Everyone wants to know how Eminem has got to Fat Joe’s new record. Of course, they have history together, Eminem was featured on “Lean Back (Remix)” that Fat Joe released in 2005.
But if you remember the story about inviting Eminem to rap on that track, that thing was supposed to be a one-off. In his interview with Complex Fat Joe explained:
Me and Eminem were cool before he even had a record deal. I wouldn’t dare ask him for a favor. But [DJ] Khaled was gassing me and this is when he was a little nigga in the crew. He kept telling me, ‘Get the whiteboy!’ I was like, ‘Nah, I ain’t gonna bother him.’ And he was like, ‘I’m telling you, that’s your man. He’ll do it!’
So I went and I asked him. And he hit me back like, ‘Yo Joe, you know you got one favor. Is this it?’
So despite all friendly feelings, Eminem is hard to get, and when Dre started discussing the possibility of collaboration, Fat Joe was initially reluctant to reach out to Marshall. He said in his recent interview with Power 105.1 that he was not enthusiastic about it in the beginning:
I said, I’m not doing that. And then Dre was like “I know how to get to him. Would you talk to him if I got to him?” I was like “Of course, that’s my friend, that’s my brother. Go!”
And we went to Royce 5’9” and Royce 5’9” was like “Yo, send the joint” and then he was like “Yo, he’s doing that”. As simple as that.
So we can say thank you to Royce 5’9” who connected two legends and helped them record a new classic.
Watch the video from the interview that Royce 5’9” reposted himself:
