Eminem makes surprise appearance with 50 Cent at Pine Knob

Eminem made a surprise appearance at his pal 50 Cent's concert at Pine Knob on Sunday, joining his one-time protégé on stage during his The Final Lap tour and shocking the sold-out crowd of 15,000 fans.

Em led a parade of Detroit rappers who joined 50 on stage; Kash Doll, Peezy and Icewear Vezzo also made appearances during the 100-minute show, a celebration marking the 20th anniversary of 50's debut album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" as well as 50's supposed farewell to live touring.

Em joined 50 roughly 30 minutes into the concert on "Patiently Waiting," their track together on "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" which also marks one of Em's most revered guest verses in his catalog. He followed with their 2009 hit "Crack a Bottle" as the crowd erupted in cheers and whipped out their phones to capture the hometown megastar in action.

"Detroit! Don't f---ing act like you didn't know I was going to be here," said Em, dressed in a hoodie with a T-shirt of 50's "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" album cover underneath it. (Given their history together, it was a safe bet Eminem would show up, but you never know with these things.)

"Detroit, make some noise for one of the best friends I've ever known, 50 Cent!" Em said, before shouting out hip-hop's 50th anniversary and the Detroit audience before slipping off stage.

It was Eminem's second hometown cameo of the summer, following his pop-up with Ed Sheeran at Ford Field in July. While he's played stages across Metro Detroit for the last quarter century — even though his last hometown concert was nearly a decade ago — Sunday marked Eminem's first time as a performer stepping on stage at Pine Knob.

The Kash Doll, Peezy and Icewear Vezzo cameos followed, one by one, as 50 hopped around his catalog, let his guests shine and changed outfits just as frequently as Taylor Swift during her Eras Tour.

It was a loose, free-flowing evening that saw the 48-year-old rapper in a playful mood, constantly bouncing his right arm in an up-and-down motion, as he trotted out every hit you remember plus a few you've forgotten about over the course of nearly three dozen songs.

"Get Rich or Die Tryin'" was a monster breakthrough for 50 Cent, born Curtis Jackson in Queens, New York. He was presented to the world by Eminem — at the time, at the peak of his powers — who signed him to Shady Records in 2002 and placed him under the tutelage of Dr. Dre, who knows a thing or two about minting stars.

The album made 50, a New York mixtape rapper with an underground following, an instant superstar and a commercial powerhouse, and he became something of a gangsta rap superhero and supervillain, all rolled into one.

Charismatic, menacing, bulletproof — 50 was all that, and he came loaded with hits like "In Da Club," which is forever minted as an all-time party starter in the annals of hip-hop and pop music overall. 50 rolled his debut album success into a clique, G-Unit, a clothing line and a presence that reverberates to this day, even as his career has deviated from recorded output. (His last album, "Animal Ambition," was released in 2014.)

Sunday night's show was 50's return to the stage, a reminder of his prowess and apparently a goodbye, although we've seen enough farewell tours to know how rarely they stick.

But if that was the hook needed to bring a packed house out to 50's party at Pine Knob on a crisp mid-September evening, it was worth it, as the show featured pyrotechnics, confetti showers, lasers, dancing girls, LED video towers and all the accoutrements of a big-time concert extravaganza.

50 was backed by a five-piece band, a DJ and a team of dancers, and he was assisted throughout the night by Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda, who acted as his hype men.

"What Up Gangsta," "Get Rich or Die Tryin's" opening shotgun blast, came early in the set as 50 hit the stage in a heavy leather coat, leather pants to match and the first of several New York Yankees caps he'd don throughout the night. "I Get Money," "Hate It or Love It," "If I Can't," "Magic Stick," "Hustler's Ambition," "How We Do," "P.I.M.P." — the hits came one after another, in rapid fire succession, and he was on to the next one before the one that preceded it was finished.

Eminem's cameo came relatively early in the night, and 50 exclaimed "I had to do that!" after Em exited the stage and 50's hits kept coming. He later paid tribute to late New York rapper Pop Smoke, who was killed in 2020.

Kash Doll took the stage by herself and performed "Ice Me Out," her 2018 hit, as fans were still reeling from Eminem's appearance. Jeremih, who opened the show along with a highly entertaining Busta Rhymes, hit the stage for a pair of songs, even repeating "Birthday Sex" from his opening set, and Vezzo gave the crowd a taste of his "Up the Scoe" late in the set.

50 seemed happy to share the stage and shine a light on Detroit artists, the more the merrier. And his band helped fill out his live sound; "Hate It or Love It" was given a rounder, more soulful feel, and "Ayo Technology" was more homespun and less digitally driven than its Timbaland-produced studio version.

"In Da Club" should have closed the show but was wedged near the end of the set, leading into a not-really encore that included run throughs of "Wanksta" and "Stunt 101," the latter of which is produced by Detroit's own Mr. Porter.

When 50 wrapped the show with "I'll Whip Ya Head Boy" and exited the stage, streamers from earlier in the night were still hanging from the venue's rafters. Whether or not his goodbye is permanent, 50 Cent gave the Pine Knob crowd a night to remember, along with several moments they'll never forget.

agraham@detroitnews.com