Eminem made Kendrick Lamar prove he didn't use a ghostwriter

DETROIT – Eminem once thought fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar used a ghostwriter - so he gave him a test to prove it.

Back in 2013, Eminem wanted to see if Kendrick was the real deal. So, he set him up with a secret test.

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The story was told by Ed Sheeran on an interview with Zach Sang.

“Eminem heard that Kendrick Lamar was the best rapper and he invited him to the studio to get him on a song,” Sheeran explained in a recent interview above. “He arrived and Kendrick came with all his mates and Eminem said, ‘I just want you in the studio, just you on your own and then my engineer is gonna come in and then record you doing it, but your mates aren’t allowed in’.”

“Everyone came in to listen to it and Eminem said that he did it to test Kendrick because he thought he had a ghostwriter.”

Kendrick was in the studio with Detroit native Eminem recording a verse for "Love Game," which was on The Marshall Mathers LP 2.

He apparently proved Eminem wrong with the verse.

Kendrick discussed the recording process in a 2013 radio interview:

"He brought me out to Detroit, I had a show, and he brought me to the studio to do a hook... I go in, do the hook, and he's like 'I like the hook.' Then I'm like, 'Alright, cool, I'm finna dip,' then he says 'Think you could do a verse?'... The thing with Em which was crazy to me is he kicks everybody out of the studio... I took it as him kicking everybody out to see if it's really you writing those raps that you're writing."


About the Author

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.

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