DR. DRE’S EMINEM HALL OF FAME INDUCTION SPEECH

Eminem was one of the names featured at the 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles over the weekend, and Dr. Dre gave a speech honoring his close friend and longtime collaborator to highlight Em’s influence on the rap game.

Dr. Dre recalls the beginning of his relationship with Eminem, recalling the moment when Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine called Dre and said, “There’s this white guy named Eminem who’s really excited about his rap ability.”

“Over 20 years ago, Jimmy Iovine played me a demo tape of a guy named Eminem and the first impression was that the rap was so good that I just kept listening to it,” Dre said. Dre later added that “Jimmy gave me a gift I couldn’t refuse” when many people tried to stop him from collaborating with the then-unknown white rapper from Detroit, but Dre was determined to keep Em because he had discovered his talent.

Acknowledging how the three of them had bet on each other to get Em’s career off the ground, Dre went on to praise Eminem for “bringing hip-hop to the middle of America” ​​and “forcing us to let go of our preconceived notions.” Dre then gave the stage back to Em so he could continue performing hits like My Name Is, Rap God, Sing For The Moment, Stan, Forever or Not Afraid, etc.

After the energetic performance, Eminem returned to the stage to give his acceptance speech and he remained humble to pay tribute to nearly 100 artists who have influenced his career, including many legendary names like LL Cool J or Run-D.M.C., etc.

Translated from XXL and HipHopDX Hide