If you're going to bring your Big Ass Stadium Tour to Detroit, you better have a big ass special guest to blow the roof of the joint.
That's exactly what Jelly Roll had on the menu when Eminem joined him on Sunday (5/18) at Ford Field for a little mom's spaghetti as the two white rappers surprised the fans with "Lose Yourself."
Despite starting off in hip-hop, Jelly had never done an Eminem tune before, but has covered Afroman, BigXthaPlug, Joyner Lucas, mgk, Public Enemy, and Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa on occasion.
Last year it was Mr. Mathers who borrowed from Mr. Roll when Eminem sampled "Save Me" on his most recent album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) for the track "Somebody Save Me."
The pair sang "Sing For The Moment" together on a night where Slim Shady also performed alongside the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
After a medley of tunes from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Snoop & Wiz, Jelly Roll, who has dropped close to 200 pounds recently, started performing the opening verse of the Eminem classic from the 2002 film, 8 Mile.
As he walked backed up from the catwalk and towards the main stage crowded with his band, Jelly Roll said, "this is fucking, Detroit. You better sing this as loud as you can. It's the greatest."
Then Eminem, not missing his chance to flow, waltzed from behind the stage curtain and was greeted with a thunderous cheer as he took over the tune.
Ford Field can hold between 60k-70k. Those who thought they could be cool and miss Jelly's set because Post Malone was closing the show, instead missed the moment.
Earlier in the set he gave love to a little older Detroit legend, Mr. Bob Seger, when he covered "Old Time Rock and Roll" which was originally written by George Jackson, but made famous by the ramblin' gamblin' man fronting the Silver Bullet Band.
It was a busy Sunday for Jelly. While he was trading bars with Em, he was also on ABC trading verses with Jamal Roberts on the American Idol finale. Some fans online wondered how the TV show could be live, as it was being advertised, if there was Jelly and Jamal singing for the judges in LA, when Twitter was showing him in Detroit?
Perhaps if ABC + Hulu knew Jelly Roll was going to go viral online in the Motor City at exactly the same time he was dueting on TV, they would have had a disclaimer on the screen noting that it was a recording from earlier in the week.
But maybe they thought that would ruin the effect that the finale was a cohesive, truly live event?
Jelly already feels like a contest winner after he was cleared to join Posty in September in London, England for a pair of shows at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
You may remember Jelly Roll had some run ins with the law in his younger days. Recently Tennessee politicians have been working to have his past felony convictions pardoned.
The Tennessee Board of Parole unanimously recommended a full pardon for Jason DeFord (Jelly's government name), with the final decision resting with Governor Bill Lee.
Jelly's felonies have prevented him from obtaining visas to entertain abroad. Only recently has he been able to rock the mic in Canada and Mexico. Those excursions "takes a team of lawyers and a mountain of paperwork to secure my entry into those countries,” he told the board.
After this week's announcement it seems like Jelly is confident the Governor is going to sign off and allow this reformed convict to turn the page, as Seger might say.
The Big Ass Stadium Tour rolls on with stops next week in Minneapolis where Kendrick and SZA kicked off their tour last month. Then he and Posty head to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, which at 40k isn't that big of a stadium, but we'll... pardon them.
Get your tickets on Jelly Roll's website.
Remaining dates for the Big Ass Stadium Tour US Leg 2025
May 20, 2025 – U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
May 22, 2025 – Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
May 24, 2025 – Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
May 26, 2025 – Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
May 28, 2025 – Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA
May 29, 2025 – PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
May 31, 2025 – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
June 2, 2025 – Northwest Stadium, Landover, MD
June 4, 2025 – Citi Field, New York, NY
June 10, 2025 – Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
June 13, 2025 – Thunder Ridge Nature Arena, Ridgedale, MO
June 15, 2025 – Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO
June 19, 2025 – SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
June 21, 2025 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
June 24, 2025 – Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID
June 26, 2025 – T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
June 28, 2025 – Providence Park, Portland, OR
July 1, 2025 – Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA
