Eminem is set to perform at the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show at Inglewood, California’s SoFi Stadium on Sunday (February 13) for an all-star Hip Hop and R&B spectacle alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige.
Ahead of the big game (and performance), Slim Shady sat down for an interview with SiriusXM’s Sway Calloway, in which he heaped high praise on the youngest member of the Super Bowl Halftime Show lineup, Kendrick Lamar.
When asked by Sway if he agrees that Kendrick is “the most electrifying vocalist of this generation,” Em replied, “I absolutely would agree. Kendrick is at the very top, top tier of lyricists — not just of this generation, but of all time.”
Eminem’s comments hardly come as a surprise given the Detroit rap legend has repeatedly shared his admiration for Kendrick in the past.
“I love Kendrick Lamar,” he told The New York Times in 2015. “The way he puts albums together — front to back, they’re like pieces of art.”
Eminem holds Kendrick’s 2012 album good kid, m.A.A.d city in especially high regard, having told Genius, “When I first heard Kendrick’s debut on Aftermath, I couldn’t believe it. The fact that it was his first real album and he was able to make it into a story which intertwines with the skits like that was genius.”
He added, “That hasn’t really been done that many times, let alone on someone’s first time up. The level of wordplay, deliveries, the beats — it’s just a masterpiece.”
Eminem and Kendrick Lamar even joined forces on “Love Game” from Em’s 2013 album The Marshall Mathers LP 2, although they’ve yet to collaborate since.
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Elsewhere in his conversation with Sway, Eminem admitted the prospect of performing live at the Super Bowl is “fucking nerve-racking,” but that hasn’t dampened how impressed he is by the show Dr. Dre has in store for fans.
“When Dre first asked me and the whole thing started going down and we were like, ‘Ok, this might be actually serious,’ I tried to envision what Dre might do,” he said. “I was thinking like, ‘Yeah, that’s dope that all of us are going to rap together.’ But I didn’t expect the production to be like this.”
Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige might not be the only big names performing at the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show. 50 Cent is rumored to make an appearance after his 2003 smash hit “In Da Club” was heard being rehearsed at the SoFi stadium, while Ice Cube‘s name is also in the mix as a potential special guest.
In any case, rap fans are in for a helluva show — one that Dre has promised won’t involve any Janet Jackson-esque mishaps.
SUPER FACTZ!!!
Eminem is the goat
I agree with eminem
Kendrick makes better music than Em. Rhyme schemes and flow isn’t everything. Kendricks music is for more than just sitting in your room or the back of the bus in a stained hoodie
Well, most people who listen to Eminem are the same people who made Ja Rule triple platinum. They don’t know a damn thing about hip-hop, just radio rap and the cutest guy on the block.
I don’t understand why people think kendrick is so good. Most over hyped rapper of all time , even more than Eminem. He’s a pop artist like drake. No pop artist should ever be consider the greatest lyricist. Lmao
Man, keep that shit in your head and avoid breath it, we all now know your momma was on some heavy shit before you were born.
Avoid breath it? And momma jokes? Lmao. Sideshow Bob ass nigg@
@batman fully agree. Kendricks got talent but he’s way overhyped. Drake and Kendrick are the 2 most over hyped musicians ever exist. They’re right there with Adele and billie eilish
Sounds about right
obviously “understanding” isn’t really your thing. go take 5 steps and chew your gum and enjoy life
Sure thing Stan.
Being a Stan isn’t a bad thing Batman. Does your favorite rapper have a following that has a name? 69 or Benzino don’t count
Did you just hear yourself? Pop artist? Have you listened to songs like Feel, Duckworth, Pride, How much a dollar cost, Sing about me, HiiiPoweR, Ignorance is bliss, Hood Politics? Moron, just say you’re jealous he’s more praised than your favorite rapper
Eminem spent most of his career doing cat in the hat rhyme schemes over Dre beats that were designed specifically for his Oscar the Grouch drivel. It is no surprise that he would pick Kendrick Lamar as a “great lyricist” because all he’s done his entire career is name-drop rappers to get street cred. His lyrics have always been empty, just like this interview.
Kendrick LAMER=Criminally and Severely Overrated. Anybody slurpin this cornball Kendrick has a really low bar
Says the fool who listens to hoodrat music. Go fuck yourself
So what you’re saying is that Eminem has a really low bar and much like we suspected, he knows jack shit about hip-hop?
Agreed.
And that’s why Eminem isn’t the goat, because he has a lot of phoniness in him. Pac would never have said this. Kendrick is the most over hyped creature to exist.
Eminem isn’t the goat because he’s a remnant of that phony MTV era where even Ja Rule went triple platinum. A lot of people forget that. Eminem’s re-spin of the whole story was always false. To hear his last will and testament in his latest albums, he was someone who came along at a time when rap was dying, and he “saved” it. In reality, he came out in 1999 at a time when Dre’s latest album was the biggest thing to hit MTV. It outsold the Slim Shady LP by a solid 3 million albums. 1999-2002 rap was the height of rap’s mainstream popularity. Even Ja Rule went triple platinum. Nelly’s Country Grammar went diamond. OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below hit 11.4 million albums sold.
When you come out with Dr. Dre endorsing you at the height of his powers, and even Ja Rule is selling millions (and he’s terrible), you see the kind of last-gasp MTV era garbage that was selling when Eminem was out. He was the next big thing, and the last big thing. You can’t sell like that with 5 million Twitter rappers.
I don’t understand what you are talking about. Look at all the mediocre rappers that went platinum in 2Pac’s era. Vanilla Ice went 7 times platinum in 1990. Master P went 3 times platinum in ‘97.
Then why didn’t every other rapper sell what he sold? Why aren’t they still around and being called top talents to this day by people like Jay, Nas and other GOATs? Of course he sold higher numbers in days when there wasn’t streaming and burning a cd was barely even a thing yet. Ja may be no top tier lyricist but he had a strong following. Your metrics on why he isn’t a great are based on how the whole industry was back them compared to now. Also the Outkast double album had MONSTER hits like Hey Ya. Also when has Em ever claimed to have saved rap?