Eminem was officially added to the prestigious ranks of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The legendary rapper and producer Dr. Dre passed the honour onto the artist at the Los Angeles ceremony over the weekend last week. Marshall Bruce Mathers III a.k.a the real slim shady or Eminem was mentored by Dr. Dre since the very beginning of his career, making this a full-circle moment for the two.
The ‘Nuthin‘ But A “G” Thang’ singer also co-produced several of Eminem’s iconic albums including 2000’s Marshall Mathers LP and 2002’s The Eminem Show.
At this year’s ceremony, Dre inducted Eminem with a speech that let us in on their working relationship and his career so far. “I knew that his gifts were undeniable,” said Dr Dre. “Each of us were exactly what the other one needed - and I was willing to bet my entire career on that.”
As rightly put by Dre, Eminem “brought hip-hop to middle America” and became one of the best-selling and most celebrated rappers in the music industry. His inspiring rise to fame was demonstrated by the Rock Hall video montage that featured clips from artists like Adele, Elton John, Rihanna and more all raving about his unrivalled skills.
The rapper followed his heartfelt induction with a smashing live performance of some of his all-time hits including ‘My Name Is,’ ‘Forever,’ ‘Not Afraid’ and more—with cameo appearances from unexpected guests such as Steven Tyler and Ed Sheeran.
“I’m not supposed to be here tonight,” said Eminem following his set. “One, I’m a rapper; two, I almost died from an overdose; and three, I really had to fight my way through… I’m a high school drop-out with a hip-hop education.”
Joining the rapper as this year’s inductees at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were Dolly Parton, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Lionel Richie and Carly Simon. Last year, members of the German electronic music band, Kraftwerk, were bestowed with the honour.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will air on November 19 on HBO.
