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Eminem is back. The Detroit legend announced that he’ll be releasing his anticipated comeback album, The Death of Slim Shady, this summer. He couldn’t have picked a better time to do so, given that hip-hop has experienced a critical and commercial resurgence in 2024. Part of the reason for this resurgence is the ongoing feud between Drake and seemingly every other popular artist in the genre. Metro Boomin is one of the artists who started this feud, and he recently announced that he’d love to collaborate with Slim Shady.

Metro took to X (formerly Twitter) shortly after Eminem released the teaser for his new album. The super producer didn’t mince words. “Somebody please tell Eminem I’m tryna lock in,” he wrote next to a couple lock emojis. Metro has been one of the prolific artists in the genre for a decade, so it makes sense that he’d want to experiment. Metro has praised the Detroit rapper multiple times in the past. He hyped up Shady’s 2011 BET cypher on X (back when it just Twitter). He also workshopped a “dream” album with Em in mind during a thread in January.

Metro Boomin Wants To “Lock In” With Slim Shady

Metro Boomin said he wanted to create an album featuring all the rap stars of the early 2000s. A user asked who he want to work with most, and he named Eminem as one of his top picks. Those who have followed Metro’s career should not be taken aback by his fandom. While his beats sounds worlds apart from Eminem’s, the producer loves Em and Dr. Dre‘s work on 2001. He told GQ that they the album was the inspiration for his own Heroes & Villains release. “You can still make great songs with [artists], but as a producer, it’s like, what are you bringing,” he noted. “You’ve got to bring new artists. That’s a big part of your duty.”

Metro Boomin may be in luck. Eminem has broadened his musical palette in recent years, as evidenced by Kamikaze. The 2018 album saw the veteran emcee switch up his usual beat makers for contemporary producers like Tay Keith, Ronny J and Mike Will Made It. It was eventually certified platinum, so the tweak worked. Eminem hasn’t divulged how far along he is on his upcoming album, but most hip-hop fans would at least be curious to hear what he sounds like over a bombastic Metro instrumental.