Guess Who’s Back? Eminem and His Stans Storm the Stage to Open the VMAs for First Time in Nearly 14 Years

Eminem’s rise to fame at the turn of the millennium marked a paradigm shift in hip-hop. With hits like “The Real Slim Shady” and “Without Me,” critics praised his lyrical prowess and dark humor. Now 51, the Detroit native is still widely regarded among the greatest rappers of all time. Recently, he scored another massive hit with “Houdini,” off his 12th studio album The Death of Slim Shady. On Wednesday (Sept. 11) the rapper (born Marshall Mathers) returned to the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards 25 years after his debut.

Eminem Gets the Party Started at the VMAs

Eminem took the stage at New York’s UBS Arena for his sixth performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. The “army of Stans” returned once more as the rapper performed his latest hit, “Houdini.” Afterwards, he launched into “Somebody Save Me,” complete with a pre-recorded video of Jelly Roll singing the chorus.

The “Rap God” hitmaker last performed at the VMAs in 2022, alongside Snoop Dogg for a rendition of “From the D 2 The LBC.” Ten years earlier, he made a surprise cameo during Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s performance of “Forgot About Dre” and “Still D.R.E.” With that said, the last time he opened the VMAs was way back in 2010.

A History of Slim Shady at the VMAs

Eminem is the most decorated hip-hop artist in VMAs history. The “Stan” rapper walked into this year’s ceremony with 13 wins under his belt—tied with Peter Gabriel for the most-ever wins by a male solo artist.

This was Eminem’s third time to open the VMAs. The hip-hop legend kicked off the 2010 ceremony with “Not Afraid,” followed by a duet of “Love the Way You Lie” with Rihanna.

Before that, the Real Slim Shady invaded the 2000 ceremony with an army of lookalikes for a groundbreaking medley of “The Real Slim Shady” and “The Way I Am.”

[RELATED: Remember When: Eminem and Hundreds of Stans Invaded the 2000 MTV VMAs With “The Real Slim Shady”]

The year before, in 1999, Eminem made his VMAs debut with a mashup of “Guilty Conscience” and “My Name Is.” The “Mockingbird” rapper received the Best New Artist award at the same ceremony, laying the foundation for a legacy still intact a quarter of a century later.

Featured image via MTV VMAs Stream

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