Jelly Roll 'Couldn't Believe' Eminem Wanted to Duet at Surprise Detroit Concert: 'Coolest Moment Ever'

"I couldn't believe it. I thought it was a joke until I met Eminem myself," said Jelly after their performance of "Sing for the Moment"

Jelly Roll attends 59th Academy of Country Music Awards at Omni Frisco Hotel at The Star on May 16, Eminem a.k.a. Marshall Bruce Mathers III attends a ceremony honoring Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 30, 2020 in Hollywood, California
Jelly Roll; Eminem. Photo:

Ayisha Collins/FilmMagic, Kurt Krieger/Corbis via Getty

It's a sweet treat when Jelly Roll and Eminem come together.

After joining the rapper on stage to perform "Sing for the Moment" at the Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central event on Thursday, June 6, the country star opened up about the "coolest moment ever" in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight.

"When I think about coolest moments of my career, right now at the top, there has to be this thing that I got to go sing with Eminem in Detroit," reflected Jelly, 39, to the outlet. "I got to sing 'Sing for the Moment' with him, which is a record where he sampled Steven Tyler. I mean, just what an incredible night and I got to go do it in Detroit. It was unreal."

Eminem Detroit 06 06 24
Eminem performs in Detroit on June 6, 2024.

Aaron J. Thornton/Getty

Eminem's team reached out to the "Need a Favor" singer, who recalled, "I couldn't believe it. I thought it was a joke until I met Eminem himself."

Despite considering the "Lose Yourself" rapper's manager a "friend," Jelly was still pinching himself at the unbelievable opportunity: "His name is Paul, and I was like, 'Paul, don't play.' He was like, 'I swear,'" recalled the musician. "And as soon as I met Eminem, it was like the coolest moment ever, man."

The performance was a success — and an extremely exciting moment for Jelly, who told ET he felt "giddy, like a child" on stage.

Jelly Roll is seen onstage during Day 2 of SiriusXM's The Music Row Happy Hour Live on The Highway at Margaritaville on June 07, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee
Jelly Roll in Nashville on June 7, 2024.

Jason Davis/Getty

"You could see it all over my performance. Just the kid in me," he added. "I thought the camera was off of me. So as soon as I get through singing, I'm like, 'Whoa.' I just let this steamroller out. It's really cool."

At the Detroit event, Eminem also performed "Houdini," "Welcome 2 Detroit" with rapper Trick Trick and "Not Afraid."

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Eminem
Eminem in Hollywood in January 2020.

ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 

The "Stan" artist was supported in the audience by his daughter Hailie Jade, 28, and her new husband Evan McClintock, as well as Eminem's other children Alaina Marie, 31, and Stevie Laine, 22.

Additional performers at the concert included Diana Ross, Big Sean, Jack WhiteCommonFantasia, the Clark SistersKierra Sheard, Illa J, Melissa Etheridge, Theo Parrish, Slum Village and Sky Jetta.

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