Pop culture can look like a school cafeteria when it is broken down between artists and the respective art they produce; when examining artists who create art of a similar vein or come from similar circles, it can feel really surprising to see who are all connected! The entertainment industry is much smaller than fans may think; many entertainers are connected within their respective industries who might not think they would vibe well together, but there is always more to these surprisingly connected celebs!

The idea may sound a bit surprising considering the respective legacies of these two artists, but Robert 'Kid Rock' Ritchie and Marshall 'Eminem' Mathers, not only know one another but these two artists who are now seemingly on the opposite ends of the music industry, were peers during their early days back in Detroit; Mathers and Ritchie knew each other in their early days of navigating their respective musical endeavors, and they grew to become friends. Despite their visibly radical differences in their images, both Kid Rock and Eminem will always have their connected roots.

Friendly Beginnings

At first glance, it might seem Eminem and Kid Rock grew up and came up in a scene miles or genres apart, but their home base of Detroit, Michigan, and its rap scene brought the two together. Today, Kid Rock might be most well-known as a country artist or as the owner of a popular Nashville, Tennessee restaurant, but nearly 30 years ago, he was inspired by the emerging hip-hop and rap scene which was experiencing a great deal of mainstream success, and Kid Rock had begun laying the foundation for his own cross into rap stardom.

Eminem was a peer among the local rap scene in Detroit, and the duo came together and flexed their respective artistic muscles when a young Eminem challenged Kid Rock to a rap battle; According to the Huffington Post,  Kid Rock was down for the challenge, with a witness describing him as being "Cordial" to his offer.

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Plugging In And Articulating Art

Eminem and Kid Rock's early days of interacting through instigating rap battles in the '90s would soon lead to the old friends coming together to collaborate after Kid Rock and Eminem both respectively rose to fame on their own; Eminem released his first album in 1996 but would become familiar with superstardom a few years later when his sophomore album The Slim Shady LP was released. On the other end of the music industry, Eminem's former early rap battle partner had already been getting busy with his process of breaking into the music industry; Kid Rock's first record was released in 1990. He initially began his career signed to a major label which would eventually come to be known for being the home of Britney Spears and N'Sync, but according to the Detroit Historical Society, the record label didn't believe Kid Rock had the same amount of star power; Jive Records "Dropped him because they did not see him going very far."

The road to superstardom via the independent route was also traveled by Eminem; before becoming a mainstay on the radio or MTV, the work he had done in the independent rap scene where he had met Kid Rock had served as the launching pad for his future success and was chronicled in the film 8 Mile which was released after Eminem had crossed into the so-called mainstream 'scene.' Kid Rock also returned to his roots and released a few records on his own without the aid of a major label as well. For Eminem, the period between the release of his debut album and the beginnings of his mainstream success, brought him together with his own rap battle partner Kid Rock; the duo first collaborated on one of Kid Rock's tracks back in 1998.

Related: 11 Celebs Who Can't Stand Kid Rock (+4 Who Are Buddies With Him)

From Collaborators To Friends

Kid Rock and Eminem had spent a sizable amount of time collaborating and sowing the seeds for their respective careers back in Detroit, eventually coming together in the recording studio almost a decade later, but the duo weren't just collaborators; Eminem and Kid Rock were able to forge a friendship, extending past brainstorming material for their respective careers.

There is enough room in Kid Rock and Eminem's friendship for the duo to both relax and hang out. Both artists have been candid about one another's presence in their lives; both musicians make time to relax and catch up whenever possible. According to Eminem, his old friend has been a mainstay at the dinner table; the duo get together for dinner and also enjoy getting in a game of basketball together, as well!

Despite the seemingly stark differences in their respective public images over the years and differences in their respective political leanings, Eminem and Kid Rock have never forgotten their roots within their friendship. Opening up in an interview with The Detroit Metro Times, Eminem had some warm words to describe their friendship. He summed up his relationship with his old collaborator as being "Pretty good friends," despite not having seen one another in a while, revealing they hadn't seen each other in two years from the time of the 2009 publication of the interview.

Related: 10 Facts About Eminem & Lil Wayne's Friendship

Their friendship is also endearing for Eminem's old pal 'Bob.' Kid Rock once revealed to Billboard he endearingly thought of his friend as "Being a little kooky" before going on to praise his pal's sense of humor and describing him as being a "Great father."

No matter who you are, it's important to never forget where you came from, and the people who were there at the beginning of your success. The universal importance of friendship isn't limited to the 'regular Joes' and the 'regular Janes' of the world; celebrities also relish in the heartwarming element of life! To borrow from one of Kid Rock's most successful singles, his old friend Eminem would likely qualify for a spot in his collection of important pictures taken throughout his road to success.

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