DETROIT – Detroit rapper Eminem burst onto the political stage in his hometown on Tuesday, where he briefly spoke at a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign before welcoming former President Barack Obama to the stage.

“As most of you know, the city of Detroit and the entire state of Michigan mean a lot to me. And in this election, we are in the spotlight more than ever,” Eminem, a longtime critic of former President Donald Trump, told the crowd. “And I think it’s important to use your voice. That’s why I encourage everyone to get out and vote.”

He said people should not be afraid of retaliation or of speaking out, adding that Harris “supports a future for this country in which these and many other freedoms are protected and preserved.”

The Detroit rapper then introduced Obama, who took the stage to the beat of Eminem's “Lose Yourself.” The former president joked that he “noticed my palms were sweaty,” a reference to the hit song, before rapping several lines from it.

Obama and Eminem's appearance comes just days before early voting begins across Michigan. Democrats hope the star-studded event, which included former Lions wide receiver and NFL Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, will boost voter enthusiasm.

Voter turnout in Detroit, a longtime Democratic stronghold, will determine who wins the state in November, when Michigan is among a handful of swing states expected to decide who wins the presidency and control of the state US Senate wins. Democrat Elissa Slotkin, who is running against Republican Mike Rogers for an open Senate seat, appeared alongside Obama at the rally.

Obama attacked Trump as unfit, pointing to recent incidents like the one at City Hall, where Trump chose to hold a sort of impromptu concert, swaying back and forth to various songs for about 40 minutes instead of answering voters' questions .

“If your grandpa behaved like that, you would be worried,” Obama said. “This is someone who wants uncontrolled power. We don't need to see what an older, crazier Donald Trump looks like without guardrails. America is ready to turn the tide.”

Trump has made his own bid for Detroit, appearing at a rally in the city last week alongside his hometown rapper Trick Trick. Trick Trick previously collaborated with Eminem on the track “Welcome 2 Detroit.”

Obama and other speakers on Tuesday, who included many of the state's top Democratic leaders, seized on Trump's comments earlier this month in Detroit, when he said the city was an “evolving” city.

“The whole country will say: Do you want to know the truth? “It will be like Detroit,” Trump said in his speech to the Detroit Economic Club. “Our whole country will end up like Detroit if she is your president.”

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who had previously spoken to Eminem and Obama, countered on Tuesday.

“I know you all saw what he said about this beautiful city. “He called Detroit a failure and a mess, proving he's not firing on all cylinders,” Whitmer said. “He has no idea what the hell he was talking about.” And you know what I think? He should keep Detroit out of his mouth.”

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