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You thought you knew all about Slim Shady's work? Think again! Join us as we reveal the hidden songwriting talents of Marshall Mathers on tracks performed by other artists. Our countdown includes hits for 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and even a posthumous Tupac and Biggie collaboration! Which secret Eminem-penned track surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00Even though I left the house wrong, 17 years old on my own, using these streets as my home.
00:06There's no need to prolong this beef, dear, I love you.
00:09Miss Eleanor Trice, I place no one above you.
00:12Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:13And today, we're counting down our picks for the top 20 memorable tracks that the great Marshall Mathers himself had
00:20a hand in writing.
00:26Number 20. I'm Supposed to Die Tonight.
00:2950 Cent.
00:30Chronicling the events of one of the most painful experiences in your life is going to be a tricky task.
00:41For 50 Cent, when he came up with the concept for I'm Supposed to Die Tonight, he called on Luis
00:46Resto, Steve King, and Eminem to help him put his infamous 2000 shooting into words.
00:53On that night, 50 was shot a grand total of nine times, making it a miracle that he even survived.
00:58Life is but a dream, you know, row, row your boat, your blood forms a stream.
01:03After you get hit, you should have thought about this shit.
01:06You took that paper, you take a life, but your life gets took.
01:09The track is a standout from his album, The Massacre.
01:12And the choice to bring in Eminem on co-production duties, too, only makes things better.
01:16Knock and loaded, somebody gon' die tonight.
01:20Number 19. Like Dat.
01:23Stat Quo.
01:29In the early 2000s, Eminem and Dr. Dre protege Stat Quo looked said to be the next big thing.
01:36His single, Like Dat, which was co-written and produced by Eminem, showed all of his potential clearly.
01:41However, despite the track's success, Stat Quo still needed to do some soul-searching, unhappy about his sound and image.
01:53He wanted to find an identity that wasn't so easily comparable to his peers.
01:58He eventually left the label, going independent.
02:01While his album, Statlanta, didn't surface until years later, many fans still remember his work fondly.
02:07For mail time is rough, my knees a billion.
02:10The mail tenters go out and meet me in the building.
02:12I spit for the half-night crooks and chillings.
02:15Won't quit till my cash flows through the ceiling.
02:18Your cars get poor to me, your boys.
02:21Money on my mind, I got no time for chillin'.
02:23Number 18. High all the time. 50 Cent.
02:27High all the time. I smoke that good shit.
02:30I'm high all the time.
02:32When 50 Cent burst onto the scene with his 2003 debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin', it was like a
02:38breath of fresh air.
02:39An instant star maker.
02:40It was the ultimate rags-to-riches narrative, bolstered by some of the most infectious club hits of the decade.
02:46Daddy need new shoes. Daddy need Pirellis to look mean on 22.
02:50Stashbox, Xbox, laptop, fax machine, phone. Bulletproof this bitch and I'm gone.
02:5650 didn't do it alone, though.
02:57Superstars like Dr. Dre and Nate Dogg were among those who helped out on the feature list.
03:02So he was by no means in poor company.
03:04For the track High all the time, Eminem was called on as both co-writer and on production duties.
03:10Go ahead, get gully. See if I'm gonna leave your brains licking up like your scully.
03:15Number 17. Don't Come Down. Obie Trice.
03:18Don't come down. Things will always work out.
03:24Eminem's link to Obie Trice is well-documented.
03:27From the opening bars of Without Me, sampling Obie's rap name, to the number of features they've shared,
03:32these two were very clearly a good fit.
03:35Eminem even took on production duties on several tracks on his album Cheers.
03:40Don't Come Down is a pretty easy one to point to as a standout, but in reality, Eminem was all
03:45over that album.
03:46Trice did eventually leave Em's label to begin his own,
03:49but he has never done anything but speak positively about the influence that Marshall Mathers had on his life and
03:55career.
03:55The ectics you installed in this hectic young brother rubbed off after all. Now look at your boy.
04:01Number 16. The Cross.
04:04Nas.
04:05As another giant in the hip-hop game, it's only natural that Nas eventually crossed paths with Eminem.
04:17It goes even deeper than mutual respect, too, with Eminem acknowledging Nas's influence on his work,
04:23primarily due to the impact of his Illmatic album.
04:26Though actual collaborations are few and far between,
04:29Eminem jumped in to co-write and co-produce one of the best songs on Nas's godson LP, The Cross.
04:36I'm part of the sea, then these novices targeted me.
04:39Bitches infatuated say they love me, lying to me.
04:42Without discover this, my brother's trying to be the next me.
04:45Yeah, I support him, but he's blinded, I see.
04:47Jealousy, he loved me to death in my bug and I love him for life.
04:50We both still mourning on our mother's life.
04:53In many ways, you can hear his thumbprint on it.
04:56But we're guessing we're not the only ones who would love to see these guys working together more often.
05:01I'm happy that the streets is back in New York, for you rappers, I carry the cross.
05:06Number 15, Ski Mask Way, 50 Cent.
05:10Eminem's presence all over 50 Cent's The Massacre album was a testament to how much trust was building between them.
05:16Got hit, killed over, and bled till he died.
05:19Your little sister calling you stupid, reason why.
05:21Honey, your mama ain't a living room now, hog tide.
05:24I came up with two new ways to get rich, I can't wait.
05:27Got a brand new cig in that 038.
05:29That said, on that record's track listing, Eminem only features vocally on one song, Gatman and Robin.
05:39Although a lot of you probably knew that already, what you might not have known was that Eminem took on
05:44production and songwriting duties on the original version of Ski Mask Way.
05:48This was a year before his own remix of the song ended up on his Eminem Presents The Re-Up
05:53compilation in 2006.
05:57Number 14, Remember the Name, Ed Sheeran featuring Eminem and 50 Cent.
06:03I'm a private guy, you know nothing about my business, and if I had my 15 minutes, I must have
06:08missed it.
06:09The idea that Eminem and 50 Cent would collaborate is by no means a surprise.
06:13They've proven time and time again to be fond of working alongside one another.
06:17However, seeing them guesting on an Ed Sheeran track was not on too many people's bingo cards.
06:23Give me a song with Eminem and 50 Cent in the club.
06:26You know it ain't my time to call it a day.
06:28I wanna crack on and I wanna be paid.
06:31That said, Remember the Name is a collab that works remarkably well.
06:35A standout on Sheeran's No. 6 collaborations project.
06:38Though not credited on the production side of things, Eminem is a standout presence on this track.
06:44Sheeran himself was on production duties alongside powerhouse Max Martin.
06:49Trying to shop a deal, from Taco Bell to T-R-L.
06:52I climbed the Billboard chart to the top until, as fate would have it, you became an addict.
06:57Number 13, My Life, 50 Cent featuring Eminem and Adam Levine.
07:02Though originally slated to be released as part of 50 Cent's scrapped album Street King Immortal,
07:07My Life still made a splash when it was dropped.
07:10Released as a single in 2012, it hit No. 6 on the U.S. hot R&B hip-hop song
07:15charts.
07:23Eminem got a songwriting credit for the song, and although we never did hear the project in full,
07:28these snapshots were certainly interesting.
07:30According to 50 Cent himself, the album would have been a far more insightful LP lyrically
07:35than anything he had ever done before.
07:38For now, all we can do is enjoy what little scraps we did actually get.
07:43This is why it's so hard, I can't swear to God, I put my heart and soul in this more
07:46than anybody knows.
07:47I'm trapped, so all I do is rap, and every time I rap, I'm all trapped.
07:50And I rap myself right into this bubble, uh-oh, guess it's bubble wrap.
07:53Number 12, The Watcher, Dr. Dre.
07:57Becoming OGs in the game and changing, to make way for these new names and faces,
08:01but the strangest things can happen from rapping.
08:04When Dr. Dre ended his studio album hiatus to finally follow up the chronic,
08:08little did we know that he was about to change the game all over again.
08:12This time alongside his latest and most explosive protege, Eminem.
08:16He gave fans an insight into the future of hip-hop.
08:19The Watcher is an obvious standout from the record.
08:33Featuring guest slots from Eminem and Nocturnal,
08:35the songwriting credit for Shady likely stems from his clear contributions to the hook and melody.
08:42It's a reflective song for Dre, and one that is perfectly served by the fact
08:46that it's performed by two artists from two very different generations.
08:50Then they wonder why we act so outrageous
08:53Run around stretched out and pull out gauges
08:55Cause every time you let the animal out cages
08:58It's dangerous
08:58Number 11, Renegade, Jay-Z featuring Eminem
09:03Same dude, you gave nothing
09:04I made something through and
09:06What I do through and through and
09:08I give you the news
09:09Where the twist is just his ghetto point of view
09:11The Renegade, you've been afraid
09:13I penetrate pop culture
09:15Bring them a lot closer to the block
09:17Where they pop toasters
09:18Though Renegade was originally envisioned as a collaboration between Eminem and Royce Da 5'9,
09:25Jay-Z eventually found his way into the mix.
09:28In fact, the song's first release actually came on Jay's sixth LP, The Blueprint.
09:33It later came out on M's Curtain Call album, but to this day,
09:37Many fans are actually surprised when they find out that the song is technically a Jay-Z song.
09:52Eminem is in top form from start to finish, arguably outworking Jay on his own record.
09:57He parted with the track as a favor to Jay-Z.
10:00But most people aren't under any illusions over who actually owns it.
10:05Never been afraid to talk about anything
10:08Anything
10:09Anything
10:10Anything
10:1010. Rockstar
10:14Bizarre
10:15Before his music career took off with the release of the Slim Shady LP in 1999,
10:20Eminem was a member of the hip-hop collective D12,
10:23and kept making music with the group until it disbanded in 2018.
10:33Bizarre, another member of the group, put out Rockstar in 2005 as the lead single from his debut solo album.
10:40The song, with its silly humor and infectious melody, was co-written, produced, and mixed by Eminem.
10:46I'm a rockstar
10:48Baby, baby, baby, I'm a rockstar
10:51He also makes a cameo appearance in the Ridiculous music video, along with the rest of D12.
10:58Although not a hit in the U.S., the track charted in a few European countries,
11:02and was even referenced in Eminem's 2018 song, Stepping Stone.
11:06But it's almost as if sometimes we're not even friends
11:09Which reminded me biz
11:10Rockstar was the shit
11:11Number 9
11:12American U
11:14Yellow Wolf
11:15After gaining online recognition for his mixtape, Trunk Music,
11:19Tennessee rapper Yellow Wolf signed on to Eminem's Shady Records, under which he released his 2015 album, Love Story.
11:27Never wear your heart on your sleeve, cause it don't go with the suit
11:32On the album's fourth single, American U, Yellow Wolf showcased his southern roots and delivered a perfect blend of country
11:39and hip-hop.
11:39Your daddy told you that girl was nothing but a problem
11:42But you fell in love, cause to you she was like a supermodel
11:45Written from the perspective of an average blue-collar American detailing his struggles and dreams,
11:50the song was co-written by Yellow Wolf, Luis Resto, and Eminem, who also received producing credits.
11:57Although Yellow Wolf left Shady Records in 2019 to release his music independently,
12:02American U remains one of his most beloved songs,
12:05and marked a masterful collaboration between a unique rapper and his mentor.
12:10Oh, sweet sounds of American U
12:13Number 8
12:15Let's Get High
12:17Dr. Dre featuring Hitman, Corrupt, and Miz Rock
12:20The relationship between Eminem and Dr. Dre began with the production of the rapper's star-making second studio album, released
12:28in 1999.
12:29Talkin' that, walkin' that, spittin' it hoes
12:31Smokin' this, drinkin' that, hittin' it hoes
12:34In the same year, the two also collaborated heavily on Dr. Dre's second album, 2001,
12:39with Eminem receiving multiple songwriting credits on the album.
12:43Come on, let's get high
12:45Let's get high
12:47All my ladies, let's get high
12:50One of such tracks was this firecracking collaboration between Dr. Dre, Hitman, Corrupt, and the Long Island rapper, Miz Rock.
12:59At just under 2 minutes 30 seconds, Let's Get High is one of the shortest tracks on the album, but
13:05manages to pack quite the punch,
13:06largely due to its funky bassline and hard-hitting lyrics.
13:10I make the four hop
13:12Pull up at the spot
13:13Weed by the barrels
13:14In my G'd up apparel
13:15Stoppin' in the party
13:16Number 7
13:18Got Some Teeth
13:19Obie Trice
13:20In the early 2000s, Shady Records signed 50 Cent, putting out his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin', which
13:28became the best-selling album of 2003.
13:31This huge success almost completely overshadowed other rappers on the record label, such as Obie Trice.
13:42After spending years in Detroit's underground rap scene, Obie Trice got signed by Eminem and released his debut album, Cheers,
13:49in the same year as Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
13:57Eminem handled production on most of the tracks and co-wrote Got Some Teeth, the lead single off the album.
14:03Featuring his signature twisted humor, lyrical wordplay, and a killer beat, the song peaked at No. 54 on the Hot
14:09100 and reached the top 10 in the UK.
14:12She holla cause I got a lot of generity, oh, the DJ's playin' Obie's song on the stadio.
14:17Number 6
14:18New Day
14:1950 Cent featuring Dr. Dre and Alicia Keys
14:23Speaking of 50 Cent, for his fifth studio album, East Coast rappers set out to make a record influenced by
14:30other genres, such as rock and dance.
14:32I woke up this morning thinking about the old me
14:35When I was feeling like Miller Lite and old me
14:37This idea eventually got scrapped and a more traditional hip-hop album titled Street King Immortal was recorded in its
14:44stead.
14:45Come on
14:45How do people say, how do people say, hey, hey, it's a new day
14:51Although Street King Immortal never saw the light of day either, this inspirational upbeat collaboration with Dr. Dre and Alicia
14:58Keys was released as a single to promote the album.
15:01Need it from belly, I'm from the bottom
15:03Soon as I spot him, I get the drop and I got him
15:05I cut my piece and I got him
15:06Eminem received songwriting and mixing credits on the song, which charted in the U.S. and Canada.
15:13Number 5
15:14Hands Up
15:15Lloyd Banks featuring 50 Cent
15:17East Coast rapper Lloyd Banks gained worldwide popularity as a founding member of the hip-hop group G-Unit with
15:2450 Cent and Tony Yayo.
15:26I'm a rap star
15:27Who goes to be riding around in that car
15:29Two in the front and the back
15:31Got the plasma
15:32After their commercially successful debut album, Beg for Mercy, Banks kicked off his solo career, releasing this collab with 50
15:39Cent as the only single from his second album.
15:42Shout it when you party with me, we're going way back, score it at three
15:46Co-written and co-produced by Eminem, the track failed to match up with the success of his debut solo
15:52single, peaking at number 84 on the Hot 100 and dropping off the chart only four weeks later.
16:03Nonetheless, it was a fiery collaboration between the two G-Unit rappers and remains a lyrical classic to this day.
16:11Number 4
16:12Hello
16:12Ice Cube featuring Dr. Dre and MC Ren
16:16The legendary hip-hop group NWA heavily popularized gangster rap and has had a major influence on rap music from
16:24the late 80s to date.
16:25Ain't no cop in a plea, ain't no stop in a G
16:27I'm in a six, you got to hop in a three
16:29Company Monopoly
16:30By the year 2000, the group had largely disbanded, but three of its members, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and MC
16:37Ren, would reunite for this final single on Ice Cube's sixth album.
16:41Fill it blows up your spot
16:42Take your notebook, your bitch and your clock
16:45The song served as the opener on the brilliant multi-dimensional album that smoothly transitioned from radio-friendly songs with
16:52bouncy hooks to more introspective lyrical displays.
16:56Eminem reportedly wrote Dr. Dre's verse on the track, proving that even in the company of those who came before
17:02him, his pen game remains unshakable.
17:06Questioning Dre's credibility
17:07What?
17:07Wondering if it's still in me to produce hits
17:09Y'all be killing me
17:10Number three, On Fire, Lloyd Banks
17:14For his debut solo album, Lloyd Banks found a co-writer and co-producer in Eminem, teaming up with the
17:21rapper to produce On Fire, the album's lead single
17:30The track quickly became a hit, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and setting a solid foundation
17:36for Lloyd Banks' solo career.
17:42Off the back of this hit single, Banks' debut album, The Hunger For More, achieved a level of commercial success
17:49attributed to mostly veteran artists at the time.
17:52The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, a position it held for two weeks and has since
17:58been certified platinum in the U.S.
18:00If you know anything about me, then you know I'm a baller
18:04If I don't f*** the first night, I ain't gonna uncalled up
18:06Number two, Forgot About Dre
18:09Dr. Dre featuring Eminem
18:11When his unintended hiatus from music in the mid-90s led to rising doubts over his rap skills, Dr. Dre
18:18put out his 2001 album to prove to the world that he's still got it.
18:28While the album was led by the moderate hit Still Dre, it was this song, the second single, that encapsulated
18:35the entire album's message.
18:43Eminem appears on the track as a featured artist, but what you may not know is that he's the song's
18:49only credited songwriter, pending both his and Dr. Dre's verses.
18:54An international hit, it won the Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group, a testament to the
19:00fact that only magic is created when Eminem and Dre work together.
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19:34Tupac Resurrection is an Oscar-nominated documentary released in 2003 that detailed the life and death of the widely celebrated
19:42rapper Tupac Shakur.
19:50The soundtrack for the film, a 14-track, platinum-certified album, featured several songs that had appeared on previous Tupac
19:57albums and a few unreleased songs that were revamped to a new sound.
20:06For this process, Eminem was brought on as an executive producer and received songwriting credits on this posthumous collaboration between
20:15Tupac and the notorious B.I.G.
20:17Eminem expertly weaves both rappers' verses into a timeless song celebrating the legacy of two icons who were taken away
20:25too soon.
20:32But what's your own personal favorite Eminem song? Let us know in the comments below.
20:38Let us know in the comments below.
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