Bad Meets Evil

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Lore & Background

The duo's foundation was laid when Eminem met Royce da 5'9" in 1997 while Royce opened for Usher at the Palladium. They became quick friends before Eminem's rise to fame, collaborating on "Bad Meets Evil" for The Slim Shady LP. Their first work, a double-single recorded in 1997 and released in 1998, included "Nuttin' to Do" and "Scary Movies," which achieved respectable chart success, peaking at 36 on the Hot Rap Songs and 63 on the UK Singles Chart. A year later, "Scary Movies" appeared on the Scary Movie soundtrack. Friction arose when Royce turned down Eminem's offer to join the Anger Management Tour as a hype man; instead, Proof took the role. Royce believed D12 was souring his relationship with Eminem, leading to a feud involving diss tracks and a subsequent breakup. The conflict ended only after Proof, a mutually close affiliate of both rappers and member of D12, was killed in April 2006. This tragedy paved the way for their reunion once Royce's group Slaughterhouse signed to Shady Records.

In Their Own Story

In 2011, after eleven years of inactivity, Bad Meets Evil reunited with the EP Hell: The Sequel. The lead single, "Fast Lane," was recorded at Effigy Studios in Ferndale, Michigan, written by Eminem, Royce da 5'9", and Sly "Pyper" Jordan, who sings the chorus. Supa Dups and Jason "JG" Gilbert produced the beat; Supa Dups noted they made it without knowing it was for Bad Meets Evil or having Eminem in mind initially. The song leaked on April 28, 2011, before peaking at number thirty-two. The second single, "Lighters," was originally intended for Royce's Success Is Certain but landed on the EP. Produced by Battle Roy, it was recorded across Effigy Studios, Isolation Studios, and Levcon Studios with Bruno Mars. After Royce presented the track to Eminem, they flew to Los Angeles where Mars heard it, prompting minor arrangement changes. "Lighters" impacted radio on July 5, 2011, peaking at number four. The duo further collaborated on "Vegas" for Shady XV in 2014 and two tracks, "All I Think About" and "Raw," for the Southpaw soundtrack in 2015.

Reader's Guide

Fans can trace the duo's evolution through their distinct eras. The initial formation in 1997 led to the 1998 double-single debut. Following a hiatus caused by internal group tensions, the reunion era began in 2011 with Hell: The Sequel, certified platinum by the RIAA and gold by ARIA. This period produced their highest-charting singles. Subsequent years saw sporadic but significant appearances. In 2018, Eminem featured on Royce's "Caterpillar" from Book of Ryan, while Royce appeared on "Not Alike" from Eminem's Kamikaze. By 2020, the duo remained active as confirmed by Eminem on "Godzilla" from Music To Be Murdered By, where he rapped: "pack heat, but it's black ink / Evil half of the Bad Meets Evil, that means take a back seat." Royce also contributed to three tracks on that album: "You Gon' Learn," "Yah Yah," and "I Will."

Did You Know?

• The duo's name comes from a song on The Slim Shady LP (1999) that featured Royce da 5'9".
• "Scary Movies" peaked at number 63 on the UK Singles Chart and was part of the Scary Movie soundtrack.
• Supa Dups produced the beat for "Fast Lane" without knowing it was for Bad Meets Evil or that Eminem would be involved initially.
• Proof, a member of D12 and close friend to both rappers, was killed in April 2006, which ended the feud between Royce and D12 members.
• On "Godzilla" (2020), Eminem confirmed the duo is still active by referring to himself as the "Evil half of the Bad Meets Evil."