FUSE returns with its exciting behind-the-scenes web series, Crate Diggers, this time focusing on Detroit native House Shoes. The J Dilla affiliate breaks down his massive record collection and reveals a story behind one of the Motor City’s biggest acts in Eminem.
Shoes opens up the segment speaking on the early beginning of Slim Shady’s career and some of the troubles he had getting noticed before becoming a global superstar.
“Em was a workhorse. He was doing everything he thought he could do within his means to get it poppin’,” he shared with FUSE. “He was so ill that you didn’t even see a color.”
Shoes then explains that despite his ability, local record shops didn’t want to sell Em’s product and he moved on. Later after signing to Aftermath with Dr. Dre in Los Angeles, Eminem blew up and came back home to perform at the famed Saint Andrews Hall. Shoes said that the rapper greeted him enthusiastically onstage.
Of course, House Shoes had a deep connection with the late J Dilla. Shoes talks about his first meeting with the great producer after a chance meeting at the record shop where he worked in 1994. “This cat just came in and he was diggin’ for records,” remembers Shoes. “Real kinda quiet dude. He would play some sh-t, then every once in a while he would take the headphones off and start noddin’ and kinda beat boxin’. We struck up a conversation and I was like ‘what’s goin’ on” and [he responded] ‘I’m Jay Dee.’”
House Shoes spoke fondly of hearing of Dilla’s early demos, following that by breaking down the size of his massive record collection. Check out the full interview below.
—
Photo: YouTube
