, 42 Dugg, Boldy James, Drego, Sada Baby, and his own Bad Meets Evil partner Royce Da 5’9.
As many fans know, Eminem’s ties to Detroit extend beyond Sean’s gargantuan posse cut. Since the days of Infinite, Em has been connecting with local artists, forging relationships with a variety of different emcees. Of course, his ties with D12 are well established, as is his artistic partnership with the aforementioned Royce. But there are many slept-on tracks in which Eminem links with a Detroit rapper, whether behind the boards or the microphone.
In order to highlight Em’s long-running ties to his fellow Detroit artists, we’ve collected ten deep cuts that may have flown under your radar. Check out the complete list below, and be sure to share your own favorite Eminem Detroit-centric tracks in the comments.
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Trick Trick, Proof, & Eminem – No More To Say
Respected O.G Trick Trick is a staple in Detroit, so it’s not surprising that he and Eminem have built up a decent number of collaborations over the years. Though their most famous is probably “Welcome 2 Detroit,” the album from whence it came — Trick Trick’s debut The People Vs. — actually featured a few deeper cuts. “No More To Say” featuring Eminem and Big Proof is about as Detroit a lineup as it comes. It also happens to be a hard-hitting dose of gangsta rap, as seen through the unique lens of Eminem production.
It’s interesting to note that Eminem’s relationship with Trick Trick remains strong to this day; not only did Em evoke his collaborator’s name on Kamikaze highlight “Not Alike,” but he also welcomed him into the Shade 45 fold as the host of Fly Zone Radio. Though their collaborative partnership on wax has fizzled out following the release of The People Vs in 2005, it’s evident that their mutual respect has remained strong to this day.
LISTEN: Trick Trick, Proof, & Eminem – No More To Say
King Gordy – The Pain
Though Eminem generally keeps his production in-house, every so often he’ll connect with the local boys for a late-night bender. In 2003, around the same time 50 Cent‘s Get Rich Or Die Tryin and Cheers were manifesting, Em contributed four tracks to King Gordy’s The Entity. Working alongside familiar faces like Resto and The Bass Brothers, Em lent his stamp to Gordy’s lead single “The Pain.”
The end result was a blistering beat fueled by synthesizers and a rapid-piano scale waging war like hell and heaven. The EQing on the drums hits particularly hard, grounding the uncomfortable melodies with an old-school Detroit energy. One of the rawest beats to bear his name, “The Pain” proved Em could deliver beyond his realm and saunter into Gordy’s depraved horrorcore-tinged world.
LISTEN: King Gordy – The Pain
Proof – Oil Can Harry
Though Proof and Eminem were best friends beyond rap, their collaborations outside of D12 aren’t quite as frequent as fans might have liked. Still, Em did toss a few beats to Big Proof, lacing several instrumentals on the rapper’s Grown Man Shit mixtape, hosted by Detroit’s own DJ Salam Wreck. One of the standout contributions is “Oil Can Harry,” the tape’s glitchy and aggressive penultimate track.
Though some still lament that we never got a Proof album produced in its entirety by Eminem (imagine it was made during the Cheers era), “Oil Can Harry” is an effective glimpse at what might have been. Unfettered by the conceptual responsibility an album might require, Proof is free to simply spit bars and string together razor-sharp flow schemes. There’s certainly a stylistic similarity to Em, unsurprising given their history together, but Proof brings a welcome ruggedness to the table, lending credibility to his confrontational rhymes.
LISTEN: Proof – Oil Can Harry
Hush ft. Swift, Kuniva, & Eminem – Off To Tijuana
In 2005, Detroit rapper Hush delivered his third album Bulletproof, featuring guest appearances from Talib Kweli, Nate Dogg, Swifty Mcvay, Kuniva, and Eminem. The latter three actually come together on “Off To Tijuana,” a conceptually driven track based around bank robbery escape plans. There’s even a little bit of nostalgia sprinkled in, as the introductory skit calls back to Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP closer “Criminal.”
Carrying on tradition set by previous D12 drops like “One Shot Two Shot” and “Get My Gun,” “Off To Tijuana” is one of those classic crime caper cuts, delivered with a Detroit flair. Though he hailed from a different crew than the Dirty Dozen, Hush’s chemistry with Swifty, Kuniva, and Em is evident — and unsurprising. After all, he originally collaborated with Em and Swift back on 1998’s Episode 1 tape, when he originally held it down as one half of Da Ruckus. Speaking of which…
LISTEN: Hush ft. Swift, Kuniva, & Eminem – Off To Tijuana
Da Ruckus ft Eminem – We Shine
Though many are familiar with Eminem’s Infinite, his debut album produced alongside longtime collaborator Denaun Porter, his work with Detroit duet Da Ruckus isn’t quite common knowledge. That is, unless you’re literally Stan, who made reference to Em’s vintage deep cut on the song that bears his name. The track in question is “We Shine,” which features verses from Uncle Ill, Slim Shady, and Hush — tied together by a sample of Keith Murray’s contribution to Jeru The Damaja’s “Come Tonight.”
“Let the cat out, flat out, Detroit’s a madhouse, so I don’t get offended when I hear my city badmouthed,” raps Em, showcasing a slick mind for multisyllabic rhyme schemes evident in his earliest work. “We quick to pull the gat out and set it / And leave you with more shit missin’ than a Lil’ Kim radio edit.” In his following verse, Hush makes it clear that he’s sick of Detroit being overlooked in the hip-hop landscape; little did he know how dominant a presence it would soon become.
LISTEN: Da Ruckus ft. Eminem – We Shine
Bad Meets Evil – She’s The One
Though the majority of their recorded material hails from Hell: The Sequel and beyond, Eminem and Royce recorded a fair number of collaborations prior to their big premiere on The Slim Shady LP. “Scary Movies,” “Nuttin To Do,” the original “Rock City,” and the delightfully vulgar “She’s The One” are some of the duo’s rawest works, with the lattermost actually standing as one of the only times Em ever rapped over The Neptunes production.
Though not exactly Pharrell and Chad Hugo’s most engaging instrumental, the bouncy beat invites Royce and Em to match wits with dexterous flows. Though the track was actually reimagined without Eminem’s verse on a version of Royce’s debut album Rock City, the original and vastly more enjoyable “She’s The One” remains a fan-favorite from Bad Meets Evil’s early repertoire. Unsurprising really, as both artists seem to revel in living up to their namesake, basking in violence and wanton depraved sexuality with the devil-may-care spirit of two young nineties rappers.
LISTEN: Bad Meets Evil – She’s The One
Helluva ft Eminem – I Can Be
This one is an interesting one, as Helluva and Eminem’s “I Can Be” never received an official release. In fact, Em’s part is rumored to have been recorded weeks before his fateful overdose, before eventually finding its way to Detroit rapper Helluva. If that name sounds familiar, you may recall his iconic tag — “Helluva made this beat, baby!” — as recently heard on several of Tee Grizzley’s hardest bangers. Once upon a time, circa the mid-2000s, he was spitting bars over a signature Eminem instrumental.
Though many Stans likely came for Em’s chorus, it’s Helluva who actually carries this one, exuding formidable presence as he lays down rhymes with authority. “So when you get there my dogs is waiting,” he warns. “I’ll rob ya and thank ya, blast ya and shank ya / even your man will be like ‘now that n***a’s gangsta.'” Though not everyone was crazy about Eminem’s gangsta-rap phase, it certainly led to a few interesting moments. And while Helluva and Eminem never collaborated again, “I Can Be” is a neat collision between two distinctive and different Detroit artists.
LISTEN: Helluva ft. Eminem – I Can Be
Strike Ft. Eminem & Dina Rae – Pale Moonlight
It’s no secret that Eminem wanted to pack the 8 Mile Shelter with local rappers, which eventually led to battle rap tag team extraordinaire MarvWon and Quest McCody making appearances on set. Em also cast Detroit rapper Strike (of the Mountain Climbaz crew) as Lyckety-Splyt, one of his opponents in the climactic battle scene — even going so far as to bail him out of jail so that he could film his scenes on time.
Years removed from the release of 8 Mile, Em and Strike would reunite under different circumstances, teaming up for the sexually charged “Pale Moonlight.” Featuring additional vocals from longtime Em collaborator Dina Rae, the track largely belongs to Strike, who takes on primary vocal responsibilities. Once again, Em’s main contributions arrive in the chorus and behind the boards, and though he doesn’t actually have a verse, his presence remains felt. Though perhaps a little too x-rated for some, “Pale Moonlight” is captivating enough to deserve a spin, if only for the novelty of B-Rabbit teaming up with a Free World member.
LISTEN: Strike ft. Eminem & Dina Rae – Pale Moonlight
King Gordy – Pass Me A Lighter
It’s no surprise that Eminem was compelled to work with King Gordy. Aside from sharing a few violent lyrical sensibilities, Gordy also happens to be a raw emcee, a titan in the Detroit hip-hop landscape at the time. While any number of Em and Gordy’s Entity cuts could have been highlighted, the blunt brutality of “Pass Me A Lighter” makes it an easy standout.
Off the rip, Gordy puts in work over Em’s eerie and manically playful instrumental, unleashing his intense delivery and asserting dominance in his home city. It’s somewhat of an understated beat, ripe with several of Em’s signature elements; accentuated guitar, twisted brass, and a harmonica solo straight out of “Purple Pills.” While The Entity never quite cracked into the mainstream spotlight, it remains an underground horrorcore gem in the eyes of many — and Eminem’s contributions certainly play a role in enhancing the project’s unsettling vibe.
LISTEN: King Gordy – Pass Me A Lighter
Eminem ft Obie Trice – I’m Gone
While this one might not be quite as deep as some of the other cuts included, there’s something about Eminem and Obie Trice’s “I’m Gone” that feels notably underground. It doesn’t help that the song basically shares a name with one of Eminem’s biggest singles, Curtain Call‘s “When I’m Gone.” Originally released on DJ Kay Slay‘s The Streetsweeper Vol. 2 in 2004, “I’m Gone” found Em and Obie taking direct aim at Ja Rule, riding the high of their previously established Cheers chemistry.
Instrumentally speaking, we’re looking at a relatively straightforward early 2000s Em production — but as fans know, those are exactly the sort of beats over which he excels. Fueled by seething rage, Eminem issues a warning to Ja Rule, calling the Murder Inc rapper out for fearing lyrical combat while threatening physical escalation. Obie drives the point home, his solid yet dexterous flow a welcome contrast to Em’s more explosive delivery.
LISTEN: Eminem & Obie Trice – I’m Gone
If you enjoyed this list, check out our Top 25 Best Eminem Beats of All Time.
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