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Detroit was the undisputed center of the hip-hop universe Thursday night

You wanted history? They gave you history.

Detroit was the undisputed center of the hip-hop universe Thursday night, at the first of Eminem and Jay-Z’s back-to-back concerts at Comerica Park. In addition to the evening’s megawatt headliners, a small army of hip-hop superstars including Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Drake and Young Jeezy -graced the stage before a sold-out audience.

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The majority of the guests came out during Eminem’s 100-minute headlining set, which followed Jay-Z’s meaty opening performance. Before long, the cameos were piling up like the junker cars that lined Em’s set: Drake joined him for “Forever,” returning a favor for when Em appeared at the Toronto rapper’s hometown performance earlier this summer; 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks came on for mini-set of 50 Cent songs, including “Patiently Waiting” and “In Da Club”; and Dr. Dre appeared — wearing a Proof shirt, no less — and did a small set of songs with Em, including “Nuthin’ But a G Thang” and “Still D.R.E.” Em got the crowd to chant for Dre’s long-delayed “Detox” LP as Dre left the stage, and the reclusive star promised, “I’m comin!”

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The guests considerably picked up the energy of Em’s set, which began to wane during a mini-set of D12 songs. Earlier, the stadium literally shook as fans jumped in unison during Em classics like “The Way I Am” and “Cleanin’ Out My Closet.”

“Detroit, I’m back. Did you miss me or what?” Em bellowed from the stage as cheers erupted from the audience.

Em took the stage to a dramatic intro video that laid out the backstory that lead into the concerts: The years of inactivity that followed his last Comerica Park concert in 2005, and his subsequent trip to rehab for drug abuse. When he appeared on stage, wearing a ballcap and a hoodie with a large Olde English D, he tore into the “Recovery” track “Won’t Back Down” like it was a fresh piece of meat.

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He was soon joined on stage by his Detroit pals Trick Trick (for an amped-up “Welcome 2 Detroit”) and D12. Opener B.o.B joined Em on stage for a run through of “Airplanes Pt. II.” Jay-Z also joined Em for a run-through of their 2001 pairing, “Renegade.”

Near the end of his set, an emotional Eminem nearly teared up while introducing “Not Afraid.” He dedicated the song to fans who stuck with him through years of career turbulence, and dedicated the song to his hometown. He closed the show with “Lose Yourself,” toying with his live band during the extended outro before a flurry of fireworks marked the close of the show.

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The stadium’s spectacular production was fitting for the two rap icons: A gargantuan football-shaped stage backed by a truly dazzling array of lights and video screens.

Earlier in the evening, Jay-Z was visibly taken aback by the scene laid out before him.

“Before I start, I gotta take this all in,” he said, ordering lights to be shined on the stadium’s upper deck so he could see fans up top. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is hip-hop music and this is how far we’ve come… to rockin’ stadiums!” he beamed. “Everybody make some noise!”

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He didn’t have to ask twice. The crowd was a sea of waving hands and nodding heads during his set, as fans were shook to their core by the absolutely deafening sound system. This felt like one of the most decibel-shaking concerts this city has ever seen; don’t be surprised if nearby neighbors in Windsor were complaining about the noise.

Over the last year, Jay-Z has earned his stadium status. The rapper headlined several massive U.S. rock festivals already this year and has proved his ability to manipulate large crowds with ease. Thursday night he was riveting, coolly commanding the stage in his customary all black attire, his eyes hidden underneath a pair of black wayfarer sunglasses. Unlike Eminem, he didn’t seem to be relying on pre-recorded tracks to bolster his vocals.

Jay-Z rose from beneath the stage and opened with his “Dynasty” intro, illuminated on the dark stage only by four spotlights. Then came the visual assault, as the stage came to full blinding life during the revved-up “Run This Town.”

Jay-Z brought out Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy early in his set and joined him for a mini-set of songs, and was later joined by his hype man Memphis Bleek. He mixed hits from throughout his career and last year’s “The Blueprint 3,” rocking the crowd with hard-nosed anthems like “On to the Next One,” “U Don’t Know” and “99 Problems.” Backed by a large band, he proved adept with or without them, and impressively rolled through several verses — including an a capella portion of “Big Pimpin’” — all by his lonesome.

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Midway through his set, he paused to pay tribute to several fallen hip-hop figures, including the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Eazy-E and Aaliyah. “And I need you to make the most noise you’ve made all evening for Proof one time tonight y’all,” he said, referring to Eminem’s best friend Deshaun “Proof” Holton, who was shot and killed in Detroit in 2006. The crowd responded by chanting “Proooooooooof” in unison.

During “Empire State of Mind,” Jay-Z’s 2009 love letter to his hometown of New York, overhead shots of the Big Apple filled the huge video screens; it was a stunning visual, and the Detroit crowd sang along as if it was a tribute to Detroit. “I appreciate you singing ‘New York’ at the top of your lungs here in Tiger Stadium. I know where I’m at,” Jay said. (Comerica may think differently about that statement.)

The love from the crowd was not lost on Jay, and he gave it right back at the end of his 82-minute set. “I wanna say I had an incredible time with y’all tonight, this is one of the best experiences of my entire life,” he said. He closed with “Encore” and raised his arms in victory as he walked off the stage.

During B.o.B’s 30-minute opening set, many fans were still shuffling in while the chart-topping Atlanta rapper was on stage. As they made their way to their seats, fans snatched up specialized merchandise, which included Eminem-branded University of Michigan and Michigan State University T-shirts and shirts commemorating the once-in-a-lifetime concerts.

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50 Cent return of the Heartless Monster

50 Cent has continued to utilize Twitter and announced to his 3 million followers the return of the “heartless monster” a week from today.

While not getting into specifics, 50 did taunt rap mogul Diddy in his promotion of September 6th.

“Sept 6 the return of the heartless mosterDon’t miss it! Total mayhem,” 50 promised early Monday (August 30).

“Puffys a fun boy a happy man, a fruit loop a lucky charm a skittle chase the rainbow lol Sept 6! Mayhem” (50 Cent’s Twitter)

Recently, 50 said Diddy is not an authentic emcee because he uses ghostwriters.

“You know what’s interesting, he’s not an artist,” 50 said in an interview with Nancy B. “An artist would be somebody that actually wrote something, maybe on the record or because we have R&B artists that don’t actually write music, maybe it’s unfair because of the pressures people put on me. Imagine if I just sat around and listened to people’s CDs and say I’m just gonna say the first verse I hear that sounds good. That would completely take away the pressure and I would still be the artist in front of you with a new song every two minutes because every artist that has a song that would like to make some money off it would send it. It doesn’t make you special. When you actually do what I thought was a part of hip-hop and made the culture exciting to me, which was each person’s original experience and how you learn to enjoy them as an individual and their portion of their life. So when that’s not there because they’re being an executive, saying you don’t write rhymes you write checks, that’s not hot. For hip-hop, that’s not hot. Maybe for another genre it’ll work, R&B or something else because they’re made, these people are all made and when companies decide they’re gone, they’re gone. Immediately, because they couldn’t even figure out what to do without a team of people figuring it out for them.”

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G-Unit inks deal with EMI a step up from Interscope

50 Cent’s G-Unit has inked a deal with EMI Label Services to market, promote and distribute releases from the popular New York-based record label.

The first release under the new deal with be Lloyd Banks’ third solo album H.F.M. 2 Hunger For More 2, which is slated for a November 23rd, release date.

Lloyd Banks’ release will be followed by Tony Yayo’s untitled follow-up to his 2008 solo debut Thoughts of a Predicate Felon.

Yayo’s album, which will include the single “Pass the Patron,” will land in stores in early 2011.

“It’s refreshing to see the EMI staff excited about my project, they have the passion and energy I haven’t seen in while,” Lloyd Banks said in a statement today.

Mike Harris, executive Vice President and General Manager for EMI Label Services, was excited to welcome G-Unit, one of Hip-Hop’s best known brands, to the label.

“G-Unit is a huge force,” Harris stated. “Lloyd Banks knows how to deliver a lyrical punch and his single has already generated huge anticipation for the album.. Tony Yayo is a totally unique talent, and ‘Pass the Patron’ already has the Hip-Hop world buzzing about his album coming out next year.”

For weeks, fans speculated where G-Unit might end up, with most of the chatter hinting to a deal with Def Jam, where former G-Unit Records President Sha Money XL serves as Executive Vice President.

With the move to EMI, G-Unit Records is no longer under the Interscope/Universal umbrella of record labels.

“The EMI staff is creative and willing to think outside the box,” Tony Yayo explained in a statement. “They are fans of my music and career. I’m looking forward to marketing and promoting my upcoming album with them.”

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50 Cent talks about gaining his weight back

50 Cent recently talked about what his current weight is after losing over 50 pounds for his upcoming Things Fall Apart film which portrays him as a cancer victim.

Now weighing well over 200 pounds, Fif also hinted at how he managed to bulk up his body again.

“I’m now 210. I was a little fat boy, but I’m back at the gym. At my maximum weight I was 214. In the actual film I went to 160. I think the film project is going to be great, not just the transformation and the weight loss but my performance in itself. I’m excited to see it…t’s the art of eating. The no complex route. It seems everything that is fun is no good for you. I had different things I don’t usually have in my diet, to put the weight back.”

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50 Cent says P Diddy is no longer a Hip Hop Artist

50 Cent has slammed P. Diddy, claiming he should no longer be considered a hip-hop artist due to his business activities.

Speaking to US radio station Hot 93.7, the rapper – real name Curtis Jackson – suggested that P. Diddy prefers to “write cheques” rather than make music.

P Diddy Paris Hilton and 50 Cent

“What made hip-hop exciting to me was each person’s individual experience and how you learn to enjoy them as an individual. When that’s not there because they’re just being an executive, like ‘I don’t write rhymes, I write cheques’, that’s not hip-hop.”

The comments followed the release of Combs’ new single with his latest band Diddy – Dirty Money, ‘Hello Good Morning’, last Monday (June 21).

50 Cent also discussed his dramatic weight loss for his role in forthcoming movie Things Fall Apart.

“I wanted to be as authentic as possible. I was already in really good shape,” he explained. “The toughest part was the [tour] bus – [temptations] are there right in front of you.”

50 Cent revealed his gaunt new appearance last month, posting pictures on his Twitter account and telling fans he was “starving”.

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50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather talk about Fake Rappers

50 Cent and undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. recently analyzed the current state of hip-hop and why consumers have been lied to by artists.

50 believes hip-hop, as of late, has taken a turn for the worse. I completely agree !!

“It’ll just make room for you to impact when the hardcore comes back,” 50 assessed. “No one told the world to enjoy that softer music temporarily. I think a big portion of why people didn’t want to hear the aggressive content is because the people conveying them were lying.”

Mayweather, who has announced a joint music project with 50, believes some artists undergo image-changing moves to gain fame.

“You got rappers in today’s time, they get a small advance from their record label, get a bunch of tattoos, a few piercings on their face, go to jail for 10 or 20 days, then they killers,” Mayweather weighed in. “Next time out, they rock stars. I think rap is crazy, but it’s still very creative.”

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Yukmouth says I dont Believe beef until some real Sh*t Happens

West Coast rapper Yukmouth recently shared his thoughts on the rise in the number of rap beefs since 50 Cent’s 2002 dispute with Ja Rule.

From Yuk’s perspective, most rap beefs are fabricated and created just to gain a buzz.

“All that sh*t is for marketing,” Yuk said in an interview. “They taking a chapter out of 50 Cent’s book ’cause that’s how he blew up. Him and Ja Rule had a real beef from the streets and he came at a time for the gangsta sh*t but that don’t mean it will work for everybody.

50 had a machine behind him. Interscope and Dr. Dre are monster machines. He could have said anything and it would have worked but he came with heat and it took off. If you’re not 50 and don’t got that machine then don’t try it. Hip-hop came from competition and thinking they the best and that’s okay. If it’s real sh*t then handle it in the street and talk it out or box. That’s how real beef is handled. All that Twitter and FaceBook and UStream bang — actions speak louder than words. I don’t believe beef until some real sh*t happens. All that sh*t is publicity.”

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Video: Floyd Mayweather Flaunts Cash at 50 Cent Concert

50 Cent performs “I Get Money” and “What Up Gangsta” with Floyd Mayweather and Tony Yayo live in Los Angeles