Eminem and Royce Da 5’9″, iconic Detroit lyricists, form the hip hop super-duo known as Bad Meets Evil. Together, the pair have collaborated since the mid 1990s, releasing one full-length LP Hell: The Sequel in 2011 and a host of singles and lyrical outings on film soundtracks and compilation albums. Though Em and Royce had a falling out in the early 2000s, the pair reunited in 2011 when Eminem’s Shady Records signed Royce Da 5’9″s hip hop super-group Slaughterhouse. In the years since, the pair have continued collaborating, and have even teased new projects which may release in the coming years. Here’s a look at the duo and their current projects.
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Eminem
As one of the highest-selling musicians of all time, Eminem likely requires no introduction. The “Evil half” of the Bad Meets Evil duo has sold over 500 million records in nearly three decades of rhyming, and achieved induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2022. Only 10 other hip-hop acts in history share this distinction.
Eminem’s latest studio album, Music To Be Murdered By, was released in early 2020, with a full-length Side B deluxe released later that same year. Since then, Em has popped up on several features with artists including Fat Joe, Skylar Grey and Shady Records signee EZ Mil, with his most recent outing being an appearance on the Lyrical Lemonade album All Is Yellow. Eminem appears on the track “Doomsday Pt. 2” where he proves that his lyrical ability is as sharp as ever, stacking complex multisyllabic rhymes with ease and even reigniting beefs from decades past.
Since deciding to become sober in 2008, the Bad Meets Evil alumni has gained a reputation for being highly reclusive, seldom making media appearances or granting interviews. However, Eminem has been popping up all over the place in recent weeks to celebrate the Detroit Lions in their historic NFL season. Despite the Lions not making it to the Super Bowl this year, Eminem actively cheered the team on during playoff games and appeared in multiple promotional videos to rally team spirit.
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Royce Da 5’9″
Also born of the mid 1990s Detroit rap sound, Royce Da 5’9″ has long held his place as one of the only rappers who can routinely keep pace with Eminem on a track lyrically. The “Bad half” of Bad Meets Evil has also had many successes in his career, with 8 solo albums, as well as a wide array of mixtapes and collaborative works. Obviously, Royce isn’t nearly as big of a rap star as his counterpart, which prompted the rapper to seek solo success in the years following the 2011 release of Hell: The Sequel.
Since then, Royce has released several critically acclaimed albums, and even taken up beat-making, tutored by his long-time friend and collaborator DJ Premier. His most recent LP, 2020’s The Allegory, was entirely self produced. Royce also scored a production credit on Eminem’s 2020 double album, taking to the boards for the track “Darkness.” Royce provided a lyrical back and forth with his Bad Meets Evil counterpart on the album as well, in tracks such as “You Gon’ Learn, “Yah Yah,” and “I Will.”
In 2022, Royce Da 5’9″ revealed that he had been working behind the scenes to get a reunion album off the ground with his supergroup Slaughterhouse, though music industry politics and group in-fighting prevented the album from materializing. Instead, Royce explained to fans during an Instagram live that he would need to take some time off to switch gears before being ready to drop another solo effort. Although neither of the Bad Meets Evil rappers have confirmed new solo albums at this time, it appears evident that both have been actively working on new music behind the scenes.
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