Big Sean and Eminem don't have a lot in common on the surface. Well, corny punchlines aside. Sean is a hitmaker, a lyricist who dedicates himself to making smooth, R&B-influenced music. Em is the definitive lyrical miracle, a wordsmith who can seemingly make anything rhyme. That said, these Detroit superstars get along. They have collaborated multiple times over the years, but their new single may be their best yet. It may be a hit, but for Big Sean, it means something much more.
Sean hopped on X (formerly Twitter) to reflect on the new single, "Tobey." The former GOOD Music star took the opportunity to reveal some interesting details about his past. Namely, the first rap album he ever bought. "Not gon hold you," he explained. "Slim Shady LP was the first CD I bought wit my own money at Costco." He then broke down the ways in which this childhood purchase led him to this specific moment in time. "Me n Em bout 4 songs in now (DVE, No Favors, Detroit 2 Cypher)," he noted. "But being on The Death of Slim Shady is full circle. I ain't know when I bought that, that I'd be one of the next 1's out da city..."
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Eminem Has Also Praised Big Sean In The Past
In a separate tweet, Big Sean praised Eminem for being "real" in his interactions. The praise has run both ways for quite some time, however. Em named Big Sean as one of the rappers who inspire him to work on his craft and not get lazy. "I don't hyper-focus on numbers and being on charts," he told XXL in 2022. "What I hyper-focus on is people like Kendrick Lamar, Joyner Lucas, J. Cole and Big Sean, and watching them and how the f*ck they're doing their sh*t. Because they're also focused on being the best rappers."
If we let Sean tell it, Eminem considers him to be one of the most dangerous emcees alive. The rapper went on Big Boy Radio to relay Eminem's high praise after the release of "No Favors." "He was telling me how much he loved my verse," Big Sean recalled. "He was like, 'I respect you […] you're one of the most dangerous emcees." An unlikely pairing, but one that has seemingly stood the test of time. Especially for Detroit fans.