Eminem hails fellow ‘King’ on new song from ‘Elvis’ soundtrack
Eminem and Elvis Presley have been linked since Slim Shady first appeared on MTV in 1999, and now their bond is made whole on Eminem and CeeLo Green’s new single ‘The King and I,’ which was released Thursday.
The track, co-produced by Eminem and Dr. Dre, is included on the soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming biopic ‘Elvis,’ where it plays over the movie’s end credits.
It has a playful bounce and unfolds over a looping guitar sample from the opening of ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ and finds Em — who dressed up as Elvis to lampoon him in his 2002 video for ‘Without Me,’ and again in the 2009 video for ‘We Made You’ — discussing the similarities between himself and the King.
‘I stole black music, yeah true/ perhaps used it as a tool to combat school,’ Em raps in the track’s third verse, before making the comparisons even plainer.
‘Now I’m about to explain to you all the parallels between Elvis and myself, it seems obvious/ one, he’s pale as me, second, we both been hailed as Kings/ he used to rock the Jailhouse and I used to rock the Shelter,’ he says, referencing the downtown concert venue where Em would participate in rap battles that were later recreated in 2002’s ‘8 Mile.’
CeeLo sings the song’s hook, which follows a sing-song chorus from Em where he shouts out trailer parks, baby mamas and tater tots. The track runs 3:13, which is either coincidence or destiny.
‘The King and I’ was teased on social media last month as part of the announcement of the ‘Elvis’ soundtrack, which also features Jack White (he appears on a version of Elvis’ ‘Power of My Love,’ alongside Elvis), Doja Cat, Kacey Musgraves, Swae Lee & Diplo, Tame Impala, Jazmine Sullivan and more.
The soundtrack is due out June 24, the same day ‘Elvis’ hits theaters.