IDK Unites Eminem and J Dilla on New Single "WELCOME"

Eminem and J Dilla appear together on a track for the first time, on "WELCOME," a new single by Maryland-raised rapper IDK released alongside his new partnership with Shady Records and Interscope Records, which will handle his future releases.

The pairing carries personal weight for IDK. The first rap album he owned was 50 Cent's 'Get Rich or Die Tryin',' and the first rhymes he memorized belonged to Eminem. Now he shares a record with one of his childhood heroes, rapping over production by the late J Dilla (the Detroit producer whose sample-based beats shaped underground hip-hop). For IDK, the song marks a lifelong ambition coming full circle.

The single links three hip-hop voices across generations: Dilla's influential production, Eminem's unmistakable delivery and IDK's adventurous songwriting.

What does the video add?

The black-and-white music video turns Detroit into a tribute to its hip-hop history. Filmed among industrial buildings, warehouse parties, neighbourhood streets and dancing kids, it features IDK riding in the Cadillac Escalade once owned by Dilla himself.

Behind the wheel sits Nissan, the son of Proof, the late Detroit MC whose friendship and collaborations with Eminem and Dilla tie the moment back to the city's musical legacy. That's a dense amount of history packed into a few minutes of footage.

A newly released mini-documentary adds context. It traces IDK's path from growing up in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia area to a career that now connects him with the artists who first inspired him. The film captures a musician realizing the records he studied as a teenager led him here.

Where does "WELCOME" sit in IDK's run?

The single follows a busy stretch. His mixtape 'e.t.d.s.' featured contributions from MF DOOM, Pusha T, RZA, Madlib and No I.D. It included "START 2 FiNiSH – S.T.F," produced by Kaytranada and featuring DMX in a posthumous collaboration approved by his estate. IDK also performed with Black Thought and Kaytranada on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.'

His reach extends beyond records:

• A collaboration with Everything Is Recorded and Peter Gabriel on "Beyond The Brilliant Haze"
• The two-day Son de L'Amour celebration in Washington, D.C.
• A presentation of 'e.t.d.s.' at MOCA Los Angeles
• The No Label Academy, an educational initiative bringing his experience in music, design and entrepreneurship into classrooms
• Brand partnerships with Nike, Dior and McLaren

Why it matters

Eminem and J Dilla represent two towering chapters in Detroit's musical history. IDK has found a way to join their legacies on one record while telling his own story.

For a rapper who grew up memorizing Eminem's verses, sharing a track with him is a spectacular next chapter — and with Shady and Interscope now behind his future releases, "WELCOME" positions IDK's cross-generational curatorial instinct for a much bigger stage.