Like him or not, Eminem is beyond blessed with the gift of gab. Whether using his voice seemingly as a vessel for chaos or speaking out for the greater good, the MC’s lyrics have been placed under a microscope since his 1999 breakthrough record, “My Name Is.”
And despite frequent (and not entirely unfair) media complaints about the rappers’ sometimes misogynistic expression, some of the charts’ most beloved empresses have seen fit to join forces with him in the studio. That includes a few of the world’s biggest mononymous ladies of pop — Rihanna, Beyoncé, P!nk and Sia — as well fellow stars Nicki Minaj, Gwen Stefani, Hayley Williams and Jessie Reyez, to name a few.
Regardless of what you think about Slim, however, two things are for sure: Art is not created to be polite, and Eminem’s often record-breaking career is one to be respected. And for what it’s worth, the lyricist definitely seems to understand that women are frequently the ones who push the culture forward, which is why some of his most outstanding efforts have come alongside queens of the mainstream pop and hip-hop worlds. Whether he’s matching pace with his female collaborators’ rap skills or allowing their melodic vocals to contrast his own percussive, spitfire rhymes, many of the shiniest gems in the Detroit-raised artist’s catalog are his heroine-assisted anthems.
From smash hits to deeper cuts, Em has been able to call quite a few famous female artists his collaborators over the years. See which 10 are Billboard‘s favorites below.
