Eminem's recent guest verse on Big Sean's "No Favors" is an important symbolic gesture from a Detroit legend to the city's current star. While the statement is clear, the reception to Em's verse has been somewhat divisive. While some of Eminem's fanatics are calling it another masterstroke in career full of them, others are questioning whether the Em is still the thrilling rapper he once was.
In light of the conversation, we're going through a few of the guest appearances that are not so hotly debated in Em's catalog. Click through to revisit 5 of Shady's classic guest verses, and let us know your favorite in the comments below.
50 Cent's "Patiently Waiting"
50 Cent's Get Rich Or Die Tryin' arrived with the co-sign of Dr. Dre and Eminem, so it was only right that Em give the Aftermath/Shady signee the lyrical endorsement he deserved. His 16 on "Patiently Waiting" finds the rapper finding the common ground between himself and 50, as well as sending a warning to those who may be underestimating the Shady empire.
Quotable:
Take some Big and some Pac and you mix 'em up in a pot
Sprinkle a little Big L on top; what the fuck do you got?
You got the realest and illest killers tied up in a knot
The juggernauts of this rap shit, like it or not
It's like a fight to the top just to see who'd die for the spot
You put your life in this, nothing like surviving a shot
Y'all know what time it is, soon as 50 signs on this dot
Shit, what you know about death threats, ‘cause I get a lot
Don't Approach Me
Xzibit's "Don't Approach Me"
Eminem and Xzibit have collaborated on quite a few tracks, including X's "Say My Name," as well as Dr. Dre's "Bitch Please II" and What's The Difference." However, their best collaboration was the Restless deep cut "Don't Approach Me." Contributing two verses and the hook, Em steals the track, as he gripes about fame, sharing comically extreme, but still somewhat relatable anecdotes about his desire for privacy.
Quotable:
And so these kids tell their friends and relatives where I live
So my address ends up on the Internet again
So then, I do an interview with Spin,
Tellin' them that if someone comes to my crib
I'ma shove a gun in their ribs
And reporters blow it out of proportion
Oh, now he's pullin' guns on his fans
Just for tryin' to stand on his porch
And I'm the bad guy, ‘cause I don't answer my door
Like, "Hey, hi! You guys wants some autographs?
Okay, form a straight line!"
Dr. Dre's "What's The Difference?"
Eminem is the rare rapper who can be both conversational and technically precise in his writing. His "What's The Difference?" showcases his knack for dialogue as he goes back and forth with Dre. Before you know it, he's gone entirely too far down a rabbit hole of a playfully delivered murder plot. Not many could pull it off, that's for sure.
Quotable:
Fuck blood, I wanna see some lungs coughed up
Get shot up in the hot tub 'til the bubbles pop up
In they nose and cough snot up, mucus in hot water
That's for trying to talk like The Chronic was lost product
That's for even thinking of having them thoughts thought up
You better show some respect whenever the Doc's brought up
Jay Z's "Renegade"
Eminem's appearance on Jay Z's The Blueprint has become a legendary feature, not only because he's the only rapper Jay Z chose to feature on the classic LP, but also for the belief that Em got the best of Jay on the record. The term "Renegade" has taken on a new meaning in the same way as "Ether" has; it's gone from a song title to a verb used to describe when a guest emcee out-raps the lead artist. The thing is -- Jay Z's verse is far from weak, which goes to show you just how strong Em came on this one.
Quotable:
We as a people decide if Shady's as bad as they say he is
Or is he the latter, a gateway to escape?
Media scapegoat, who they can be mad at today
See, it's easy as cake, simple as whistling Dixie
While I'm waving the pistol at sixty Christians against me
Go to war with the Mormons, take a bath with the Catholics
In holy water, no wonder they tried to hold me under longer
I'm a motherfucking spiteful, delightful eyeful
The new Ice Cube, motherfuckers hate to like you
What did I do? I'm just a kid from the gutter
Making this butter off these bloodsuckers, ‘cause I'm a mothafuckin'…
Forgot About D.R.E.
Dr. Dre's "Forgot About D.R.E."
Eminem had already proven his star power with the Slim Shady LP, but Forgot About D.R.E. was the point where he visibly made the leap from protege to peer of Dr. Dre. The second single from Dre's comeback LP 2001, Em contributes the immortal hook as well as a sharp verse that most rap fans will be able to recite word-for-word.
Quotable:
Slim Shady, hotter than a set of twin babies
In a Mercedes Benz with the windows up
When the temp goes up to the mid-80s
Callin' men ladies, sorry, Doc, but I been crazy
There's no way that you can save me
It's okay, go with him, Hailie!