There aren't many legendary emcees that Eminem hasn't collaborated with in some capacity. From Jay-Z to Redman, Busta Rhymes to Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar to Black Thought, Method Man to Royce Da 5'9" -- Slim has done wonders in narrowing down his bucket list significantly. Yet somehow, despite being Aftermath partners for a brief tenure, Eminem and Rakim have yet to join forces on wax.
A relatively surprising turn, especially given the mutual respect that has been so openly voiced by both parties; Rakim previously praised Em as a "lyrical beast," while Em has namedropped the God Emcee in various songs and interviews.
DJ Premier's Eminem & Rakim Pic Fuels Collab Hype">And still, nothing has manifested -- at least, not yet. DJ Premier recently took it upon himself to spark a wave of hype, unexpectedly taking to Instagram to share a picture of Eminem and Rakim with little context. Naturally, it didn't take long for fans to kick off an exciting narrative, one in which the road ultimately leads to a Slim Shady and Rakim duet over DJ Premier production.
Considering that Eminem recently worked with DJ Premier on "Book Of Rhymes," some were hopeful that it would be the dawn of a fruitful creative partnership. Especially given that Em has yet to rap over a Primo instrumental, as the legendary producer was brought in to handle the scratches on their lone collaboration. Of course, it's entirely possible that Premier was simply looking to pay homage to a pair of lyrical legends -- but still, this is the internet, and it doesn't take much to raise our collective hopes.
Check out Primo's post below, and sound off if you'd welcome a duet between Eminem and Rakim -- it kind of feels inevitable at this point, doesn't it?