Kid Rock and Eminem Both Appear At Hip-Hop Events, But Kid Rock Shows More Love

If you had to pick a list of which white artists (rap and otherwise) that you can always count on to be at hip-hop events, some are sure-fire guarantees to be on it:  the Beastie Boys, Travis Barker, John Mayer, Everlast, etc. usually make appearances. But no two are more ubiquitous at hip-hop events than Detroit natives Eminem and Kid Rock. You can usually bet money that they will be somewhere in the building if there is a major hip-hop happening — and understandably so.

Eminem is still one of the most recognized rappers in the game and Kid Rock first made a name for himself as a DJ and rapper in the early ‘90s before switching to a more rap-rock style later in the decade. They’re both multiplatinum superstars with infinite street cred and they both have the unspoken ‘ghetto pass’ to be able to show up at almost any event and not have to worry about weird looks and whispers when they walk into the room.

But only one of them is likely to speak to you.

At the VH1 Hip Hop Honors, both Kid Rock and Eminem were there to pay tribute to rap’s most iconic brand: Def Jam. The label celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and both artists, coincidentally, performed songs by Def Jam’s most well-known artist; LL Cool J. Eminem was one of the first to hit the stage, doing a cover of “Rock the Bells”; and Kid Rock had one of the night’s best performances — wearing a vintage Troop track suit while spitting LL’s classic, “I’m Bad.”

But Rock was the only one walking the red carpet before and after the show at the after-party. Rock was the only one stopping and shaking hands with media and fans and cracking jokes with fellow celebrities like Flavor Flav and Parrish Smith of EPMD.

Eminem snuck in and crept out without giving so much as a nod to anyone that wasn’t in his entourage. Some would say that’s understandable, given Eminem’s tabloid-heavy exploits in the past, he’s probably a little wary of the media. But Kid Rock has been run through the celebrity mill as well, from his various arrests and exploits (anyone remember the fight at Waffle House?) and his tumultuous and brief relationship with Pamela Anderson.

Kid Rock understands that the media and the fans make him who he is. He’s always shown that he was “of the people,” and when he makes appearances, he’s not surrounded by bodyguards and cursing out anyone who snaps a picture of him. Eminem has become so jaded and surly that he’s forgotten who put him where he is today. It appears that Slim Shady could stand to learn a few lessons in humility from the American Badass. –todd williams