Eminem popped out for a surprise performance at the "Live From Detroit: The Concert At Michigan Central" show on Thursday (June 6). Moreover, the event celebrated the reopening and renovation of the train station, which the public could access on Friday (June 7) after over 30 years without a train leaving that station. The Ford Motor Company had acquired it six years ago, and Marshall Mathers and his longtime manager Paul Rosenberg executive-produced this concert. Other performers and guests included Michigan's own Big Sean, Slum Village, Illa J, Diana Ross, and more, plus non-313 musicians such as Common and Fantasia.
In fact, a taped replay of "Live From Detroit: The Concert At Michigan Central" will air tonight (Sunday, June 9) at 7PM EST on NBC if you're curious to check it out. However, if you're just interested in Eminem's set, you can find the full event-closing surprise set down below. He performed his new single "Houdini" live for the first time to kick things off, and also spit through "Welcome 2 Detroit" (obviously) and "Not Afraid." Not only that, but Slim Shady also invited Jelly Roll for a passionate and grand rendition of "Sing For The Moment," which was a great moment to witness that the crowd and the city seemed to love.
Eminem Performs At Michigan Central's Reopening Event
Of course, there are plenty of reasons as to why "Houdini" is getting so much hype right now, and some are more positive than others. For example, Eminem's new single is now the rap song with the second-highest first week debut on Spotify of all time. It's an ironic accolade considering that this record remained for about six years before Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" took the top spot last month. Now, the "Superman" spitter's new track broke that record for the second time in a month, and while he didn't top K.Dot, it's still very impressive to witness.
Meanwhile, other fans and detractors still think that Eminem is too corny or unimpressive with "Houdini," but the overall discussion is much more deep and positive than what we've been used to in past years. Even his family comically mocked his exaggerated disses towards them, so there's a strong push and pull here. But from what this Detroit crowd indicated, The Death Of Slim Shady couldn't come sooner. We'll see what that new album holds and what more great moments it could bring about.
