Speaking to The National after his performance at Mutek.AE music and design festival last week in Dubai, iconic pianist Luis Resto, Eminem‘s long-time collaborator, says the Detroit legend’s much-anticipated new album will have him going back to his hard-hitting roots. He also revealed that he has been contributing sporadically to Slim Shady’s new album since 2021.

“I do have a notion of things judging by what I have seen and heard across the last three years and if I have to give you a forecast, you are going to hear a whole nod back to some of his original creative areas. He is talking about where he came from and where he is now. So it is really a hodgepodge musically of ideas and influences.” says Luis Resto.

Resto’s contribution continues his long-standing relationship Em, stemming back to 2000’s The Marshall Mathers LP. Although that record had him contributing minimally, it was from 2002’s follow up The Eminem Show that Resto scored song-writing credits on each of Eminem’s album and associated soundtracks. The work includes co-writing and producing chart-topping hits such as 2004’s Toy Soldiers, 2010’s Grammy Award-winning Not Afraid and 2020’s Godzilla. The track record also includes the wildly successful 2002 track Lose Yourself from 8 Mile, a film that starred Eminem. The song earned the duo, alongside co-producer and writer Jeff Bass, an Oscar for Best Original Song in 2003.

Resto recalls writing the dramatic string section when recording the track in a makeshift studio on the film set in Eminem’s hometown Detroit: “Marshall led that session and I remember he kept saying how the song felt too rock ‘n’ roll and he wanted us to really rebuild the song and take it in a different direction. And this is where I got to use my orchestral chops and added piano, French horns, flutes and strings. I love the hip-hip ethos in general because a lot of it is based on using your ear and feeling your way through songs.

“Now I personally have knowledge of music theory and I am well-versed on how it all works but working with people like Eminem and 50 Cent is a much more open session. It’s not based on major or minor chords or what is correct or not. It’s based on whether it sounds dope or not. Sometimes we are in the studio and they would look at us and wonder if what they are doing is right. And from my experience, I would tell them that it depends on what context you are asking me. If you are asking me theoretically, then I could say that this is not the right note and then what happens is the minute we change it to the correct note, the song is not as cool as it sounds. We often change it back again because they knew what they wanted in the first place.”

“I went out on the road with him around 2011 and quickly realized that he needed a more youthful culture projected on stage. I remember at that time I always wore my hair long and I went grey so early in life that I was done dyeing it. So when one of the roadies asked me if I was going to dye it, I understood the band really needed to look for somebody different. There was absolutely no offence taken because my relationship with Eminem continued and the work flowed.” Luis Resto added.