A spokesperson for Eminem has downplayed reports that he has signed a deal with wrestling giant WWE for appearances on TV and upcoming video game releases.
Earlier this week, Fightful reported that Marhsall Mathers had signed on to contribute to the soundtrack for WWE’s upcoming WWE 2K20 video game and make an appearance in their weekly series Smackdown – following in the footsteps of his rival Machine Gun Kelly, who performed and was ‘attacked’ on WWE RAW in 2015.
However, Eminem spokesman Dennis Dennehy has denied any deal between Slim Shady and WWE.
“There was a very brief, exploratory conversation that involved a third party and 2K Sports, not Eminem’s team,” he told Pro Wrestling Sheet. “It has not gone beyond preliminary discussions, and any reports to the contrary are false. Right now there are no plans to further pursue it.”
In spite of this, Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp maintains that a deal has in fact been struck.
“Eminem’s team can deny it all they want, wait until the fall,” wrote Sapp on Twitter. “The hilarity of us getting threats of legal threats for publishing a story featuring information that Eminem’s group, 2K, management and WWE didn’t want out there. We didn’t sign any NDAs. We are free to report that information.”
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He added: “If Em’s team pulls or pulled the deal I’ll feel bad for those who put it together, but yep – a deal was agreed upon today for all the things I mentioned, regardless of who’s rep is saying what.”
Eminem's team can deny it all they want, wait until the fall 🙂
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) March 13, 2019
https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1105670312559931392
Meanwhile, the rapper recently spoke of how he has “always been chasing” the success and creative streak he enjoyed on ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’ with each subsequent release.
Released in May 2000, the Detroit rapper’s third album featured such tracks as ‘Stan’, ‘The Way I Am’ and ‘The Real Slim Shady’. The record has sold over 35 million copies worldwide.
“Ima keep it 100% honest: I feel like, and I’ve felt like this for a long time – I’ve always been chasing ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’,” Eminem said. “Because I know that captured a moment, you know what I’m saying? It’s kind of like a time capsule, when I look back at it. The times that it was back then and the turmoil in my life that was happening.”
“Shit was happening so fast and spiralling out of control. I had a lot of rage,” he added. “When people say they miss the old Eminem, I feel like it’s probably that. You miss the rage. I don’t have the rage anymore that I used to have but I still have the exact same passion. Sometimes it doesn’t always come out the right way, and it’s like: ‘What the fuck is that? Take a pause, man.’
“I don’t know who I’m competing with, but I just wanna be… there’s a lot of great rappers and artists coming up in this generation now. And I’m watching it, and I’m loving it, and the competitive spirit in me wants to keep up with the best of the best.”