Some Slim Shady fans were not impressed
Eminem fans were left a bit gutted after a special guest didn’t turn up during his VMAs performance.
The rapper, 51, rocked up on stage in his Slim Shady persona – bleached hair and all – at the MTV Video Music Awards last night (11 September).
He performed two tracks from his latest album The Death of Slim Shady, which came out earlier this year.
When it dropped, fans declared ‘real rap is back’, particularly after hearing his first single ‘Houdini’.
Eminem rocked up onto the VMAs stage with Slim Shady (MTV)
Eminem performed the single on stage, as well as ‘Somebody Save Me’ featuring Jelly Roll.
Though fans were stunned when the country-singer/rapper, real name Jason DeFord, didn’t join him in person.
Not quite the Tupac hologram, but Jelly instead made a virtual appearance via a screen.
Taking to X, one person complained: “Who else was hoping @JellyRoll615 was going to come out on stage with @Eminem?”
“Jelly Roll couldn’t even be there to perform this?” a second penned.
A third added: “WWE got Jelly Roll to show up in person to SummerSlam and swing a steel chair, but MTV only got him via pre-taped video.”
Though it seems the Nashville singer didn’t perform with Shady because he is currently on tour across the US.
Jelly Roll was there… well, kind of (MTV)
Despite fan frustration, DeFord previously opened up about how grateful he is to Eminem for sampling his song in the new album.
“I always say my childhood hero’s lived somewhere between Willie Nelson and Eminem,” he said in an Instagram post.
“As a teenager (and still today) I could recite every song on the Slim Shady album, the Marshal [sic] Mathers album and the Eminem show.”
“When I bonded out of jail at 17 years old and was sneaking into cyphers and battles in Nashville they would also play the ‘lose yourself’ beat when I came out on stage at the freestyle battles.
“I related to every word Eminem wrote. I understand him and felt like he understood me, which was rare cause I spent most of my life feeling misunderstood.”
Meanwhile, on the night, other viewers called Eminem’s showing a ‘legendary performance’, as one fan said: “This is callback to real slim shady and mockingbird performance back in a day… thats so cool.”
“Last time he opened up this was 14 years ago back in 2010 with Rihanna. Now we’re here 14 years later and yet he still delivered with such an incredible & legendary performance. Love this,” a second penned.
“Eminem has just found out his mum has terminal cancer and he still performs for his fans. Eminem. You are a legend, THE GOAT. Thank you, we all appreciate you, a third wrote.
Featured Image Credit: Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for MTV/MTV
