Em will return to his hometown Thursday with Jay-Z for the Home and Home Tour. By Jayson Rodriguez Eminem in 1999 Photo: MTV News Eminem’s career has always been intertwined with the city of Detroit, and that was never more evident than during a 1999 interview with MTV News’ Kurt Loder. “Represent Detroit,” a driver shouted off camera after honking his horn to get the rapper’s attention. “A’ight, dawg,” Em responded with a wide smile across his face. Now Em will return to his hometown, with Jay-Z in tow, for he first of two shows at Comerica Park for the rappers’ Home and Home Tour . During that 1999 interview, the then-budding superstar recounted his upbringing in the Motor City, from his home being shot at to numerous robberies and relocations. At that stage in his career, Em admitted that he wasn’t physically in Detroit as much as he used to be or wanted to be. “I got up out of the city,” he explained, saying he moved to the suburbs. “I’m not really here that much. Between New York and L.A., I’m not really here. But I have somewhere to go when I am here.” Eminem withdrew from the game for a while, while dealing with his drug-dependency issues, and his return to the public eye coincided with Detroit’s economic decline. The rapper spoke out about the city’s conditions during television appearances, most notably when he visited Jimmy Kimmel and brought a number of blue-collar workers from Detroit with him to the L.A. studio. He paid homage to Detroit on his last album with “Beautiful,” filming the video in and around the city. “Tiger Stadium is being torn down, and the train station is supposed to be demolished too. This video is one of the last times anybody outside of Detroit is going to see them,” Em said about the treatment . “I wrote ‘Beautiful’ when I was really down, during a difficult time struggling with my addiction. It’s a reminder to keep your head up and to see who you really are despite what you may be going through. Now that I’ve gotten through the toughest part, I see how the song relates to Detroit, and it feels even more powerful to me.” What do you think of Eminem’s connection with Detroit? Let us know in the comments. Related Photos Jay-Z And Eminem: Stadium Face-Off Related Artists Eminem
