Following its premiere this month, HBO’s The Defiant Ones docu-series has given fans a firsthand look at the relationship between Dr. Dre and Eminem. At one point in the series, the musically-gifted duo recalled their first stint in the studio together.
According to Dre, within minutes of Em entering Dre’s lair, the backbone for what would become “My Name Is” was born.
“Eminem comes in in this bright, yellow fuckin’ sweatsuit — hoodie, pants, everything,” Dre said in the clip. “It’s bright fuckin’ yellow. I’m like ‘Wow’… I’m like, ‘Man, listen. I think this shit is fuckin’ incredible and I would love to work with you.’ And I had a studio in my house at the time, and I went in and put some samples together, did a couple of things on the drum machine. I invited him over.
“I’m like, ‘I put this sample together,'” he continued. “‘Tell me if you like it,’ and I hit the drum machine, and maybe two or three seconds went by and he just went ‘Hi, my name is. My name is.’ Like ‘Yo. Stop. Shit’s hot.’ That’s what happened our first day in the first few minutes of us being in the studio.”
Mr. Mathers also talked about working with Dre, an artist he dubbed one of his “biggest influences ever in life.”
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“I’m looking at Dre like, ‘Dude, I see you on TV all the time,'” Em said. ‘You’re one of my biggest influences ever in life.'”
The Defiant Ones concludes Wednesday (July 12) on HBO, but all four episodes are available on HBO’s website.
