Eminem’s extensive catalogue becomes even longer if we take a look at his legacy as a songwriter. A Canadian digital media company, WatchMojo, recently presented a video titled “Top 20 Songs You Didn’t Know Were Written by Eminem”. It’s a bold claim! So, let’s go through the list and see how surprising their picks are, if at all.
First of all, it is worth remembering that neither Mojo nor we are talking about ghostwriting here. Everything is clean and out in the open. Every song has Em’s writing and producing credits, making him an honest co-creator of the song. In this case, all the features that made it to the list should not be surprising, as Eminem always writes his own verses and usually produces them as well. But there are some examples of Eminem working on a track behind the scenes that the general public could have missed. Not a true fan, though.
Shady Teamwork
Many of the songs on the list were written and produced by Marshall for the artists he signed to Shady Records. Naturally, Fifty’s name pops up there frequently. You will also recognise rappers such as Yelawolf, Lloyd Banks, Obie Trice, and Stat Quo. Getting ready to launch their careers from such a powerful platform as his label, Marshall worked hard to craft material that won’t go unnoticed.
Obie Trice’s debut album “Cheers”, which shot to No.5 on the Billboard chart upon release, was not just executive produced by Eminem, it had Em’s fingerprints (and credits) all over. Marshall co-wrote and produced its lead single, “Got Some Teeth”, which debuted within the Top 10 in several countries, paving the way for the album’s success. And we all know the sad story about Stat Quo, who didn’t like the song Eminem wrote for him for his debut album single. There was no album after that.
Big Guns
Another big group of songs is those that Em wrote for big hip hop figures, without actually entering the booth himself. Of course, Dr. Dre is the first name on this list. Marshall wrote several remarkable songs for the Good Doctor, “Forgot About Dre” being probably the most universally recognisable. Through Dre’s feature, Em’s name ended up on Ice Cube’s “Hello”. Marshall also produced and co-wrote Nas’s “The Cross” from the 2002 album “God’s Son”.
However, Mojo gives the first place to “Runnin’ (Dying to Live)”, the posthumous collaboration between 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G. The song was part of the 2003 documentary Tupac: Resurrection. Eminem worked on this song with Easy Mo Bee, the only producer to collaborate with both Pac and Biggie. It is the constellation of those two legendary names that makes the song stand out from the list.
At the same time, it is hardly the only Tupac song that has Em’s credit on it. Marshall executive produced the Tupac: Resurrection soundtrack and was very hands-on on other numbers for the project, such as “Ghost” and “One Day At A Time”. Moreover, with the blessing of Tupac’s mother, Em produced Pac’s ninth studio and fifth posthumous album, Loyal to the Game.
Songs from this album did not make it to the Mojo lost. Neither did Marshall’s work for Xzibit, D12, Trick-Trick, Ca$his, and Slaughterhouse. But even in its incomplete form, the list gives fans an opportunity to revisit Em’s legacy as a songwriter and see once again how far his cultural reach goes.
WatchMojo’s Top 20 Songs You Didn’t Know Were Written by Eminem
:
20. “I’m supposed to die tonight” 50 Cent
19. “Like that” Stat Quo
18. “High all the time” 50 Cent
17. “Don’t Come Down” Obie Trice
16. “The Cross” Nas
15. “Ski Mask Way” 50 Cent
14. “Remember the Name” Ed Sheeran
13. “My Life” 50 Cent
12. “The Watcher” Dr. Dre
11. “Renegade” Jay-Z
10. “Rockstar” Bizarre
9. “American You”, Yellawolf
8. “Let’s Get High” Dr. Dre feat. Hitman, Corrupt, and Miz Rock
7. “Got Some Teeth” Obie Trice
6. “New Day” 50 Cent feat. Dr. Dre and Alicia Keys
5. “Hands Up” Lloyd Banks feat. 50 Cent
4. “Hello” Ice Cube feat. Dr. Dre and MC Ren
3. “On Fire” Lloyd Banks
2. “Forgot About Dre” Dr. Dre feat. Eminem
1. “Running (Dying to Live)” Tupac feat. The Notorious B.I.G.
