Originally appeared on E! Online
Eminem is making sure the real Barack Obama stands up.
The "Lose Yourself" rapper made an unexpected appearance to introduce the former president at the Oct. 22 rally for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz in Detroit.
"As most of you know, the city of Detroit and the whole state of Michigan mean a lot to me," Eminem said onstage. "And going into this election, the spotlight is on us more than ever and I think it's important to use your voice so I'm encouraging everyone to get to and vote please."
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"I also think that people shouldn't be afraid to express their opinions," he continued. "And I don't think anyone wants an America where people are worried about retribution or what people will do if you make your opinion known."
As applause roared in the arena, Eminem also clapped while Obama made his way to the stage.
It's only fitting that the Grammy winner welcomed the Chicago native to Detroit since the Michigan city is where Eminem (real name Marshall Mathers) grew up and first found success in his music career.
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"This is what I know," he said of the city during his "Marshall From Detroit" docu-short in 2019. "I've been to a lot of places, but this is, to me, home. It's just home. The spirit, the people here. Everything is what I love."
.@Eminem: I don't think anyone wants an America where people are worried about retribution of what people will do if you make your opinion known. I think Vice President Harris supports a future for this country where these freedoms and many others will be protected and upheld pic.twitter.com/tVVHO00ANn
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 23, 2024
It's also where his and ex-wife Kim Scott's daughter Hailie Jade, 28, now lives with her husband Evan McClintock. It's been an eventful few months for the Mathers family as Hailie Jade got married this May and announced earlier this month that she and McClintock are expecting a baby boy together.
And how did the couple share the news with the 52-year-old? With a Detroit Lions football jersey that had "Grandpa" emblazoned on the back. However, it took some time for him to realize what the uniform was conveying.
"He was like, 'Are you trying to call me old? Why are you giving me this jersey that says grandpa?'" Jade explained on her "Just A Little Shady" podcast Oct. 11. "Then I hold up the ultrasound picture and he was like, 'Oh my god. Wait, this is real? This is happening?'"
"It was actually really funny, too, because the person who was recording obviously had no idea that that was the plan," she continued. "They were thinking, 'Oh, we're just getting some shots.' So, their reaction we had to mute because they were like, 'What the eff is going on here? Is this real?'"
But once the news sunk in, the "Slim Shady" rapper was ready to watch the game wearing his new swag.
"The rest of my family was coming over later to watch the [Detroit Lions] game," Hailie Jade explained. "When they got here, we just had my dad wearing the jersey with the jacket over it. Then he took it off and they all got to see that it said 'Grandpa.' And some of them were still like, 'What's going on?' until I pulled out the picture."
