Eminem and J Dilla rose from the same Detroit underground rap circle in the 1990s, yet they never collaborated on a track. Dilla did team up with Proof, Eminem’s late mentor and fellow D12 member. For a while, Proof and Dilla formed a duo known as the Funky Cowboys. Still, Eminem himself never rapped on a Dilla beat until now, two decades after Dilla’s passing. The artist who finally connected them is Maryland rapper IDK.
IDK has earned praise from a host of legends. Earlier this year, he released his concept album E.T.D.S. – Even The Devil Smiles, featuring collaborations with artists like Pusha T, Black Thought, and the RZA, as well as posthumous appearances from MF DOOM and DMX. A few months later, he contributed to Everything Is Recorded’s project with Peter Gabriel on “Beyond The Brilliant Haze.” Today, he unveils “Welcome,” a fresh Eminem collaboration built on production that Dilla left behind, released on Em’s Shady label.
Eminem mainly handles the hook on “Welcome,” but it’s intriguing to hear him bend his famously exact flow to fit Dilla’s distinctive drag. IDK also holds his own on the track. Here’s his take on the track:
When I first started working on this music, I remember looking up at my ceiling and saying “thank you.” I was speaking to Dilla because it felt like everything that could have been, in a way, started to clear itself organically. I knew this was an important opportunity and a statement for hip-hop itself.
The first rap album I’ve ever owned was 50 Cent’s Get Rich Or Die Tryin’. A Shady Records release. The first raps I made it a point to memorize were Eminem raps. I’ve been at it for some time now, so to be at the point in my journey seems surreal. I’m excited for this next chapter in my career.
IDK, Eminem, and director Vuhlandes shot the “Welcome” video in Detroit, and there’s also a short documentary clip with footage of IDK and Eminem in the studio together. Check out both below.
“Welcome” is out now on Shady/Interscope.
