Hip-Hop History: Dr. Dre Signed Eminem on March 9, 1998

Who would have thought that when an intern working for Interscope Records picked up an EP from a young rapper from Detroit, he’d set the wheels in motion for one of hip-hop music’s greatest partnerships?

In the late ’90s, that’s exactly what happened. The intern passed Eminem’s EP on to Interscope CEO Jimmy Iovine and record producer Dr. Dre. Immediately impressed, Dre invited the rapper to his studio. The two hit it off from the start, and within hours, the beginnings of “My Name Is” had started to take shape. The finished song would launch Eminem into stardom, earning him a GRAMMY Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.

Dr. Dre had already overseen the launch of many artists’ careers and wanted to sign Eminem with his newly established Aftermath Entertainment. Not everyone was enthusiastic about positioning the newcomer as the latest rap sensation, though. Some of Dre’s confidantes at the time found it hard to even believe a white man could “do” hip hop. Luckily for Eminem (and for us), the producer didn’t listen and signed him anyway.

Dr. Dre famously told Vibe magazine:

“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.”

It was the start of what would become a multi-decade-long friendship. Since their first collaboration, Dre has co-produced all of Eminem’s studio albums, including “The Slim Shady LP” (1999), “The Marshall Mathers LP” (2000), and “The Eminem Show” (2002). In fact, three out of Dr. Dre’s six GRAMMY Awards came about through collaborations with the rapper.

Their relationship has been a two-way street, as Eminem has ghostwritten lyrics for Dre’s own music. The pair also delivered some iconic performances together – including the 2022 Super Bowl LVI halftime show with fellow Dre-signees Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. The performance was so well-received that it won that year’s Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special.

Although greatly successful, the duo has still faced its share of adversity. Following the release of 2004’s “Encore,” Eminem’s career arguably hit a slump. Criticized for its lack of originality and rushed production, the album was a low point for the pair.

Despite this, they stuck together. Eminem’s following album, “Relapse” (2009), became the most collaborative project between the two. Dre produced every single song on the album, and its quality definitely shows. Dre later inducted Eminem into the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

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