On Eminem’s major-label debut studio album, The Slim Shady LP, Royce is one of only two rappers to feature on the project – he appeared on “Bad Meets Evil” and Dr. Dre and was signed to Aftermath Entertainment. It wasn’t long before Em attracted the attention of Dr. The two rappers linked up to form a rap duo, Bad Meets Evil, and collaborated on several tracks, as well as appearing on the legendary Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show together.
I heard him rhyme on stage that night, and was like, ‘Who the fuck is this dude?’ I met his manager first, and then we kicked it.”
I wasn’t signed yet so at this show I had my own little booth set up, and I was selling my tapes - The Slim Shady EP. I had been around for a minute and had started to get a buzz, but he, at that time, didn’t really have a buzz yet. “He was opening up for Usher at the Palladium. “Royce and I met in 1997,” Em recalled in an interview with Complex. They met each other at an Usher concert – Royce was opening up for the R&B superstar, while Em just so happened to have a booth set up at the venue selling copies of his newly released EP. Royce was still coming up in the local scene while Em had only just released The Slim Shady EP, via an independent record label, Web Entertainment, run by the Bass Brothers. Jay-Z’s “Renegade” off The Blueprint is one of the most legendary rap collaborations ever, and features one of the best guest verses of all time, but the track actually started out as an Eminem and Royce da 5’9″ collaboration.īack in 1997, the two up-and-coming Detroit rappers were still relatively unknown and looking to get their big break into the music industry.