Eminem is honoring Dolly Parton amid the legendary singer’s passing with a heartfelt letter she wrote to him in 2022, where she opened up about an “unexplained connection” she’d always felt with the rap icon.
On Tuesday (Aug. 25), Dolly’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, confirmed his aunt’s death at the age of 80. Tributes immediately began pouring in from Dolly’s fans, friends and peers, and Em shared an especially sweet message to the beloved entertainer.
“I’m sorry we never got a chance to meet, but getting this note from Dolly really had an impact on me,” he wrote on X along with the letter she had sent him. “She definitely didn’t have to take the time to do it. Even for a kid who mostly listened to rap music, she was an icon. A superstar in every sense. Rest easy Dolly. And thank you for the kind words.”
In the attached letter, Dolly congratulated the Detroit rapper on his 2022 induction, praising his performance and acknowledging his standing as one of hip-hop’s elite. She admitted she wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about rap music, but said she had come to understand that he was “the very best at it.”
She then got more personal, telling Em that she had “always felt some unexplained connection” to him, despite the two not knowing each other, and that she hoped they would eventually cross paths. And in a touching ending, Dolly acknowledged that his life could be complicated, but reminded Eminem he was special and that his work reached people in ways he might not realize.
Check out both Eminem and Dolly Parton’s fully messages to each other below.
See Eminem’s Message to Dolly Parton Following Her Passing
See 20 of Eminem’s Most Painfully Honest Lyrics
