Is it a new Eminem song in which Dr Dre will guest rap, or a new Dr Dre song in which Em (in the guise of Slim Shady) appears? That's the mystery surrounding the song Number One which has just leaked online (and you can check it out below). (Update: the video has been removed from YouTube.)
Simply labeled Number One on a joint mixtape from Big Mike and Neptune called 4th Quarter Pressure, Part 2, Eminem introduces himself as Slim Shady and starts singing the hook over a mid-tempo beat that features a huge snare sound.
"So crack a bottle, let your body waddle/ Don't act like a snobby model, you just hit the lotto," Em raps gamely. "Uh oh uh oh, bitches hopping in my Tahoe/ Got one riding shotgun and no not one of them got gloves."
Em doing guide vocals for Dre
As the song progresses, it's becomes clear that this might not, however, be a straight Eminem track and that Em is performaning references vocals in which Dr Dre will rap (Dre's vocals are nowhere to be found on the song as it is now).
Even so, it's an exciting cut, and whether it's bound for Dr Dre's upcoming album Detox or Eminem's forthcoming release Relapse (or both), it sounds like a winner in the making.
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Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.
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"There was water dripping onto the gear and we got interrupted by a cave diver": How Mandy, Indiana recorded their debut album in caves, crypts and shopping malls