Dee-1 is not just a rapper from New Orleans. He’s also a social activist and an educator who, among other things, teaches a course at Tufts University called “The Intersection of Hip Hop and Social Change”.
Even his new podcast is called Shift. So it’s fitting that Xzibit, one of Dee-1’s recent guests, talked about the massive cultural shift Eminem helped create — one Xzibit witnessed firsthand.
We did a lot of records back around the 2000 era. Eminem became who he is. It was awesome to see him come from the same cloth, battle rap circuits. He turned his talent into a global, culture-shifting business. Not just record sales – shifting the culture, adding things to places that didn’t exist. Eminem did that.
Marshall has always been dope. And it’s interesting to see what he decides to come out with now. He’s achieved that.
Following up on Xzibit’s remark about collaborations, Dee-1 asked about the mechanics of putting different artists together on a song. In his experience, simply being in the right place at the right time can play an important role in shaping a song. However, for Xzibit, at least now, a happy coincidence has little to do with the creative process.
Xzibit: It’s phone calls, relationships. “Hey man, I want you on this record. I want you on this record”. Then, no problem. Send it. Send it. It’s done, just like that. It’s very well planned out, well thought-out stuff here.
Dee-1: It makes sense. I’ve heard that Eminem will be in there and do a million takes until he gets it right. So, would you say Eminem is really intentional about the image that he crafts and the way that his music comes out? Because I’ve heard he’s a perfectionist, but I guess he’s from the school of Dre.Xzibit: Correct.
Dee-1: It makes sense. I’ve heard that Eminem will be in there and do a million takes until he gets it right.Xzibit: Correct. That’s true. His process is very meticulous. But it comes out in the music.
Eminem’s perfectionism helps explain the focused, deliberate nature of his records, but it also heavily affects his workflow and decision-making. Eminem fans know by now that until he’s satisfied with the result, a new record will not see the light of day. And as much as we would like to hear that new music, Mr. Porter recently noted that while Marshall already has more than enough material for an album, the work is still far from its final stages.