Long before the days she collaborated with rap titans like Nicki Minaj and Drake, Karol G fell in love with Eminem’s music as a child while growing up in Medellín, Colombia.
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Speaking with actress Salma Hayek for Interview Magazine on Tuesday (Oct. 20), after expressing her appreciation for the band Cigarettes After Sex, the Colombian superstar revealed her adoration for Eminem, who was one of her first favorite artists as a kid, despite her not speaking English.
“I have to tell you something crazy. One of my first loves in music was Eminem,” she revealed. “I love how unapologetic he is in [‘Lose Yourself’]. I didn’t even know what he was saying. For me, it was all about the vibe.”
By the time she developed a better understanding of English, Eminem’s lyrics clicked with her on a deeper level. “When I learned what he was saying, I was like, ‘OK, now I understand why I like him so much,'” the 35-year-old singer added.
While she’s yet to work with Eminem, Karol G has notched a handful of rap collaborations throughout her career. Nicki Minaj hopped on “Tusa” in 2019, which reached No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100.
She teamed up with Pop Smoke for the posthumously released “Enjoy Yourself” in 2020 and recruited Drake for a fully Spanish guest appearance on “Ahí,” which landed on her No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto album in August and peaked at No. 44 on the Hot 100.
Karol G’s “BbY WOW” with Judeline and rusowsky is holding strong with a sixth week atop the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, while remaining in the top 10 of the Hot 100 (No. 9) after hitting No. 6 earlier this month.
As for Eminem, he could have a new album on the way. 50 Cent teased that Em’s next LP is on the horizon while at the premiere for his Street Fighter movie and explaining why Slim Shady stepped back from contributing to the film’s soundtrack.
“Em, he put a couple pieces together for it and decided because he got closer to his album, he kinda fell back on that because he’s preparing his presentation for the next album,” 50 said.
The Detroit rap deity’s last album came out in July 2024 with The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, earning 281,000 total album-equivalent units.