It’s not that “The Hills” isn’t a great song, worthy of a remix from a rap legend — it’s the No. 1 song in the country on the Billboard Hot 100, after all. It’s just that Em almost never does remixes. But Abel’s smash, like Marshall explained on Twitter, was “Too good to pass up!”
During his many years on the mic, Slim Shady has rarely hopped on other artists’ official remixes to give them his own lyrically outlandish and astounding touch. This isn’t counting his freestyles on other people’s beats — like on “Despicable,” when he rapped over Drake’s “Over” and Lloyd Banks and Juelz Santana’s “Beamer, Benz or Bentley” — or remixes of his own songs.
Here’s what he’s officially blessed with his razor-sharp rhymes.
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“Lean Back”
In 2005, Marshall hopped on the remix to another No. 1: Fat Joe and Terror Squad’s “Lean Back.” Along with Lil Jon and Ma$e, Em gave the track some new life, when it appeared on Joe’s All or Nothing album.
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“Touch It”
Basically everyone who’s ever rapped was on the original or the remix of this Busta banger. OK — not quite, but it’s close. In 2006, less than three months after Proof died, Em returned to the mic when he joined Busta, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott, Rah Digga, Papoose, Lloyd Banks, Will.I.Am, Kelis and Spliff Star for the remix to this posse cut at the BET Awards.
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“Hello Good Morning”
Em took a ride on Diddy Dirty Money’s Last Train to Paris in early 2011, remixing the single. T.I. appeared on the original version of the track.
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“The Hills”
Abel grabbed not only Slim, but also Nicki Minaj, for two separate remixes of his ubiquitous hit. Only Nicki joined him on “SNL,” but maybe we’ll get a live performance of Em’s version someday. You can listen to the full version here
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