Eminem And Rihanna’s ‘Monster Tour’ Kicks Off In Pasadena, California: Watch

Eminem and Rihanna kicked off their joint Monster Tour at Pasadena, California’s Rose Bowl. The performance emphasized how both pop superstars use their music to combat their demons, related to fame and otherwise, and started with a Silence of the Lambs-inspired short film.

Rihanna visits a maximum-security prison, while accompanied by The Sopranos’ Michael Imperioli. “Remember, don’t let him into your mind,” he says – referring, naturally, to Eminem, bleach-blond and slightly crazed as he was for “The Real Slim Shady.” Fortunately, Rihanna was ready for the rapper’s lashing out over cartoons and dry cereal. “You ungrateful fuck,” she says, flawlessly.

The sight’s a bit surreal at first, given how Eminem launched his career partially by blasting his TRL peers. The longer he and Rihanna shared the stage, however, for both their mega-hit collaborations (“Love the Way You Lie”), new takes on old hits (“Stan,” as debuted at Lollapalooza) and even a Paramore cover (“Airplanes,” as Rihanna’s done alone), the more the pairing seemed like a natural fit.

Watch snippets from Eminem and Rihanna’s Monster Tour kick-off, including the opening short film, after the jump.

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