Eminem Opens 2024 MTV VMAs With ‘Houdini’ & Jelly Roll-Assisted ‘Somebody Save Me’ Alongside Slim Shady Clones

Eminem added another MTV VMAs moment to his mantle when he opened the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards in style on Wednesday night (Sept. 11).

The rapper — who received eight nominations this year — kicked off the show at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., where he entered from the aisles in a blond wig alongside a phalanx of Slim Shady look-alikes.

Em stormed out of the tunnel with a dynamic performance of his The Death of Slim Shady lead single “Houdini,” which notched him his highest charting Billboard Hot 100 hit (No. 2) this decade.

The real Slim Shady — in an overdone wig and black rain jacket — got the crowd turned up, with even Taylor Swift getting to her feet and dancing along.

The fun was quickly sucked out of the UBS Arena when the scene switched to Jelly Roll’s guest appearance via a screen for his “Somebody Save Me” collaboration with Eminem. The Detroit rap icon ditched the blond wig and dug into the poignant record, which finds him pouring out his soul and expressing regrets for the times he wasn’t present for his children, and the missteps he took as a parent.

“Somebody Save Me” reached No. 27 on the Hot 100 and was the third single from The Death of Slim Shady. It’s a great week for Eminem fans, as he’s got even more music on the way. Earlier this week, Em announced plans for his The Death of Slim Shady: Expanded Mourner’s Edition, which is slated to arrive on Friday (Sept. 13) and make for a spooky Friday the 13th.