On “Till I Collapse,” a record-setting highlight from the 2002 classic The Eminem Show, Eminem outlined his nine favorite rappers in an implied numerical order. “It goes Reggie, Jay-Z, 2Pac, and Biggie, Andre from OutKast, Jada, Kurupt, Nas, and then me,” he rapped, paying homage to his most-respected lyricists.
While it’s entirely possible that his list has altered drastically in the years that followed, Em’s lyrical co-sign of eight heavy hitters has been oft-cited among his most quotable moments. In fact, during Redman’s recent 4/20 Verzuz concert alongside Method Man, he sported a t-shirt reciting the top three names on Em’s list, validating Slim’s position as a connoisseur of the craft.
Only a few days removed from Redman’s major “Till I Collapse” callback on Verzuz, Eminem came through with a rare tweet celebrating the work of his fellow wordsmith. “It goes Reggie…” captions Slim, sharing a snippet of Redman’s recent single “80 Barz” — in case you missed it, listen to the latest from Reggie Noble right here.
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Though they only collaborated on two occasions in “Off The Wall” (read further analysis on that zany and lyrically-driven duet right here) and the deep cut “I See Dead People,” it has long felt as if a third collaboration was overdue. As evidenced by Em’s latest post, he still holds Redman in the highest regard, unsurprising given how much influence the New Jersey emcee has had on his own artistry. With the public displays of mutual respect at an all-time high, perhaps now is the time for Reggie and Slim Shady to reunite at long last.
Do you think we’re on pace for a new collaboration between Eminem and Redman?
