In case it wasn't evident from songs like "Yah Yah" and "I Will," Eminem is well versed in hip-hop history, with boundless respect for his predecessors in the game. On the former track off Music To Be Murdered By, Em dedicated a chunk of his lengthy verse to shout-out some of his formative influences, naming Biggie, Del The Funkee Homosapien, Treach, Kool G Rap, Rakim, King T, Ice-T, LL Cool J among other legendary emcees. It's no wonder he opted to pay further homage with his recent Music To Be Quarantined By playlist, a concentrated dose of rap classics.
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Created by Slim Shady himself and premiered on Shade 45 this weekend, Eminem's official playlist has since been revealed in full across the internet. As expected, there are plenty of callbacks to his "Yah Yah" namedrops, and many of the tracks notably derive from his younger days in the thrones of discovering hip-hop music. As the tracks themselves played a major role in his stylistic development, Em took a moment to provide some commentary on their impact, braking down bars like the true craftsman he is.
Should you be interested in checking out the playlist Em ended up amassing, you can check out a list of songs below. Music To Be Quarantined By features songs by Mobb Deep, The Beastie Boys (who clearly inspired "Berzerk"), 2Pac, NWA, Wu-Tang Clan, Redman and more:
Keep Ya Head Up – 2Pac
Droppin’ Em – LL Cool J
Yoke The Joker – Naughty By Nature
Rock Dis Funky Joint – Poor Righteous Teachers
Lean On Me – Big Daddy Kane
Last Dayz – Onyx
Streets Of New York – Kool G Rap
The Devil Made Me Do It – Paris
Young Gifted and Black – Big Daddy Kane
Music Man – Masta Ace
Mind Blowin’ – D.O.C
Bring It On – Organized Konfusion
My Melody – Eric B. & Rakim
Top Biiiin’ – Audio Two
Taxing – Special Ed
Check Tha Resume – Grand Puba
93′ Till Infinity – Souls Of Mischief
Live At The Barbeque – Main Source/Nas
Machine Gun Funk – Biggie
Shook Ones Pt. II – Mobb Deep
No Sleep Till Brooklyn – Beastie Boys
You Gots to Chill – EPMD
Wack M.C.’s – Del The Funky Homosapien
Boom Bashin’ – Masta Ace
Rhymin’ & Stealin – Beastie Boys
Baby, You Nasty – DJ Mike Smooth
Gangsta Gangsta – NWA
If I Die 2nite – 2Pac
Sophisticated Bitch – Public Enemy
New York State Of Mind – Nas
Wordz Of Wizdom – 3rd Bass
They Reminisce Over You – Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
Tougher Than Leather – Run-DMC
Jive Talk – Kool G Rap & Dj Polo
Paper Thin – MC Lyte
Do It Baby – Def Jef, N’Dea Davenport
Bring Da Ruckus – Wu-Tang Clan
Rated “R” – Redman
[via]