In the latest episode of the Joe and Jada podcast, Fat Joe and Jadakiss welcomed two hip hop heavyweights – Hit-Boy and The Alchemist. The producers stopped by to talk about their joint album, “Goldfish”, their creative process, and Eminem.
When the conversation turned to The Alchemist, they discussed his time with Mobb Deep, his legendary collaborations, and his first major break.
That break came from Joe himself. “He gave me my first big look”, Alchemist recalled, talking about the Tequila Sunrise remix with Cypress Hill, Fat Joe, and Big Pun. However, from there, the discussion moved to Eminem, and both Joe and Alchemist had stories to tell.
Waiting in line
“Shout out to Eminem”, Joe said. “We don’t talk about him enough here. He’s my brother. When I said I was retiring, I got a call from an unknown number. It was Marshall. He talked to me for two hours. I wanted to knock on doors like, ‘Yo, Eminem just talked me out of retirement!’ That’s one of the biggest honours of my life”.
Joe also remembered waiting in line for The Slim Shady LP CD with Big Pun. “You ain’t waiting in line for that album if he wasn’t the guy. He was phenomenal”.
Success comes with hard work
Naturally, The Alchemist agreed: “He’s changed shit. You think we work hard? I’ve never seen nobody work like him to this day. The level! Right now, he’s in the studio, I could put a bet on it. He’s working every day. I’m telling you, on tour: headphones on, in the hotel room, writing. Still! He’s all the way in, inside the middle of a tornado”.
Following the suit, Joe revealed how deep that work ethic goes. “When I got him on the ‘Lean Back’ remix, he sent the same verse 30 times. The same words, just different tones or cadences. I was like, ‘Is this the one?!’ He’s a perfectionist”.
To no surprise, Eminem’s name came up with nothing but admiration, as his influence runs deep through hip hop’s biggest circles. So, his powerful tornado can sweep in both an audience and fellow artists.
