Praise for Steve Miller Eminem said in a statement Friday that his band’s song “Abracadabra” has been included in the rapper’s latest single “Houdini.”
After appearing on social media The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace) Upon the single’s release, the Rock Hall-inducted artist said he was “honored” that Eminem chose his 1982 hit for a similarly magic-themed single.
“There is a long chain of stories, poems, songs and music that have been inspiring the world for hundreds of years, crossing cultures and generations. And all those ideas, music and rhythms have special artists who take it all in and create new original ideas from their own feelings and experiences,” Miller wrote in his message to Eminem. “You are one of those timeless original creators who are building on the long musical legacy of the original artists.”
Miller added, “I’ve always tried to credit, honor and respect the major influential people in my life and have always tried to credit, honor and respect royalty and share the knowledge of their work through my work. When I was a kid trying to make a living playing music and making records, I had no idea it would be like this, I only knew I had to honor the art that came before me and fight for it amongst all the crooks, thieves and cheaters.”
Steve Miller Band’s music has frequently been sampled or interpolated by dozens of hip-hop artists, most notably their “Fly Like an Angel” (sampled by the likes of Nas, the Jungle Brothers, EPMD, Lil Wayne, Ice Cube and Biz Markie, just to name a few) as well as “Take the Money and Run”, which has been employed by the Beastie Boys, N.W.A., De La Soul, Salt-N-Pepa and others.
The singer cited Eminem as one of the artists “who takes the time or effort to stand up for themselves while also giving credit and respect to their influencers.”
“Marshall Mathers you are an exception and added to my short list of people who respect the art. It’s nice to be a part of your process while I’m still singing and playing the music I love.”
