Posted by Eminem‘s “Rap God” has received an impressive makeover by 12-year-old viral drumming prodigy Nandi Bushell.
Bushell previously went viral for performing drum covers of Rush, John Coltrane and the Foo Fighters, the latter of which connected her with the band’s frontman Dave Grohl. Bushell even performed live at the Foo Fighter’s Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in London in September.
While the young drummer has been hard at work on her first batch of original music, she took some time out of her busy schedule over the weekend to cover Eminem’s “Rap God,” her first drum cover in six months.
“Guess who’s back? My first new cover in almost 6 months! #rapgod by @eminem,” Bushell wrote on Twitter. “Inspired by the awesome drummer @halcvlte – I am still working on my original songs. Coming soon! I can’t wait for you to hear them. Working on my speed and consistency.”
Guess who’s back? My first new cover in almost 6 months! #rapgod by @eminem! Inspired by the awesome drummer @halcvlte – I am still working on my original songs. Coming soon! I can’t wait for you to hear them. Working on my speed and consistency. #eminem #vad506 @RolandGlobal pic.twitter.com/yh4PX84r9r
— Nandi Bushell (@Nandi_Bushell) November 5, 2022
Bushell’s rock-infused cover of Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP 2 hit is fitting as it comes shortly after Slim Shady himself was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Dr. Dre at L.A.’s Microsoft Theater.
The 2022 induction ceremony, held on on Saturday (November 5), also saw Lionel Richie, Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam, Dolly Parton and Harry Belafonte be recognized for their contributions to music.
“Over 20 years ago, Jimmy Iovine, who is also one of tonight’s inductees and one of my best friends, played a demo tape for me from a guy who called himself Eminem,” Dre said during his induction speech. “The first thing I said when I heard it was, ‘What the fuck did he just say?’ I loved it so much that I couldn’t stop listening to it.
“A few days later, Jimmy called me and said, ‘You know he’s a White guy, right?’ Fucked me up! Looking back, I don’t know why it didn’t cross my mind. He certainly didn’t sound like a Black rapper, especially because of what he was saying. I guess it was my ignorance at the time, thinking that if you’re a really good rapper, you must be Black.”
Eminem Channels His Inner Teen Reliving LL COOL J’s Rock Hall Induction Performance
In his own speech, Eminem admitted there were many reasons why he wasn’t “supposed to be here tonight” and saluted dozens of MCs who came before him, including LL Cool J, 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., Rakim and Ice Cube.
Em and Dr. Dre later shared the stage to perform a medley of some of the Detroit native’s biggest hits including “My Name Is,” “Stan” and, of course, “Rap God.”