As 50 Cent officially received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday (Jan. 30), Eminem and Dr. Dre were on hand to show support. Crowds lined the streets of Hollywood Blvd. during the ceremony, which was held in front of The W Hollywood Hotel.
Eminem took to the podium with a story about his first time meeting Fif. “One of the things I noticed when he first walked into the room was his presence,” said Em. “It just kind of felt like he was going to be a star, the way he carried himself, his swagger, everything. I don’t know, it just seems like he was the whole package. What’s crazy about to him is his charisma and personality, everything matched the intensity of his music.”
Calling his Get Rich or Die Trying debut a “classic,” the Detroit native recalled being “so excited” to meet Fif that he started rapping all of his songs to him, without giving him a chance to speak. “I kind of was trying to show him how into him I was, but I think I probably overdid it,” Em joked. “Something about him draws you in. I think Dre and [I] knew that if it worked on us it was going to work on the rest of the world and I’m glad we trusted our instincts.”
Em added that the Queens-born rapper has been a pillar of support for him over the years, and that’s he’s happier being his friend than a foe. “It’s much more fun to be his friend than his enemy because this guy is f**king relentless and he won’t stop. The same way he’s relentless in his battles, he’s also relentless in his business. He’s an artist, an entrepreneur and actor, a director, a producer, he can juggle, he’s great at Scrabble. He pretty much does it all, he’s also helped me through a lot of hard times in my own life and he’s always been there when I need him.”
Later in the ceremony, Fif took to the mic with a show of gratitude for everyone who supported him, especially Em and Dre. “I don’t know if my career would’ve been what it is without their support.” Despite having well-chronicled issues with Jimmy Iovine, at a point in the speech, the 45-year-old entrepreneur admitted that he was “wrong” for not inviting the former Interscope Records boss to the event.
Watch the full Walk of Fame ceremony below.
