Eminem names 2Pac the “greatest songwriter of all time”
“You can’t just listen to Pac, you feel Pac,” says Em.
On Saturday (May 2), Eminem hosted “Music To Be Quarantined By,” a three-hour radio show on the Shade 45 Sirius XM station. The set included songs that the Detroit native currently listens to while spending time in quarantine at home. He played hits from Nas, Beastie Boys, MC Lyte, 2Pac, Mobb Deep, The Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan and Run-DMC.
Before playing 2Pac’s “If I Die 2Nite,” Em revealed that he believes that the late rapper is the GOAT when it comes to songwriting.
“OK, this next song is from an artist who I feel like might be the greatest songwriter of all time,” he said. “Debate what you want about MC skills and all that because he had that too. This is one of them songs by 2Pac that, to me, he was showing you, ‘I can write heartfelt shit and I can write lyrical, crazy shit too.’”
The “Godzilla” rapper then began rapping the lyrics to 2Pac’s song.
“‘They say pussy and paper is poetry, power and pistols/ Plotting on murdering muthafuckas ‘fore they get you,’” he rapped. “Like, the play on the ‘p’ words and all that shit and how he was doing it was so crazy, mixed with the feel that 2Pac could give you, which is constantly why I feel like he was always saying, ‘Can you feel me?’ because you felt Pac. You can’t just listen to Pac, you feel Pac. If you listen to him, you gonna feel him.”
Eminem is one of Pac’s biggest fans. In 2004, the “Lose Yourself” rapper asked for permission from Afeni Shakur to produce a posthumous album for her son. The 17-track LP featured appearances from 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Jadakiss and more.
Who do you believe is the greatest songwriter of all time? Listen to a clip from Em’s radio show below.