Jelly Roll reflects on performing 'Sing for the Moment' with Eminem in Detroit: 'Unreal'

Jelly Roll lost himself in the moment when he joined musical forces with a hip-hop legend.

Last week, the country music star hit the stage with Eminem for a performance of the rapper's early 2000s hit "Sing for the Moment" at the Michigan Central Station reopening in Detroit.

The “Need a Favor” singer opened the June 6 performance with an emotional intro accompanied by an orchestra. Eminem then stepped onto the stage to perform the song's rousing rap verses. “Make some noise for Jelly Roll, y’all,” Eminem told the audience at the end of their performance.

"When I think about coolest moments of my career, right now at the top, there has to be this thing that I got to go sing with Eminem in Detroit," Jelly Roll told Entertainment Tonight at CMA Fest over the weekend. "I got to sing 'Sing for the Moment' with him, which is a record where he sampled (Aerosmith singer) Steven Tyler. I mean, just what an incredible night, and I got to go do it in Detroit. It was unreal."

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When he was first approached about the performance, Jelly Roll said he thought the offer to perform alongside the “Lose Yourself” rapper “was a joke.”

"I thought I was being joked! I even know Eminem's manager. He's a friend of mine,” Jelly Roll told ET. “His name is Paul, and I was like, 'Paul, don't play.' He was like, 'I swear.' And as soon as I met Eminem, it was like the coolest moment ever, man."

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Eminem was an executive producer for the Michigan Central Station concert, which also featured performances by Diana Ross, Fantasia, Sky Jetta, Theo Parrish and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

"I was giddy, like a child," Jelly Roll said. "You could see it all over my performance. Just the kid in me. I thought the camera was off of me. So, as soon as I get through singing, I'm like, whoa, I just let this steamroller out. It's really cool." 

Contributing: Phoebe Wall Howard, John Wisely, Dana Afana, Andrea May Sahouri and Darcie Moran, Detroit Free Press