On the eve of a historical event, Eminem made an obligatory appearance and paid respect to hip hop legends inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before him.
In a photo that surfaced recently, Marshall is spotted wearing his trusted Saint Laurent Teddy bomber jacket (now in white), a tribute t-shirt and a new chain.
The chain and the t-shirt both were an homage to the influential hip hop group Run-DMC that Eminem inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before in 2009. That was when the first realisation dawned that he might be the one standing on the stage, getting recognition for his contribution to music.
Still, even when Em is the one to be celebrated, he celebrates those who came before him and taught generations of artists what true hip hop is. Marshall was wearing a t-shirt with Run-DMC’s album cover, “Tougher Than Leather”, released in 1988.
And also, Marshall was wearing a chain with an Adidas pendant, the same as Run-DMC’s DJ Jam Master Jay was wearing. Jam Master Jay is a mounting figure in hip hop and part of one of the most influential groups in the genre. He is also a line in a tragic statistic of hip hop homicides. Jam Master Jay was shot dead n his own studio in 2002. Nobody has ever been convicted for his murder. After new arrests were made in 2020, a new trial is about to begin in February 2023 that might bring some clarity to the case.
As always, Marshall draws attention to both the rich history of hip hop and to a major issue it faces.
