Eminem's "Killshot" Beat Was Originally Produced For Giggs

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Eminem performs at Samsung Galaxy stage during 2014 Lollapalooza Day One at Grant Park on August 1, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois.
IllaDaProducer explained how "Killshot" came about

There's been a lot of memorable feuds this year: Drake vs. Pusha T and Kanye West, Nicki Minaj vs. Cardi B, and of course, Eminem and MGK. Although the back-and-forth felt relatively brief, it's still one of the biggest moments in hip-hop this year. Machine Gun Kelly fired off "Rap Devil" as a response to Eminem's shade in "Not Alike," which ultimately resulted in the MGK's diss track, "Killshot." The "Killshot" beat seemed perfect for Em's lyrical onslaught, but the instrumental wasn't actually cooked up for Em specifically.

IllaDaProducer, who produced a ton of Kamikaze, revealed how Eminem's "Killshot" came about on the latest episode of Genius' Deconstructed. He revealed that the beat was actually produced for U.K. rapper Giggs who ultimately didn't use it.

"When I originally started the beat for ‘Killshot,’ it was actually for Giggs,”  he said. “He always asked me for these horror movie beats. That’s what I was thinking when I made the ‘Killshot’ beat was something mean, gritty, grimy.

He continued to explain that he was actually on vacation with his girlfriend celebrating the release of Kamikaze when he heard "Rap Devil" and realized Em had more work to do.

“When I realized it was gonna go to Eminem was the morning that MGK dropped ‘Rap Devil.’ I was in Miami, with my girl, on vacation celebrating Kamikaze, and I see MGK’s diss," He recalled. "Right away, I went into my folder and tried to find the hardest beats possible. I sent [Eminem] like two beats. It was like eight o’clock at night and I’m like, ‘Yo, I sent Giggs some crazy shit.’ I hit Giggs, and he told me what beat he used, he didn’t use that one [‘Killshot’]. I sent it right away. Like, here’s one more.”

Peep IllaDaProducer talking about "Killshot" below. 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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