Nandi Bushell, a 12-year-old viral drumming prodigy, has given Eminem’s “Rap God” an astounding makeover.
Bushell gained notoriety for playing drum covers of Rush, John Coltrane, and the Foo Fighters, the latter of which led to a meeting between her and Dave Grohl, the band’s leader. Bushell even gave a live performance at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert by the Foo Fighters in London in September.
The teenage drummer, who has been working diligently on her first collection of original songs, took a break from her hectic weekend schedule to perform her first drum cover in six months: Eminem’s “Rap God.”
“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.”
Bushell’s rock-influenced rendition of Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP 2 hit is appropriate given that it was released not long after Slim Shady’s own induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at L.A.’s Microsoft Theater by Dr. Dre.
Lionel Richie, Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam, Dolly Parton, and Harry Belafonte were also honored for their services to music during the 2022 induction ceremony on Saturday, November 5.
Dr. Dre remarked during his acceptance speech, “More than 20 years ago, Jimmy Iovine—who is also one of tonight’s honorees and one of my greatest friends—played a demo tape for me from a person who called himself Eminem. When I initially heard it, I exclaimed, “What the fuck did he just say?” I couldn’t stop listening to it since I was in love with it.
Jimmy called me a few days later and said, “You realize he’s a White guy, right?” I’m screwed up! I’m not sure why I didn’t think of that earlier, looking back. Especially considering what he was saying, he clearly didn’t sound like a Black rapper. At the time, I was probably ignorant when I assumed that being a really talented rapper implied being Black.
Eminem thanked the many MCs who came before him, including LL Cool J, 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., Rakim, and Ice Cube. He acknowledged that there were many reasons why he wasn’t “supposed to be here today.”
A medley of some of the Detroit native’s biggest singles, including “My Name Is,” “Stan,” and of course, “Rap God,” was later performed by Eminem and Dr. Dre on the same stage.
