LL Cool J confirmed that Eminem will be at this year’s VMAs, and while he didn’t spill all the details, he left the door open for a surprise performance.
LL is pulling double duty at this year’s MTV VMAs: he is hosting the show and is also up for Best Hip Hop thanks to his collaboration with Eminem on “Murdergram Deux”.
In a quick chat with Entertainment Tonight, LL shared that hosting the show in front of real music fans is something he is looking forward to, and being nominated again after decades makes the night extra meaningful. His history with the VMAs runs deep: he first won a Moon Person in 1991, and in 1997, he became the first hip hop artist to receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. But until “Murdergram Deux”, he had not been nominated again.
“The VMA nomination is actually a pretty big deal”, LL said. “Just the fact that I’m being able to be nominated so many decades later, and be able to consistently and to be consistently impact culture in that way, even in the way that music has been separated and shredded, all gatekeepers are gone, there is a million different ways to get in the game – it’s pretty amazing. It’s kinda unheard of”.
When asked if he and Eminem could perform together at the VMAs, LL kept things coy:
Q: Do you think you and Eminem could perform at the VMAs, perhaps?
LL: Everything is possible. One thing’s for sure, I’ll be hosting.
Q: And Eminem will be there, nominated also?
LL: Yes, he will.
He did confirm that Eminem will be attending – rare news in itself, since Em usually skips award shows unless he is performing. Most recently, when “The Death of Slim Shady” won Favourite Hip Hop Album at the 2025 AMAs, he accepted the award via a video from home.
For now, fans can only speculate if Slim Shady might make a surprise appearance on stage. In the meantime, do not forget today is the last chance to vote for “Murdergram Deux” and for Eminem’s “Somebody Save Me” in the Video for Good category before the ceremony this weekend.
