How Did Eminem Meet Dr Dre? A Closer Look at Their First Meeting
- Dr. Dre signed on Eminem after an intern was mesmerized with his performance.
- The duo met and instantly clicked, leading to one of the most successful partnerships in hip-hop.
- While Dre helped Eminem’s success skyrocket through the years, the rapper is responsible for earning Dre three of his six Grammy wins!
About 25 years ago, little did Eminem know that his life was about to change completely. Dr. Dre did not just discover the rap legend we know today but helped establish his place in the industry firmly.
It didn’t take long for the hip-hop producer to understand the sheer talent behind Eminem which made him want to sign the singer instantaneously. Here’s a look at their first fated meeting that led to one of the most successful singer-producer partnerships in the history of music.
Eminem and Dr. Dre’s First Meeting
Dr. Dre is known for having a keen eye for talent. He can truly identify diamonds in the rough, making him collaborate with virtually unknown artists who then find their path to success. His story with Eminem is no different. In the midst of his substance abuse and financial woes which made it hard for him to provide for his young daughter, Eminem found a ray of hope.
Eminem released an album under his alter ego Slim Shady which didn’t gain much popularity outside of Detroit, his hometown. However, when the rapper performed at the Rap Olympics, his life changed forever. An intern from Interscope Records saw Eminem and couldn’t help but tell his boss about his mesmerizing talent. Dr. Dre shared,
In my entire career in the music industry, I have never found anything from a demo tape or a CD. When Jimmy played this, I said, ‘Find him. Now.’
The intern gave the CD to Jimmy Iovine, Dre’s partner who then had Dre listen to it. The rest as they say is history. Thus, began Eminem’s journey into rap stardom and he hasn’t looked back since.
When did Dr Dre sign Eminem?
As soon as Eminem and Dre met face to face, they couldn’t help but bounce ideas off one another and started recording. The Mockingbird singer recalls his first meeting with Dre,
I’m looking at Dre like, ‘Dude, I see you on TV all the time — you’re one of my biggest influences ever in life.’
Dre signed Eminem to Aftermath Entertainment on March 9, 1998. The two started working on a few lyrics that eventually made it into the song The Real Slim Shady. The song was such a smashing hit that fans couldn’t get enough of Eminem and Dre was happier than ever to have signed Eminem.
Dr. Dre did not know Eminem was White
When Dre first heard Eminem on CD, he never expected the man to be White. The way he rapped lyrics, the anger, the speed, and his passion for the song encapsulated Dre. However, in the end, Eminem’s Caucasianness did not stop Dre from signing him on. Dre recalled,
When I heard Em for the first time, I didn’t even know he was white. I just knew I wanted to work with him. And that kind of actually made it better for me, because it was so different.
While Dre helped Eminem’s success skyrocket through the years, the rapper is responsible for earning Dre three of his six Grammy wins! Their long-standing partnership and friendship continue to bloom to date.
