Eminem's First Alleged Recorded Performance Footage Resurfaces

BYAron A.73.0K Views
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Watch a young Eminem take the stage in 1996, years before signing to Dr. Dre.

It's always fascinating to witness the raw and rugged come up of an artist who has otherwise presented themselves as glowing celebrities. In rap, especially, artists often come from the mud, hustling day in and day out until they finally "make it." Eminem is no exception. Some incredibly rare footage re-emerged this week revealing a young Eminem taking the stage as an underground MC from Detroit, years before signing to Dr. Dre.

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The video remains one of the earliest pieces of footage of Eminem performing on stage. Though there could be more, the video was uploaded by Random Clips in 2017, revealing the live concert took place alongside D12 in 1996, three years before he signed a deal with Dr. Dre. The song's called "Low Down Dirty" and the Redman influence is evident as ever. Em and D12 are seen rocking a small crowd of people who are bobbing their heads along.

Those who are aware of Em's history know the single he performed. It appeared on the 1997 Slim Shady EP which is reportedly what caught Dr. Dre's interest in the young Detroit rapper early on. 

Eminem, of course, went on to become one of the biggest rappers known to man who continues to rack up plaques and accolades, over 20 years later. Just last week, it was revealed his single, "Lose Yourself" recently hit 1B streams on Spotify.


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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