Helicopters, Hype, and Eminem: Brad Keselowski Reveals What it Was Like Growing Up Near a Rap Icon

For most of us, growing up near a celebrity is an experience that comes with its own kind of buzz, but for NASCAR star Brad Keselowski, growing up in Rochester Hills, Michigan, meant living just a stone’s throw away from one of the world’s biggest rap icons: Eminem.

Imagine being a kid and hearing the sound of helicopters buzzing overhead, not because of a local emergency, but because Eminem — fresh off his rise to superstardom — was making headlines. Brad Keselowski, now a seasoned NASCAR driver and co-owner of RFK Racing, had a front-row seat to the wild energy that surrounded the Detroit rapper during his early 2000s fame. And according to Keselowski, things got pretty interesting, and even a little chaotic.

In a recent reflection on his childhood days, Keselowski shared with fans what it was like living near the legendary rapper. “Eminem used to live right there,” Keselowski recalled, pointing to the direction of the sprawling mansion that was once the heart of his neighborhood.

That mansion, nicknamed the “Kmart Mansion” for its original owner, Kmart chairman Chuck Conaway, was a 17,000-square-foot behemoth of luxury, nestled in the hills of Rochester. With six bedrooms, an endless array of bathrooms, tennis courts, and pools, it was the perfect getaway for the now-famous rapper.

While the mansion wasn’t Eminem’s primary home, it certainly captured the attention of fans and the public alike. During the height of his fame, the property became synonymous with his larger-than-life persona. As Keselowski explained, when Eminem’s fame skyrocketed, so did the spectacle that came with it. “Every once in a while, he’d do something to get into trouble. There’d be helicopters flying around,” Keselowski said. It wasn’t unusual for the neighborhood to witness a flurry of media and fans converging on the area, eager to get a glimpse of the man behind hits like “Lose Yourself” and “Stan.”

But as the years passed, Eminem moved on from the mansion, eventually selling it in 2017 for $2 million — significantly less than the $4.75 million he originally paid for it. Still, it remains a piece of Keselowski’s memories, a symbol of the buzzing chaos that surrounded Eminem’s meteoric rise.

For Brad Keselowski, growing up near one of the world’s most famous rap stars wasn’t just about proximity to fame; it was about witnessing the electric energy that came with it — from the helicopters in the sky to the hype on the ground. While Keselowski would go on to chase racing trophies, the image of a neighborhood once filled with the hum of celebrity will forever be a part of his story.

It’s not every day you can say you lived near an icon, but for Keselowski, it was just another chapter in a life that’s been nothing short of exciting.