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Eminem & Rihanna’s Monster Tour Roars to Life at Rose Bowl: Concert Review

Eminem & Rihanna's Monster tour kicked off at the Pasadena Rose Bowl on Aug. 7. Read our review of the co-headlining stadium tour

By Steve Baltin

Steve Baltin

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Eminem and Rihanna perform on the The Monster Tour

Eminem & Rihanna ‘s long-awaited Monster tour, which kicked off Aug. 7 in Los Angeles at a sold-out Rose Bowl, is billed as a co-headlining tour between the two music superstars, and the pair treated the show as if they were equals, starting and ending together. However, sharing the stage with Eminem is like playing one-on-one with LeBron James or acting with Daniel Day-Lewis. Eminem is, as he reminded everyone last weekend at Lollapalooza , one of the half dozen most compelling performers in music today.

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That was evident from the outset of the show, which opens with a short Silence of the Lambs -inspired film that finds Sopranos star Michael Imperioli walking Rihanna down a San Quentin prison hall. As she saunters into a cell, just the back of Eminem’s head and trademark blonde hair appeared on the screen and the Rose Bowl crowd lost their collective minds.

Keeping with the motif in the opening “Numb,” Rihanna started the show on her own, only to have a platform rise on the side of the stage where Eminem, strapped to a stretcher a la Hannibal Lecter, emerged mid-song. Like the Jay-Z and Beyonce On The Run tour (both shows hit the Rose Bowl this week, coincidently) there is a fair amount of interaction between the two headliners.

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Following “Won’t Back Down,” the Rihanna portion of the night, which lasted for almost an hour, began with her highlighting her vocals on an impressive and impassioned “What Now.” The song was one of her highpoints, along with the gorgeous “Stay” and the reggae track “Man Down,” and the dance-heavy “Where Have You Been.”

The one drawback to Rihanna’s set, which admittedly had fans going crazy, was how produced it felt at times, with the numerous backup dancers joining her for choreographed moves on songs like “Cake” and “Rude Boy,” distracting from the performance. It’s hard to digest her pop polish when she’s on the same bill with someone as raw and intense as Eminem. Every time Marshal Mathers emerged on stage, he was a lightning rod for attention, like when he reappeared at the end of her set to join in on a stunning “Love The Way You Lie.”

After the song ended and Rihanna walked offstage, Eminem said simply, “California, let’s go!” And with that, the Monster tour went off. “Square Dance,” “Marshall Matters,” “Stan,” with Rihanna singing the Dido “Thank You” refrain,” an anthemic “The Way I Am,” “Berzerk” — it was one knockout performance after another. And his lightning speed delivery on “Rap God” was simply jaw-dropping.

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Just as Rihanna’s best moments came when she let her stage persona go and showed her warmth, Eminem shone as he introduced “I’m Not Afraid.” “This song I want to dedicate to anyone who ever lost anyone to addiction,” he said, referencing his own battles with the disease by adding, “I could not have gotten through it without you.”

Rihanna then returned for her encores, coming back for both “Diamonds” and “We Found Love,” before Eminem delivered “Lose Yourself.” Fittingly, the almost three-hour show ended with both performing “The Monster.”

Set List (+ both/ * Rihanna solo/ ** Eminem solo)

“Numb” + “No Love (Don’t Hurt Me)” + “Run This Town” + “Live Your Life” * “Crack a Bottle” ** “Won’t Back Down” + “What Now” * “Phresh Out the Runway” * “Cake” * “Talk That Talk” * “Rude Boy” * “What’s My Name?” (remixed with Trey Songz’ “Na Na”) * “Pour It Up” * “Cockiness (Love It)” * “Man Down” * “You Da One” * “Wait Your Turn” * “Jump” * “Umbrella” * “All of the Lights” * “Rockstar 101? * “Where Have You Been” * “Stay” * “Love the Way You Lie” + “3 a.m.” ** “Square Dance” ** “Business” ** “My Dad’s Gone Crazy” ** “Evil Deeds” ** “Rap God” ** “Marshall Matters” ** “Still Don’t Give a F–k” ** “Criminal” ** “The Way I Am” ** “Airplanes” (Paramore cover) + “Stan” + “Like Toy Soldiers” ** “Forever” (Drake cover) ** “Berzerk” ** “Till I Collapse” ** “Cinderella Man” ** “The Real Slim Shady” ** “Without Me” ** “Not Afraid” ** “Diamonds” * “We Found Love” (Acoustic & Regular Versions) * “Lose Yourself” ** “The Monster” +

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Review: 15 thoughts on eminem & rihanna’s ‘monster’ tour.

By Adelle Platon

Adelle Platon

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Clocking in a handful of collaborations is automatic grounds for two artists to embark on a joint tour these days. Jay Z and Justin Timberlake did it. Hov did it again with Beyoncé. Drake and Wayne are going at it as Chris Brown and Trey Songz are cashing in. But when Rihanna and Eminem step into the fold, is there sense besides dollar signs to put two of music’s biggest chart toppers on the same bill? Behold, 15 thoughts on the “Monster” experience.

1. Taking a play out of the Carters’ book , the show at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium (Aug. 16) opened with a mini-film. Rihanna puts her best Olivia Pope face on and pays Eminem, a surprisingly funny lunatic, a visit at the Attica correctional facility. It’s a spin-off off their therapy session depicted in their “ Monster ” music video, and proof that their chemistry on-wax extends to the screen. Makes you wonder if they’re this comfy with each other IRL and text each other after watching an episode of Breaking Bad to dissect their inner demons.

2. Psychological fancies aside, the two are highly capable of making crowds lose their minds. Starting with the Unapologetic cut “Numb”, where Marshall Mathers emerges in a straight jacket, the overall theme for the show was saluting those who are, in Em’s words, “fucked up mentally.” No illegal substance required.

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3. The ratchet never leaves Rihanna , who rocks white Doc Martens and a Motley Crüe shirt for majority of the show. She dutty wines through an hour’s worth of her risque pop hits, including the turn-up tune “Pour It Up” and every female’s birthday anthem “Cake.”

4. Even with a dearth of new material, Rihanna’s kept her multi-pierced ears to the charts, borrowing Trey Songz’ “Na Na” for a remix of “What’s My Name?”, and telling the Tri-State area, “Y’all like this shit!”

5. But when it comes to the battle of the solo sets, Em is the victor. His live renditions of vintage Marshall (“Just Don’t Give A Fuck”) mirrors the HQ album versions. Neck veins popping, he can go from deep cuts to Slim Shady silly real quick.

6. Rihanna filling in for other females on Eminem’s lineup, like Dido on “Stan” and Hayley Williams for “Airplanes” was a nice bonus. The mashup of “Renagade” and “Run The Town”, as well as “Won’t Back Down” and “What Now” made the sets more cohesive, similar to Justin Timberlake on Jay & Pharrell’s “I Just Wanna Love U” or Bey subbing in for Mr. Hudson on “Young Forever.”

7. The bad gal’s nipples also make an appearance. She showcased the pierced tatas that got her booted off Instagram through a sheer mesh bra towards the end of the night.

8. Style-wise, Rih channeled more of her masculine side, taking a cue from Schoolboy Q and performing the latter half of the show in a white bucket hat.

9. Em’s stage wardrobe remains consistent to his 8 Mile counterpart: hoodie, shorts, Nike sneakers (he chose two pairs of Air Maxes for this show), cap and signature mean mug.

10. Speaking of B-Rabbit, the Grammy-winning “Lose Yourself” rings off in the stadium. All the world loves an underdog.

11. A Shady Stan held up a sign that said “Fack!” which caught Em’s eye. “That might actually be the greatest song I ever made,” he says before promising to perform “that shit” live someday. That said shit comes (literally) off the 2005 Curtain Call collection, that gives a vivid recount of Eminem doing the sex and on the verge of erupting.

12. Given Rihanna’s live performances in the past, specifically her highly ambitious 777 tour (where she performed her seventh LP Unapologetic in 7 different countries in 7 days), the Bajan boombox has a tendency to flip the mic to the crowd instead of tackle her high notes head-on.

13. There were no standard requests from the entertainers for cell phone light shows. There were fireworks at the ready. Can’t find that at “On The Run” tour, IJS.

14. Eminem shouts out New Jersey native Redman and rallies the crowd into a call-and-response of “I’m fucked up” and “I’m high as hell.” Unfortunately, no cameo from Mr. Red, despite Twitter’s wishes.

15. Motor City’s golden child’s rap gymnastics are a marvel to see, especially when he spits the Marshall Mathers LP 2 lead single “Rap God” live. Miss him with the grandiose stage set or flashy chains, all Mr. Mathers needs is a mic, his hype man Mr. Porter, and DJ, Alchemist. There was no need to have Rih gyrate on him during their performances together, either. Believe that when he loses himself in the moment, he owns it. —Adelle Platon (@adelleplaton)

SETLIST “Numb” “No Love (Don’t Hurt Me)” “Run This Town” “Live Your Life” “Crack a Bottle” “Won’t Back Down” “What Now” “Phresh Out the Runway” “Cake” “Talk That Talk” “Rude Boy” “What’s My Name” “Pour It Up” “Cockiness (Love It)” “Jump” “Umbrella” “All of the Lights” “Rockstar 101? “Where Have You Been” “Stay” “Love The Way You Lie” “3 a.m.” “Square Dance” “Business” “Kill You” “Evil Deeds” “Rap God” “Marshall Matters” “Still Don’t Give a Fuck” “Criminal” “The Way I Am” “Airplanes” (B.o.B. cover) “Stan” “Like Toy Soldiers” “Forever” (Drake cover) “Berzerk” “Till I Collapse” “Cinderella Man” “My Name Is” “The Real Slim Shady” “Without Me” “Not Afraid” “Diamonds” “We Found Love” “Lose Yourself” “The Monster”

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Eminem, Rihanna Share Details of ‘Monster’ Mini-Tour

By Jason Newman

Jason Newman

One month after announcing that they’ll embark on an unspecified mini-tour , Eminem and Rihanna have revealed the dates and venues for their summer co-headlining Monster tour.

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The pop superstar will join the rapper August 7th at Los Angeles’ Rose Bowl, August 16th at E. Rutherford, N.J.’s MetLife Stadium and August 22nd at Detroit’s Comerica Park, with no further dates currently scheduled. Tickets go on sale on Friday, March 28 at 10 a.m. local time through the Live Nation mobile app and Live Nation’s website .

Live Nation has set up a Facebook page  where fans can RSVP for early access to presale tickets starting 10 a.m. local time on Saturday, March 22. Live Nation mobile app users will also have access to presale tickets beginning Thursday, March 27 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Mobile users can text “LNAPP” to 404040 to download the Live Nation mobile app (available for iOS and Android). 

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Eminem and Rihanna first teamed up on the 2010 song “Love the Way You Lie” before reuniting for “The Monster,” which the rapper released at the end of October as the fourth single from  The Marshall Mathers LP 2 . In a  Rolling Stone  cover story  this past fall, Eminem said that the new collaboration with Rihanna was “not necessarily a sequel, as much as it is a revisitation” to his past. “To me, it’s more about the vice, and it’s more about the nostalgia,” he said.

In 2010, Eminem and Jay-Z performed two shows at Comerica Park as part of the Home & Home tour, in which the rappers performed two shows each in Detroit and New York.

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Eminem And Rihanna Play 48 Songs As They Kick Off 'The Monster' Tour

8 August 2014, 09:46

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It was one of the most anticipated tours in recent history, and Eminem and Rihanna didn't disappoint at they kicked off 'The Monster' tour in Pasadena, California last night (7th July) with a 48 song set.

The concert saw Eminem and Rihanna alternately intertwine their back catalogues, as well as share the stage during collaborations including 'The Monster' and 'Love The Way You Lie'.

The gig has only just finished, but fortunately these Instagram videos give us a taste of what went down. (Warning: these videos contain strong language that some people may find offensive.)

Here's Eminem performing 'Love Yourself.

While Rihanna completely shut things down with her T.I. collaboration 'Live Your Life'.

Eminem and Rihanna go head to head.

And the pair also collaborated on their hit 'Love The Way You Lie'.

And 'The Monster'.

Eminem and Rihanna's tour continues tonight in California before calling at major cities all across the US.

Eminem and Rihanna's 'The Monster' tour setlist:

1) “Numb” – Both 2) “No Love (Don’t Hurt Me)” – Both 3) “Run This Town” – Both 4) “Live Your Life” – Rihanna 5) “Crack a Bottle” – Eminem 6) “Won’t Back Down” – Both 7) “What Now” – Rihanna 8) “Phresh Out the Runway” – Rihanna 9) “Cake” – Rihanna 10) “Talk That Talk” – Rihanna 11) “Rude Boy” – Rihanna 12) “What’s My Name?” – Rihanna (remixed with Trey Songz’ “Na Na”) 13) “Pour It Up” – Rihanna 14) “Cockiness (Love It)” – Rihanna 15) “Man Down” – Rihanna 16) “You Da One” – Rihanna 17) “Wait Your Turn” – Rihanna 18) “Jump” – Rihanna 19) “Umbrella” – Rihanna 20) “All of the Lights” – Rihanna 21) “Rockstar 101″ – Rihanna 22) “Where Have You Been” – Rihanna 23) “Stay” – Rihanna 24) “Love the Way You Lie” – Both 25) “3 a.m.” – Eminem 26) “Square Dance” – Eminem 27) “Business” – Eminem 28) “My Dad’s Gone Crazy” – Eminem 29) “Evil Deeds” – Eminem 30) “Rap God” – Eminem 31) “Marshall Matters” – Eminem 32) “Still Don’t Give a F–k” – Eminem 33) “Criminal” – Eminem 34) “The Way I Am” – Eminem 35) Paramore’s “Airplanes” – Both 36) “Stan” – Both 37) “Like Toy Soldiers” – Eminem 38) Drake’s “Forever” – Eminem 39) “Berzerk” – Eminem 40) “Till I Collapse” – Eminem 41) “Cinderella Man” – Eminem 42) “The Real Slim Shady” – Eminem 43) “Without Me” – Eminem 44) “Not Afraid” – Eminem 45) “Diamonds” – Rihanna 46) “We Found Love” (Acoustic & Regular Versions) – Rihanna 47) “Lose Yourself” – Eminem 48) “The Monster” – Both

(S/O to Just Jared for the info.)

Review: Eminem and Rihanna bring the Monster Tour to the Rose Bowl

Rihanna and Eminem perform Thursday night at the Rose Bowl.

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Out with the gold, in with the bold.

Less than a week after Jay Z and Beyoncé vacated the premises, Eminem and Rihanna moved into the Rose Bowl on Thursday night for the first of two concerts to launch their shared Monster Tour. It’s the summer’s other road show pairing a superstar rapper with a superstar singer, and like the Carters’ On the Run trek it took full advantage of the stadium setting, with fireworks, a powerful live band and stories-tall video screens that flashed elaborate filmed sequences.

But where Jay Z and Beyoncé used their gigs to burnish their joint reputation as music’s royal couple, Eminem and Rihanna roamed the Rose Bowl’s enormous stage as dogged troublemakers, rousing the rabble over which Mr. and Mrs. Carter coolly rule.

“Can’t tell me nothing,” Rihanna declared in the show’s opener, “Numb”; minutes later, Eminem was growling his way through “Won’t Back Down.” Anyone keeping track of how many times each of them claimed not to give a damn (or something like it) would’ve quickly lost count.

Which didn’t mean the two artists incited the enormous crowd in the same way. Performing together and separately over the course of the show – a nearly three-hour production set to travel from Pasadena to the New York City area before concluding in Eminem’s hometown of Detroit – the singer and rapper channeled dramatically different energies as they moved through songs that covered just as much stylistic ground.

Rihanna was pure bad-seed swagger in “Phresh Out the Runway” and “Birthday Cake,” dark R&B tracks buzzing with serrated synth lines set over beats you could feel in your chest. “Rockstar 101” added squalling riffs from her guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, of the hair-metal band Extreme. And for “Rude Boy” and “Man Down,” she rode springy Caribbean rhythms that pulled from her childhood in Barbados.

Throughout much of her main solo set, the singer, wearing baggy pants and a jacket emblazoned with flames, was surrounded by a crew of dancers doing tightly choreographed moves – the same setup employed by any number of other female pop stars.

But as often as Rihanna joined them, she stood apart, allowing her scowl to speak for itself; she let her backup vocalists carry a similar load at points, as in the chorus of “Where Have You Been.” In a smaller venue, the effect might’ve been stultifying, but here it was thrilling, a kind of sermon on rejection.

Eminem, in contrast, attacked his songs with old-fashioned ferocity, bearing down on the music as though he could extrude its adrenaline and pass it on to his fans. Built on a sample of Billy Squier’s “The Stroke,” “Berzerk” surged with rap-rock intensity, while “Kill You” delivered a stream of violent threats only made more menacing by the tune’s bouncy groove.

After zooming through an absurdly fast double-time verse in “Rap God,” the MC’s shoulders slumped as he sucked in air; he seemed physically spent, as though he needed a break. But Eminem didn’t take one. Instead he launched into a pair of songs with unprintable titles and then did “Criminal,” about how no one can stop him.

For all the differences in the ways they embodied a sense of defiance, Eminem and Rihanna were united Thursday by a shared maudlin streak, a weakness for melodrama that cut against the misanthropy. It was there in her “Stay,” a stripped-down ballad in which she showed the frayed edges of her voice, and his “Not Afraid,” which he dedicated to “anyone who’s ever lost someone to addiction.” (The morbid anthem came from his 2010 album “Recovery,” inspired by Eminem’s struggle with prescription drug abuse.)

And the big emotions bridged the gap separating the two in the songs they performed together, such as “Stan,” where Rihanna sang Dido’s reassuring vocal hook, and “Love the Way You Lie,” their hit duet about a destructive romance.

The first date of the Monster Tour ended, of course, with “The Monster,” Eminem and Rihanna’s meditation on a different toxic relationship: the one between a celebrity and his or her renown. It was adding to the idea that these two can see through hero worship – and that they want you to see through it too.

Then again, the song climaxed with a showstopping display of pyrotechnics, proof that even rebels crave a little shine.

Twitter: @mikaelwood

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Mikael Wood is pop music critic for the Los Angeles Times.

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Eminem & Rihanna Team Up for 3-City ‘Monster’ Tour

The performers will hit New York, Detroit and Los Angeles in August

Jethro Nededog

Eminem and Rihanna are hooking up again. The artists will be co-headlining a three-city tour in August.

Dubbed the “The Monster” tour after their most recent collaboration on the single of the same name last year, the singers will perform in New York, Detroit and Los Angeles.

Eminem broke the news in the current issue of hip-hop and rap magazine, XXL, and on Twitter, which Rihanna retweeted.

NYC/DET/LA this August with @Rihanna ! #TheMonsterTour – http://t.co/ilA9IqOgIa — Marshall Mathers (@ Eminem ) February 22, 2014

Also read:   Eminem’s ‘Marshall Mathers LP 2’ Scores Second Biggest Sales Week of 2013

Their fourth collaboration with one another, “The Monster” appears on Eminem ‘s eighth studio album, “The Marshall Mathers LP 2.” The single was released last October and topped several international Billboard 100 charts. It’s also Eminem ‘s first No. 1 single on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Previously, Eminem and Rihanna collaborated on the singles “Love the Way You Lie” and its sequel in 2010 and “Numb” in 2012.

Mathers is currently touring in Australia for his “Rapture Tour” with Kendrick Lamar, who performs on the single, “Love Game.”

Also read:   Chris Brown and Rihanna Top YouTube’s Favorite Love Songs List

Rihanna wrapped her 96-city “Diamonds World Tour” last November.

Watch “The Monster” video above.

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Eminem And Rihanna's Monster Tour Kickoff Wasn't Short On F-Bombs And Crotch Grabbing

eminem monster tour

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA -- Let's just start by saying that Eminem and Rihanna didn't keep it PG when their Monster Tour kicked off at the Rose Bowl Stadium on Thursday night, but you probably expected as much. The expletives started flying within the first minute of the show, and the frequent collaborators kept it raw and uncensored for the entirety of the night.

Over the course of two and a half hours, they ran through a comprehensive set list , that included classics like "Umbrella" and "Stan," all the way up to recent hits like "Diamonds" and "Rap God." There was a 'lil something for everyone who came out. Here's what went down at Em and Rihanna's Monster Tour opening night.

They teamed up for a hilarious opening skit.

It's been a minute since we watched "8 Mile," so it's easy to forget that Eminem can flex his acting chops when necessary. The show began with an opening skit that finds Rih being lead into a maximum security prison (by "Sopranos" actors Michael Imperioli) to visit an insane captive in isolation.

Naturally, that prisoner turns out to be Eminem, who immediately launches into a hilarious tirade about why the hell it took Rihanna so long to show up. After ranting about being forced to eat dry cereal, and being imprioned so long that he can't remember his age, Rih calls him an "ungrateful f--k" and storms out...leaving him to beg for her to come back. We give this one five gold stars.

There were too many F-bombs to count.

We're not saying that we expected a PG-rated show from the two people who brought us "Love the Way You Lie" and "The Monster," but they really didn't hold back when it came to language. During the first 10 minutes of the show, we estimate that Em and Rih had already spit out the F-word about 15 times in varying form. That includes when Rih called Em an "ungrateful f--k" in the opening skit, five minutes when later she urged the crowd to "make some noise for this motherf---er," and again when she wanted to know "how the f--k California was doing tonight."

Fans were treated to a couple of Rih-lly awesome remixes.

To to honest, Em and Rihanna didn't spend quite as much time on stage together as we'd hoped -- they both performed pretty long solo sets (and the crowd even started chanting for Shady to come out at some point) -- but they did treat the audience to some new renditions of classics. One of Eminem's most infamous singles "Stan," for example, got some new life with Rihanna singing Dido's vocals, as well as "Airplanes," where she replaced Paramore's Hayley Williams.

Related: Here's Eminem And Rihanna's Monster Tour Set List

Eminem really dipped into his classics.

Our survey of the audience found that fans ranged from those who were seeing Em live for the first time, to those who were already on their fifth show. Wherever they fell on the spectrum, though, they had to be pleased with the extensive set list, which hit recent releases like "Berzerk" and "Rap God," and looped all the way back to The Marshall Mathers LP and The Slim Shady LP with cuts like “Marshall Mathers, “Just Don’t Give A F–k," “Criminal” and "The Real Slim Shady."

Rihanna wore a lot of clothing.

What the f@$! was that about? Since BadGadRiRi has refused to return to Instagram, we've had to get our fill of her salacious photos from Twitter, or via posts from other celebrities. So, on Thursday night we were really hoping to catch an eye-full of Rih on stage, but unfortunately the 26-year-old kept it pretty demure with her outfit choices. She hit the stage in a pair of yellow and black flaming harem pants, with a matching jacket and crop top. And halfway through the show she switched into a short black dress with lace trim, under an oversized black jacket covered in patches. Definitely not what we were expecting.

But she definitely did plenty of crotch-grabbing and booty poppin'.

Clearly we were surprised by Rih's decision to cover up for the Monster Tour, but at least she didn't stop grabbing her crotch and grinding her behind everywhere. The crotch-grabbing happened during just about every song except "You Da One," and it happened extra during "Birthday Cake" and "Phresh Out the Runway." The booty poppin'...well, that was for most songs minus the slow, emotional numbers like "Stan."

They saved 'The Monster' for a grand finale.

Didn't think they were gonna give it up so soon, did ya? After running through approximately 47 songs between them, they finally closed the night with their recent collaboration, and had the audience screaming .

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Rihanna and Eminem Teaming Up for the Monster Tour

"it's a three-city tour: new york, l.a., and detroit coming in august. the monster tour," the rapper explained.

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Rihanna and Eminem are going on a mini tour together!

After reuniting for another hit song, the pop star and rapper have decided to hit the stage together in a few cities starting in the late summer. "There are some shows coming up with Rihanna," Slim Shady told XXL magazine's latest issue. "It's a three-city tour: New York, L.A., and Detroit coming in August. The Monster Tour."

Specific dates have not yet been released.

" '@Eminem: NYC/DET/LA this August with @Rihanna! # TheMonsterTour - http://xxlne.ws/1e0Ua9I ' OH IM THERE!!!!!," RiRi tweeted .

WATCH: Check out Em and Rihanna in the "Monster" music video

Em is currently on his Rapture Tour with Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole in Australia, while Rihanna wrapped up her Diamonds World Tour last year.

After releasing the smash "Love the Way You Lie" in 2010, Eminem and Rihanna decided to hit fans with another duet and got together in the studio to record "Monster," off of Marshall Mathers LP 2 .

The duo also appeared in the single's music video together, where RiRi plays the rapper's therapist, forcing the 8 Mile actor to face his demons by placing a DVD into the TV as Eminem sits back and watches the video, called "The Eminem Show," which sheds light on the "Lose Yourself" rapper's struggles with violence, family and addiction.

PHOTOS: "The Monster" and more of the best songs of 2013

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The Monster Tour – Dates Announced and Ticket Information

The Monster Tour – Dates Announced and Ticket Information

This August, Eminem and Rihanna will be co-headlining a series of stadium shows for The Monster Tour. The tour will kick off in Los Angeles on Thursday, August 7 at the Rose Bowl with shows then lined up in New York City’s Metlife Stadium on Saturday, August 16 and Detroit’s Comerica Park on Friday, August 22. Read on for ticketing info.

Metlife Stadium

Comerica Park

Ticketing Availability: 3/20 – American Express Card Members Pre-sale -Beginning Thursday March 20 – 10am Local Time (Check back for links)

3/22 – Facebook Presale -RSVP here ( http://bit.ly/MonsterRSVP ) NOW to get early access to presale tickets. These tickets will be available starting Saturday, March 22nd – 10am Local Time.

3/27 – Live Nation App Presale -Live Nation Mobile App users will also have access to presale tickets beginning Thursday, March 27 at 10:00 AM local time. Mobile users can text “LNAPP” to 404040 to download the Live Nation mobile app (available for iOS and Android).

3/28 – Public On Sale – Tickets go on sale on Friday, March 28 at 10:00 AM local time through the Live Nation mobile app and at www.livenation.com .

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Eminem earns his 10th billion-streaming song, with hand from Rihanna

Consider it a 'monster' achievement from the hitmaking duo..

eminem monster tour

Eminem has notched his 10th song in Spotify's Billions Club with "The Monster," his 2013 collaboration with Rihanna.

Eminem and Rihanna perform onstage at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on April 13, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.

The song, from Em's "The Marshall Mathers LP 2," passed the 1 billion streams marker on the streaming service this week. It's his second song from the album to earn 1 billion streams, following "Rap God," and his second collab with Rihanna to reach the 1 billion marker, after their 2010 smash "Love the Way You Lie."

"The Monster" topped Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart for four weeks at the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014. On YouTube, the song's video has been viewed 929 million times, and in March 2022 it was certified 8-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

The track, which was co-written by Bebe Rexha, finds Eminem confronting his relationship with fame, while Rihanna sings the song's chorus. The pair won a Grammy Award for the song, for Best Rap/ Sung Collaboration, in 2015.

Following the release of "The Monster," Eminem and Rihanna hit the road for a short tour that included two August 2014 shows at Comerica Park. To date, they are the last concerts Eminem played in Detroit.

Eminem previously hit 1 billion streams with his songs "Stan," "Mockingbird," "Godzilla," "The Real Slim Shady," "Lose Yourself," "'Till I Collapse" and "Without Me."

"The Monster" is Rihanna's 14th song to pass 1 billion streams on Spotify, following "Work," "This is What You Came For," "Needed Me," "Umbrella," "Love on the Brain," "We Found Love," "Diamonds," "Stay," "FourFiveSeconds," "Wild Thoughts," "Too Good," "Only Girl (In the World)" and the aforementioned "Love the Way You Lie."

"Not Afraid," Eminem's 2010 self-empowerment anthem, is currently sitting at 985 million streams and is likely his next entry into the Billions Club.

"Lose Yourself" is his most streamed song, with 2.1 billion streams, followed by "Till I Collapse," with 1.9 billion.

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IMAGES

  1. Eminem & Rihanna Monster Tour Live Review| Billboard

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  2. Eminem-Monster Tour- My Name Is- Detroit 2014

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  3. Eminem Monster Tour

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  4. Eminem x Rihanna: The Monster Tour Intro (Full HD)

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  5. Watch: Eminem X Rihanna "The Monster Tour" Intro (Video)

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  2. Eminem The Monster Explicit ft Rihanna 432 hz

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  4. Eminem-The Monster Tour-Detroit- 8/21/14 Part 1

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COMMENTS

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  3. Eminem & Rihanna Monster Tour Live Review| Billboard

    Eminem & Rihanna 's long-awaited Monster tour, which kicked off Aug. 7 in Los Angeles at a sold-out Rose Bowl, is billed as a co-headlining tour between the two music superstars, and the pair ...

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    Eminem and Rihanna, who collaborated on 2013's "The Monster," a cut off Em's The Marshall Mathers LP 2, plan on stopping in three cities for this tour, New York, Los Angeles and Detroit.

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  8. Spoiler Alert -- Here's Eminem And Rihanna's Monster Tour Set List

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