The show boasted some of the best rappers locally and internationally, all of whom happened to be white. Eminem’s manager Paul Rosenberg said: “The show was one of the loudest shows on the tour”.
The rapper and the show were both full of life, with Eminem bouncing around the stage and delivering the full-blooded performance of a man much younger than him.
Eminem didn’t say much in between songs, but let his hype man Mr. Porter - aka Kon Artis a former co-member in rap group D12 - engage the crowd instead.
The crowd was a diverse group with both old and new fans cramming in to see their hero.
People travelled from as far as East London and Durban just to see the rap star and they weren’t disappointed.
A light drizzle fell throughout the evening and contained the electric atmosphere inside the stadium but by the time Eminem walked on to stage in a pair of shorts and cammo hoodie, the crowd erupted.
The show’s track list included songs from his earlier albums all the way through to his most recent release Marshall Mathers LP 2.
The rapper performed hits including Stan, Toy Soldiers and his breakthrough single My Name Is.
The encore lived up to the title of track the rapper performed, as he ended the show with his single Lose Yourself which is exactly what the Joburg crowd did.
The evening’s opening acts deserve mention too as they set the tone for a fantastic evening.
Jack Parow proved that he hasn’t lost any of his popularity and used his knowledge of the local crowd to get them involved and create excitement for the rest of the show.
Parow drank a brandy for the crowd in thanks and went up to the front of the stage to give the fans a chance to get a little more personal with him. He sported a shirt showing the words “Bitches must know” but didn’t wear his trademark peaked cap.
Eminem’s new signing, Action Bronson, followed Parow and even though he was not well known to the crowd, he definitely made his mark.
“If you don’t know who I am, you will by the end of this shit,” he said. He did just that and as his performance gained momentum the crowd became more receptive.
The bearded rapper uses a lot of samples on his tracks and his style is reminiscent of throwback West Coast gangster rap.
He even lit up what appeared to be a blunt on the stage. Bronson concluded his performance saying, “I’ll be back Johannesburg, I can promise you that.”
The show was also a success in terms of security and organisation, except for a band of pick-pocketers who targeted the event to steal concert goers’ cell phones and wallets.
Eminem closed the concert by thanking the massive crowd who had come out to support him and said: “I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did, thank you for making us feel at home.”
It‘s taken him nearly 15 years to reach our shores, but most of the fans who attended would agree it was definitely worth the wait.
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