Bad Meets Evil

First meeting in 1997 as two up-and-coming MCs on Detroit's underground scene, Eminem and Royce Da 5'9" quickly forged a natural friendship and instinctive working relationship, with their collaborative track 'Bad Meets Evil' making it on to Eminem's legendary breakthrough album 'The Slim Shady LP' in 1999. While making the record the duo were also recruited by New York label Game Records for singles 'Nuttin' to Do' and 'Scary Movies' which they released under the name Bad Meets Evil. The singles were the first time Eminem had received major radio airplay in Los Angeles and New York, but the group was soon put on the back burner as he grew into a massive global icon, while Royce enjoyed solo acclaim but fell out with producer Dr Dre and feuded with Eminem's collective D12.

The death of mutual friend Proof reunited the pair in 2006 and they worked together with supergroup Slaughterhouse and on Royce's album 'Success Is Certain', from which new Bad Meets Evil tracks started to emerge. It led to single 'Fast Lane' and EP 'Hell: The Sequel' in 2011, and their hit 'Lighters' was a Euro-pop ballad featuring pop crooner Bruno Mars' soulful, soaring vocals and pitted Eminem's raging intensity against Royce's smooth, swaggering flow. The EP went on to top the US charts and 'Lighters' became a top five hit, but material was limited to the track 'Vegas' for the 'Shady VX' compilation album of Shady Records artists and 'All I Think About' and 'Raw', which featured on the soundtrack to boxing movie 'Southpaw' in 2015.