Ed Sheeran and Eminem have worked on a few collaborations together, but one of the formative moments in their working relationship came when they bonded over their love of video games and superheroes.
Speaking with Apple Music 1’s Rebecca Judd, Sheeran thought back to his first time visiting Em’s studio in Detroit and how they talked for hours about their shared love of Marvel and the Avengers. They only began making music during their second meeting.
“It was in Detroit and I was playing a gig in Detroit,” Sheeran said. “And yeah, I arrived at his studio. He has got loads of games consoles there. He loves games. I actually bought him a Nintendo 64 with GoldenEye on it as a gift. Yeah. I just stepped in there.”
The singer continued, “Actually, the first time we met, we did not make music. I hung out there for about four hours, and we just spoke Marvel and Avengers for about four hours and then the next time I went back, we made a tune. The first tune we made, I was in Mexico and his producer flew to Mexico, and I did the hook there and stuff.”
Elsewhere, Sheeran discussed how he and his now-wife Cherry Seaborn went out to dinner with Beyoncé and Jay-Z when the couple first started dating.
“Jay-Z and Beyonce came to a gig that I did in Brooklyn. And they were like, ‘Come out to this restaurant with us afterwards,’” Sheeran recalled. “So I went out to this restaurant and then my mates were in town. Actually my now-wife. It was like the day after we’d had our first date. And she was there with my friend Martha and this guy, Foy Vance. So we went to dinner and then we went to this bar and I remember a guitar was getting passed around between me and Foy. And I remember playing that [Empire State of Mind’]. Five of us in a room with Jay-Z and Beyoncé. I gave Beyoncé a Jägerbomb.”
Sheeran and Eminem have previously collaborated on the rapper’s songs “River” and “Those Kinda Nights” and on Sheeran’s “Remember the Name” with 50 Cent.
