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The vibe was electric Tuesday night as close to 2,000 lucky and thankful fans got to watch hometown hero Eminem rock the mic once again.
The occasion was the release party for his highly anticipated new CD “Relapse,” which officially hit stores the same day. As part of the promotional campaign accompanying the rapper's first new disc in more than four years, he staged a free show at the Sound Board, the new theater at the MotorCity Casino Hotel.
A mostly twentysomething suburban crowd packed the venue for an evening that included the finals of a national rap battle sponsored by Vibe magazine, hot tunes spun by DJ Jazzy Jeff and a 30-minute performance by the man of the hour, Eminem.
The fans secured their tickets through a variety of promotional giveaways, part of an intense media blitz by Eminem's label and management. The entry passes were distributed through the radio, retail drawings and even via Twitter, with Eminem and his label using the social networking site to release ticket pickup locations as late as Tuesday afternoon.
Many ticketholders arrived at the Sound Board first thing Tuesday morning, readying for the chance to see Eminem's first hometown performance since 2006, when he briefly took the stage at a Super Bowl XL party thrown by his label.
Andi Rehm, 34, a stylist at Tender in Birmingham, took her coworker Calley McMillan, 16, to the release party. She waited in line for tickets nearly six hours Monday at the Record Time store in Roseville.
Rehm said she's been a fan of the controversial Grammy-winner and his group D12 since he first hit the scene back in the late '90s. She's seen him live three times, including his previous full-fledged Detroit concert, at Comerica Park in 2005.
“He's way too smart and talented for me to find him offensive,” Rehm said from her second-level seats overlooking the jam-packed main floor. “I take great pride in being able to spit” rhymes “with him.”
McMillan, who turns 17 Saturday, said her parents needed a little convincing, but there was no way she was going to miss the event, her first time seeing the rapper. “This was my birthday present, I told them,” McMillan said.
At roughly 7:20 p.m., hip-hop producer and DJ Jazzy Jeff took center stage and got the fans moving through a mix of old-school classic joints from Outkast and Jay-Z to modern spins like Jamie Foxx's “Blame It.” That was followed by the Vibe rap battle, won by East Coast female MC Da Fire.
Deshaunn Davis, 33, was one of 200 laid-off UAW workers who were flown to see Eminem on his “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” performance Friday night. The UAW members also received tickets to the Sound Board show. He said he was really excited to see the rapper in a more intimate setting and back in their hometown.
Davis said the Eminem performances were a welcome break from the worries he faces.
“Eminem has a true understanding,” Davis said. “Rappers are always going on about money and cars, but Eminem keeps it real, rapping about life and emotions. You have to respect that.”
What other people are saying...
jjloveable from Pima - September 05, 2009 at 4:28 PM
What I wouldn't give for him to come to AZ!! I love seeing him perform again, he's great - I love him!!
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