Eminem and Dolly Parton never met, but they shared a mutual admiration for each other’s craft. Following Parton’s death on Tuesday (Aug. 25), Slim Shady shared a heartfelt note that the country icon sent him after he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

“I’m sorry we never got a chance to meet, but getting this note from Dolly really had a an impact on me,” Em captioned the post on social media. “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 her letter, Parton revealed how, while she wasn’t very knowledgeable when it comes to hip-hop, she’s long felt an “unexplained connection” to Eminem.

“Congratulations on your induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” she wrote. “Your performance was amazing and everybody said so. Even though I don’t know a lot about rap music, I’ve come to know that you are the very best at it. Aside from that I hope what I have to say will not seem weird or strange to you but I have always felt some unexplained connection to you like I know you somehow.”

The versatile singer/songwriter continued: “I had hoped to meet you at the show but you know how nuts those things are, personally I hate ’em and I missed my chance but maybe someday we’ll meet. In the meantime, keep doing what you’re doing because you do it so well and no matter how complex your world may be just know you are very special and touch people in ways you don’t even know.”

Parton left an indelible mark on country and pop music with a career that spanned more than half a century. Parton died Tuesday in Nashville at 80 years old.

She spent the last year dealing with unspecified health issues, which led to her canceling numerous public appearances, including her 2025 Las Vegas residency. On Tuesday, her reps revealed that Parton died “after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer.”

Paul McCartney, Billy Ray Cyrus, George Strait and Elton John were among the outpouring of moving tributes to the “9 to 5” singer spanning music and all facets of entertainment since Parton’s death became public knowledge.

Find Parton’s letter to Eminem below.

When the news broke today that Dolly Parton had died, everyone in the Billboard newsroom from the most seasoned veteran to the college intern shed a tear — because it felt like, as one person said, “an angel had just died.” The world already feels like a colder place without her in it. Everyone loved Dolly Parton because Dolly Parton honestly loved everyone. (Which is very different from liking everyone.)

Parton felt like the one person on earth that everyone could agree was nothing but a universal good. Groups who were famously at odds, such as conservative Christians and the LGBTQIA community, agreed on their love for Dolly. Today she’s even being mourned by The Muppets.

Parton generally declined to talk politics or politically charged issues, but she very clearly made her strong opinions known, and the thread always led back to treating people with love and kindness. She constantly stressed that she wasn’t here to judge; she’d leave that up to God.

But that doesn’t mean she played it safe. Not in her words or in her music. People weren’t writing songs about dying by suicide because they were pregnant in 1968 (or really now, 60 years later), but Parton was. In “The Bridge,” a women jumped off a bridge where she and her lover had first kissed after he abandoned her when she became pregnant. Even more heartbreaking is 1969’s “Down From Dover,” about a pregnant teen whose parents send her away and her baby dies while being born — because, the protagonist reckons, the baby knew the father was never coming back. That one got banned from the radio. (By the today’s far right definition, she was “woke” — but not even the far right was ever going to cancel Dolly.)

She had a unique blend of savvy and sensitivity, knowing when the right thing for her business was also just the right thing in general. In 2018, she renamed her Dixie Stampede dinner attraction Dolly Parton’s Stampede because she became aware the word “Dixie” and its associations with the Confederacy could be hurtful to some.

“When they said ‘Dixie’ was an offensive word, I thought, ‘Well, I don’t want to offend anybody,” she told Billboard in a 2020 cover interview. “This is a business. We’ll just call it The Stampede.’ As soon as you realize that [something] is a problem, you should fix it. Don’t be a dumbass. That’s where my heart is. I would never dream of hurting anybody on purpose.”

In that same interview, she was ready when asked about the Black Lives Matter movement and was unequivocal in her support of peaceful protests: “I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen,” she said. “And of course Black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!”

In my more than 30 years as a journalist, I have never had a line from a story picked up as much as her “little white asses” comment, though Billboard deliberately didn’t lead with it or put it in the headline. Other artists may have backed down or said they were misquoted, but not Dolly.

So many artists, especially young ones, could learn from Parton about professionalism. Parton’s publicists never asked for questions in advance or said any topics were off limits — because Parton knew how to handle herself, and though petite, was hardly delicate.

She was also freakishly punctual. One time I had a 6:00 a.m. interview with Parton. I commented about it being so early, and she chided me for thinking that 6:00 a.m. was early, since she normally got up by 4:00 a.m. We had exactly 10 minutes. She was still answering a question when we rounded the 10-minute mark. She finished around 10 minutes and 15 seconds in, and immediately told me we had run over and she had to go. I still got enough from that 10-minute interview to write two pieces with no overlap at all.

Parton leaves behind more than 3,000 songs — one of which, “Jolene,” Billboard editors picked as the Best Country Song of All Time. (Which was just one year after the editors chose Parton as the Greatest Country Artist of All Time.) But her legacy is so much more than even that. Her Imagination Library provided free monthly books to children from birth to age five for more than 30 years, serving more than 3 million kids.  She gave $1 million to Vanderbilt University to help develop the COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s how trusted she was to do the right thing: In 2022, Jeff Bezos and his wife, through their Bezos Courage and Civility Award, gave Dolly Parton $100 million to donate to the non-profits and charities she chose.

In my office, I have a painting of Dolly with the initials WWDD, short for What Would Dolly Do? Now that she’s gone, those are words to live by now more than ever.

Lil Nas X is trying to keep a positive attitude since getting out of rehab.

The rapper and singer posted an Instagram Reel telling fans that everyone has been treating him very well since he came from a recent rehab stint.

“Ever since I got out of rehab, like, everybody’s, like, OD nice to me,” he said jokingly. “I can be like, ‘Hey!’ Everybody’s gonna be like, ‘Oh my God, you’re so brave.’ I can try to post a thirst trap on my Instagram Story, and then it’s gonna be somebody like, ‘Keep fighting, King.’”

In keeping with his newfound positivity, he posted an Instagram Story holding a cake to celebrate his 10,000th day on planet Earth and poked fun at the people that may not make it to day 10,000. “So, tomorrow is my 10,000th day alive and I made it,” he said. “A lot of you won’t make it, but I made it.”

Back in June, Nas posted an IG Reel to give his fans and followers an update of where he’s been.

“I’ve been in rehab for a few months,” he said. “Since then I’ve been back home, whether its in Atlanta with my family or in Los Angeles with myself, friends, and what not. And trying to ground myself down to Earth and get out of my head. I have a therapist now and a psychiatrist which is really helpful.”

He added that he originally was in denial about being bipolar. “When I got my bipolar disorder diagnosis,” he began. “I feel like I had known for like the past few year but I didn’t want to admit to it ’cause I didn’t want to have to take medication and I don’t know, have people think different of me. I mean, I’m already Black and gay, like damn, God, come on. Black. gay, bipolar, I’mm like living life on like extreme hard mode.”

Lil Nas X found himself in legal trouble when he was charged with four felonies after allegedly attacking police while walking the streets of L.A. naked. According to Variety, he’ll have his charges dismissed if he continues mental health treatment.

Lauren London is set to play Snoop Dogg’s mother, Beverly Tate, in the upcoming Snoop biopic, according to Deadline. The Universal Pictures film is coming to U.S. theaters on Aug. 6, 2027.

It wouldn’t be Snoop Dogg’s complete rap story without 2Pac, and The Hollywood Reporter revealed on Tuesday (Aug. 25) that Panic actor Camron Jones is slated to play Snoop’s Death Row running mate.

Hustle & Flow‘s Craig Brewer is directing the biopic, which has cast Outerbanks star Jonathan Daviss as Snoop Dogg and BMF‘s Myle Bullock Be in the role of Dr. Dre.

Beverly Tate had a profound impact on Snoop’s career. In addition to being his mother, she worked as a director in the local church choir and began calling her son Snoopy, based on the dog from the TV show Peanuts.

Snoop Dogg and 2Pac’s careers crossed paths while dominating rap as superstars leading Suge Knight’s Death Row Records in the mid-’90s. They teamed up for hits like “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted.” Snoop also had the honor of inducting Pac into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

Lauren London and Snoop have history as well, as the West Coast rap legend previously enlisted the ATL actress to appear in his and Pharrell’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot” music video, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 2004.

London’s partner, the late Nipsey Hussle, was actually offered to play Snoop Dogg in 2015’s N.W.A. biopic, but Hussle ultimately turned Straight Outta Compton down and the role went to LaKeith Stanfield.

As far as her recent work, Lauren London starred in You People in 2023 and made an appearance in Tyler, The Creator’s “Darling, I” music video last year.

Find Snoop Dogg and Death Row Pictures’ post confirming Lauren London’s role below.

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With hit songs, like “9 to 5,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Heartbreak Express” and “Jolene,” Dolly Parton has been an icon in country music and pop culture for more than 60 years. With the death of Parton’s at age 80, her memoir offers fans her life’s story through her onstage performances.

On sale for $31.91 (was $100) on Amazon, Star of the Show: My Life on Stage (Deluxe Edition) chronicles Parton’s career in performance going from singing in front of her family, showcasing her charisma on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and other memorable performances. It was first released in Nov. 2025.

The deluxe edition of the book features more than 500 photos and an eight-page list of iconic performances. It also comes in a slipcase with gilded edges, adorned with a satin ribbon marker and other special features that aren’t available with the standard edition.

PREORDER

‘Star of the Show: My Life on Stage’

Release date: Nov. 11

$31.93 $100 68% off

Buy Deluxe Edition On Amazon

$26.11 $55 53% off

Buy Standard Edition On Amazon

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Meanwhile, Star of the Show: My Life on Stage is the third book of Parton’s memoir trilogy. The first book in the series is Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, about the country music icon’s lyrics, while the second book is Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, about Parton’s personal and onstage style and fashion.

PREORDER

‘Songteller: My Life in Lyrics’

Release date: Nov. 11

$26.96 $50 46% off

Buy Now On Amazon

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PREORDER

‘Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones’

Release date: Nov. 11

$28.52 $50 43% off

Buy Now On Amazon

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And if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can order now, and Star of the Show will be delivered to your home in less than two days once it’s released, thanks to Prime Delivery.

Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video, Prime Gaming and Amazon Photos; fast free shipping in less than two days with Prime Delivery; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market; access to exclusive shopping events — such as Prime Day and Black Friday — and much more. Learn more about Amazon Prime and its benefits here.

In addition, Star of the Show is available as an Audible audiobook, which is free to listen to for subscribers when it’s released. If you’re not a subscriber, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial.

Available right now, Star of the Show: My Life on Stage (Deluxe Edition) is on sale for $31.93 (was $100) on Amazon.

The memoir is also available at BookShop.org for $93.20 (regularly $100), while Star of the Show: My Life on Stage is available at Barnes & Noble priced at $100.

The Game reveals that there are multiple versions of the song “No Brakes” which features Drake.

During a recent appearance on Real 92.3 LA’s The Cruz Show, The Game alluded to there being a verse that he decided to take off after host J. Cruz asked if Drake originally had a verse on the Documentary III single. “I don’t know. Maybe,” The Game replied before suggesting he decided not use the Toronto rapper’s verse for the sake of peace.

He added: “Maybe I pulled it off, ‘cause I didn’t need it. That is not the first version of that song. There’s about three versions, and some other versions, they weren’t really too kind. I pulled certain things off the album. I altered the album a lot to make sure the focus would be more on music and less on B.S.”

Cruz then hit him with a rebuttal and asked if the decision was made “to protect certain individuals,” to which the Compton rapper responded with, “Maybe it was just to protect the [West] Coast as a whole. I think it was better to deliver an album full of music, with no beefs. I don’t think I’m dissing anyone on the album.”

Since he dropped The Documentary III last week, he’s been fighting off allegations that he dissed Kendrick Lamar and is siding with Drake. He even hopped in IG comments saying that he didn’t diss anybody on “No Brakes” in response to a news page reposting a rant from a fan.

You can watch the full interview between The Game and J. Cruz below.

On a list of accolades that includes 10 Grammys, 22 Billboard Hot 100 hits and inductions into both the Country Music and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame, Dolly Parton was also a Billboard cover star.

The legendary musician and cultural icon — whose death at age 80 on Tuesday (Aug. 25) has made for an indescribable loss — was on the cover of Billboard in 2020, a historically difficult year for many during which Parton’s infallible optimism and kindness were needed more than ever. She spoke to executive editor Melinda Newman about keeping her groundbreaking Dollywood enterprise on its feet in the face of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic at the time, as well as her industry savvy and endurance over the course of her six-decade career. Above everything, though, she emphasized her commitment to generosity.

“As the scripture says, ‘To whom much is given, much is required,’” Parton said in the piece, which also served as 2020’s Billboard Country Power Players issue. “So I look at my life with that every day and think that God expects it of me. I expect it of myself, and I think people expect it of me. If I can be an inspiration, then I want to be that. That makes me feel good.”

Parton was also featured six years prior in a 2014 issue of Billboard, answering questions about everything from her long marriage to late husband Carl Dean to her love for her LGBTQ fanbase and position as a role model with her signature sparkling wit. “I’ve lived a lot and I’ve done a lot,” she said at the time. “I’ve been around so long that I think people just kind of feel like I’m a member of their family — like a favorite aunt or an older sister. People relate to me because I grew up poor and in a big family. They know I understand all the hardships.”

In honor of the irreplaceable superstar, take a look at the photos from Parton’s unforgettable shoots with Billboard in 2020 and 2014 below.