Eminem might be the next rapper to drop a monster album this year with only a few days’ notice, but there was no mention of that Wednesday night when Shady took the stage for an extended set at G-Shock’s “Shock The World” 30th anniversary party in New York.
The performance coincided with the brand announcing Eminem’s own limited edition, Detroit-inspired G-Shock watch, which will be released in December.
After an opening set from Shady Records signee Yelawolf, who delivered singles like “Trunk Muzik,” Marshall Mathers hit the stage in shorts, a baseball cap and a camo hoodie for his very rare performance.
D12 rapper and producer Mr. Porter played the role of hype man for Shady, and while fans were unsure whether to expect only songs from his most recent albums, or maybe even a preview from his upcoming project, Em took it back to some of his classics.
From Marshall Mathers’ “Kill You” and “Stan” to Recovery’s “No Love,” Em rotated between albums, and finally stripped down to his usual white T-shirt after getting warmed up. “Criminal,” “Cleanin’ Out My Closet,” “The Way I Am,” “Sing For The Moment,” “Like Toy Soldiers” and even his verse on “Airplanes” made the cut.
The Shady Records family was in the building to show their support — including Obie Trice, who watched from the VIP section — but Royce Da 5′ 9” was the only cameo of the night, joining Eminem for their Bad Meets Evil collaboration “Lighters.”
Em followed up their radio hit with “Not Afraid” from his most recent album Recovery, before the lights dimmed and he disappeared from the stage, leaving the crowd chanting for one more. He did return for an encore, though, closing his unexpectedly robust set with “8 Mile’s” lead single “Lose Yourself,” complete with middle fingers up in the air.
Check out the photos of Eminem from his G-Shock show!
There have been very few details on Em’s upcoming 8th album, but last fall the Detroit rapper confirmed its existence when he released a Marshall Mathers baseball cap with inscriptions of the years that he dropped each of his solo albums on the side panel — including a notch for 2013.
Since then Dr. Dre has confirmed that his longtime collaborator was putting finishing touches on the album and Alchemist told MTV News that Em was taking a new direction on this LP.
“That’s my boss. I DJ for him and I’m not at liberty to speak on much, but you know his caliber and what he does. He’s clearly going to further territories,” Alchemist said during a visit to “RapFix Live.”
Eminem’s limited edition G-Shock watch hits stores in December. The watch is engraved with his reverse “E” logo and an autograph that reads “Shady,” while the band features an outline of the Detroit skyline.
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