Eminem talks Jay-Z,Big Proof,Staying in Touch with Reality:

by **lost2oons** » Sep 1st, '10, 16:38

“There was actually a point in time when I contemplated calling it quits. It didn't look like anything was happening for me.”

When it comes to the heavyweights of hip-hop, names such as Eminem and Jay-Z are titans of the industry. Their longevity in the game has afforded them a vast amount of opportunities with which to build their brands. This week, the pair will kick off their sold-out Home and Home Tour with two co-headlining shows on 9/2 and 9/3 in Detroit at Comerica Park, concluding with two more performances on 9/13 and 9/14 at New York's Yankee Stadium. It doesn't get any bigger than that, folks.

In the midst of preparing for these shows, Real Detroit Weekly was able to chat with Marshall "Eminem" Mathers, who curbed his details on the tour in order to give his fans the element of surprise. So instead, Mr. Mathers — who was constantly joking and in an all-around good mood — expressed his thoughts on Jay-Z and the role the late Big Proof has had on his life and career.

When was the first time you met Jay-Z?

The first time I met Jay-Z? Hmmm. Good question. Wow. I can't remember the first time I met Jay. There is a couple different memories that come into play, but I can't remember which one was the first time. Guess it shows how many drugs I've been on [laughs].

Then talk about those memories.

I know there was once we got together. It was not to actually do the song "Renegades." He was in a New York studio. I knew he had approached me about doing a song together. He was playing me some of the things he had for The Blueprint. We had a little listening session. We just kicked it about the business and things like that. There was another instance where we did a show in L.A. together, I think for Power 106. We kicked it backstage for a little while before we went on stage. But I can't remember where I actually first met him at.

Talk about the recording of "Renegades" for Jay-Z's The Blueprint.

Like I said, he had approached me about doing a song together. I had an idea for one song that I wanted to do with him and the beat had actually got sent back to L.A. for some reason, and he was on a deadline. So I had a song that I was working on that same week that I sent him. I asked him if he liked these verses and this chorus; he jumped on that one and it ended up being on his album.

Jay-Z hit it big about four years before you did, while you were selling Infinite tapes in Detroit clubs. What were your favorite Jay-Z records back then?

I liked a lot of his records. Not to sound corny, but I liked pretty much everything he was doing. Jay is still on fire. Back then though, it was so new and so different when he first came out. Probably "Dead Presidents" would be one of them. There were so many because when he popped up, it was like he was so dope. It was like a breath of fresh air — his voice and the way he delivered his raps.

On the new album, Recovery, you put Big Proof in the role of a higher being for your recovery. He definitely put the city of Detroit on his shoulders when he was alive. In your words, how was Proof important to your life?

Proof is definitely one of the reasons why I am here. When he had started to really pop off here in Detroit it was like 1994/95. There was actually a point in time when I contemplated calling it quits. It didn't look like anything was happening for me. I got a phone call from him; we hadn't spoke for three or four months. I guess that's what he had been doing for those three or four months was building a name for himself around the city. He was like, "Doody, I got this thing, man. This spot called the Hip-Hop Shop. We got this open mic thing and you need to come down here." At first, I was a little skeptical because of where I was at in my life at that point in time. I was feeling like this wasn't going to happen. He got me to come down there. When I went the first time, I got a good response. It made me want to go back every single week. Plus, seeing where he was, like how much of a name in such a short time he had made for himself in the city, was just fucking crazy. It shows how much the city did really love him and was behind him. He was vital in my molding and in shaping me as an artist.

Before he passed, Proof was planning to move to Phoenix. After he heard that DJ HouseShoes was planning a move to Los Angeles, they actually got into an argument about who was going to keep the city's hip-hop scene moving ...

Definitely. They were vital to the whole hip-hop scene back then. They were vital pieces. Proof definitely carried this city on his back and represented everywhere he went. I know I did, too — as far as letting people know where I was from — but he represented this city to the fullest.

Do you ever feel that with your level of stardom you're forced to be out of touch with regular, everyday life?

I feel like that sometimes — that I have been forced to be out of touch with certain things. There is also times where I do go out and do regular things just to do them. Regardless of how crazy I think it might get, I just do them anyways — just to do them so I don't get too far out of touch. I pay attention to everything that is going on, as far as everything in the rap game or in pop culture. I don't want to say the names of a lot of the places that I still go into because I don't want people to be like, "Oh! He goes there!"

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