He may have had number one singles across the world as well as hits with superstars like Dr Dre and Rihanna, but could Eminem’s latest album have taken inspiration all the way from Dundee?
One city rapper has claimed it could be possible and called out the similarities between the real Slim Shady’s new album and a piece of his own work which was released five years earlier.
On January 17, Eminem’s new album Music to be Murdered By dropped onto his website.
It was five years exactly since Darren Stewart, 27, from Stobswell, released his own rap track which, coincidentally, was also called Music to be Murdered By.
And if that wasn’t enough, Darren also claims the same Alfred Hitchcock samples which were used on his album had inspired some of Eminem’s new tracks.
Darren said: “When I heard the Hitchcock samples, the same title and release date I did start to get a little freaked out.
“He is one of my idols and it could well be a coincidence but you do hear stories of richer artists with louder fan bases getting away with that sort of thing.”
Darren performs under the name Zee The Dungeonous and has recorded dozens of tracks over the years, as well as performing gigs at venues which include The Dungeon in Dundee.
But his local success is dwarfed by that of multi-millionaire Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers, although the pair do have a mutual friend in D12 group member Bizarre, who has recorded music with both artists – a fact which raised Darren’s suspicions even more.
He collaborated with Bizarre back in 2013, while Eminem recorded albums with the rapper in the early noughties.
Darren said: “I had a guest feature from Bizarre on my album, who I met after a concert in Glasgow in 2008, which I released two years before Music to be Murdered By which was called Murder Zee Wrote.
“People started contacting me thinking about the similarities between the works and that’s what got me thinking.
“We have our connections to D12 and it doesn’t put it too far out of the realm of possibility that Eminem, through Bizarre, heard my track, dug for the sample I used, and took the concept.”
The rapper admitted he has no direct contact with Eminem but had tried to get in touch with the star about the similarities in recent days.
He added: “I’ve tweeted Eminem about it and also contacted Bizarre. I wouldn’t say I was annoyed, if it’s straight-up coincidence then I would be amazed.
“He is a hero of mine and if it’s not a coincidence I’m genuinely flattered by it all.”
Darren will still be listening to his favourite rapper’s new music, even if the similarities remain, and also revealed: “I have new release on it’s way next month.”
Attempts were made to contact Eminem’s management.
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