DJ Head, who played a significant role in Eminem‘s early career, worked closely with the rapper from his pre-fame Detroit days through the release of The Eminem Show in 2002. However, after the release of this iconic album, DJ Head and Eminem went their separate ways. In an interview with Noisey, DJ Head revealed the reasons behind their split and reflected on his contributions to Eminem’s success.
DJ Head’s Decision to Move to Europe
After the release of The Eminem Show, DJ Head made the decision to move to Europe. “I moved to Europe for a couple of years to do a bunch of gigs and keep money flowing in,” he explained. Despite being an integral part of Eminem’s early success, DJ Head noted that Eminem did not reach out to him after the album. “He just went and did the 8 Mile thing and just kept going,” DJ Head shared. He emphasized that he was “neither here nor there” about continuing to work with Eminem after the album’s success.
DJ Head’s Role in Eminem’s Breakthrough
DJ Head played a prominent role in several of Eminem’s early albums, particularly on The Marshall Mathers LP. He was responsible for the drum programming on tracks like “Criminal” and other songs from the album. DJ Head shared insights into his creative process, noting that he was transitioning from one drum machine (the SP1200) to another (the MPC3000) while working on these tracks. “A lot of the reason that The Marshall Mathers LP knocks so hard is because it was all done on analog. We were recording on tape,” DJ Head explained.
Notable Contributions to The Eminem Show
DJ Head also reflected on his contributions to The Eminem Show, particularly on the track “Cleaning Out My Closet.” He recalled how he had worked on the rhythm track before DJing at a D12 show, and upon returning to the studio, he collaborated with Eminem to complete the song. “Em had written about 75% of the song while I was DJing,” he said, explaining how they pieced together the final version.
Working with Dr. Dre and Reflections on Eminem’s Rise
Although DJ Head primarily worked with Eminem, he also collaborated with Dr. Dre on some occasions, including on D12’s track “Shit On You.” While Dre didn’t teach him anything entirely new, DJ Head admitted that he’s still pondering some of Dre’s mixing techniques, particularly from “Guilty Conscience.”
Despite his years of working with Eminem, DJ Head didn’t foresee the rapper becoming the global superstar he is today. “None of us was picturing that. Ever,” he admitted, recalling the surprise of seeing Eminem’s rise to mainstream success with albums like The Marshall Mathers LP, appearances on MTV, and awards like the Grammys and American Music Awards (AMAs).
DJ Head’s contributions to Eminem’s early work remain pivotal, even though their collaboration ended after The Eminem Show. His insights offer a unique glimpse into the creative process behind some of Eminem’s most iconic music and his rise to fame.
