Ed Sheeran is an award-winning pop superstar but a well-known hip-hop head.
While exchaning favoirtes with actor Barry Keoghan on the popular Complex interview series, GOAT Talk, Sheeran reveals that Dr. Dre's Aftermath era gave him his favorite rap albums ever. Keoghan and Sheeran agreed on several of the singer's rap favorites in the debate.
Sheeran didn’t hesitate to salute the Aftermath, Shady, and G-Unit era, calling 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’, The Game’s The Documentary, Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP, and Dr. Dre’s 2001 timeless projects he can revisit in any setting.
Sheeran’s bond with Eminem runs deeper than admiration. He has long credited The Marshall Mathers LP with helping him conquer a childhood stutter.
Speaking to Howard Stern, he recalled how his uncle told his father to let him hear Eminem, calling the Detroit rapper “the next Bob Dylan.” Sheeran memorized every bar, rapping it endlessly until the stutter disappeared.
Keoghan co-signed with Get Rich or Die Tryin’, prompting Sheeran to recall a vivid moment tied to the record. He remembered blasting the album with his father during a trip to Italy.
Shirtless in the summer heat, beer in hand, Sheeran found himself explaining the brilliance of “If I Can’t,” particularly its off-kilter chorus structure. For Sheeran, those albums weren’t just hits—they were masterclasses in craft.
Ed Sheeran & G-Unit/Shady/Aftermath
Over the past six years, Sheeran and Eminem have recorded three songs together and performed on festival stages twice. Sheeran described Eminem as someone he relates to—private, grounded, and surrounded by his own circle in his hometown.
Even 50 Cent himself has given Sheeran’s rap appreciation a nod. The Queens legend reposted a clip of Sheeran’s acoustic spin on “In Da Club” during a Los Angeles concert.
“Ed Sheeran right now in LA at the John Mayer concert killing shit! BOOM,” 50 wrote.
For Sheeran, hip-hop isn’t just influence—it’s education. The genre continues to shape his artistry, linking him to the legends who soundtracked his youth and remain guiding forces in his career.
