The explosion, which sounded like an earthquake, tore apart the quiet atmosphere of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. The recording studio – where Eminem often went to prepare for his new album – suddenly exploded violently, black smoke billowing high as if swallowing the sky. In that terrifying moment, the whole world was shocked when the victim’s identity was confirmed: Eminem, the global rap legend, had passed away.
The scene was a tragic battlefield. Concrete walls were shattered, glass doors were thrown dozens of meters away, and sirens echoed everywhere. Paparazzi, who were waiting outside the studio gate to catch news, suddenly became living witnesses. They recounted the continuous flashing of lights amid the rubble, fans crying outside the blockade, and police using ropes to stop the chaotic flow of people. One witness burst into tears: “I saw flames burst from the studio, screams echoed, and then everything fell into silence.”
Firefighters rushed into the sea of smoke, dousing the flames with hoses, while paramedics rushed to pull bodies from the pile of metal. Eminem was found motionless, his face covered in smoke. Medical staff placed him on a stretcher, covered him with an oxygen mask, and performed CPR right at the scene. An ambulance, siren blaring, rushed through the sobbing crowd, taking him to Cedars-Sinai Hospital.
Inside the ICU, a cold white light covered the area. Monitors flashed red, doctors repeatedly shocked him, and resuscitation drugs were continuously pumped. But Eminem’s body was no longer responding. After nearly an hour of desperate efforts, the head doctor choked out a sob: “We did everything… Eminem is dead.” The news spread, and the world stopped.
On Twitter and Instagram, the hashtag #PrayForEminem, which quickly morphed into #GoodbyeEminem, went viral. Colleagues, fans, and politicians expressed their loss. Dr. Dre wrote: “I have lost a brother, a companion throughout my career.” Meanwhile, the US President sent a statement: “Eminem was the voice of a generation, his passing is an immeasurable loss.”
In Detroit, the hometown where Eminem began his career, thousands of fans poured into the city center. Candles stretched out, portraits of Eminem were placed among white wreaths. Fans burst into tears and sang famous songs, as a tearful farewell.
Tragedy piled on tragedy: when hundreds of fans jostled to place flowers, an iron fence suddenly collapsed, injuring many people. Ambulances rushed in with sirens, the double incident further pushing the atmosphere of grief to its peak.
Eminem – who once made the whole world admire his willpower, talent and the fire in each lyric – now passed away in a sudden explosion, leaving a void that cannot be filled. Hollywood was stunned, the music world was in mourning, and fans around the world could only hug each other and cry under the flickering candlelight.
The day of his funeral was declared a “cultural national funeral”, with crowds of people, flags at half-mast and a memorial promise: “Marshall Mathers will live forever in every melody, every immortal rap.”
