Rapper Eminem pictured enjoying countryside stroll near Leeds

He lit up Leeds Festival with his incredible performance at the event this year.

But megastar US rapper Eminem chose to spend his downtime in a peaceful rural village just a short walk from the festival site.

An incongruous photo posted on the star's social media accounts shows him with an entourage of three friends standing on a country lane in East Keswick.

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The small village between Leeds and Wetherby is close to Bramham Park, where the festival took place, and the group were seen relaxing there before Eminem took to the main stage on Sunday night.

East Keswick resident Jake Fowler, a former BBC journalist, even Tweeted that the hip-hop king - real name Marshall Mathers - was photographed on his favourite dog walking route.

The rapper's appearance in the rural idyll is a far cry from his home city of Detroit.

East Keswick's attractions include a pub called the Duke of Wellington, a tennis club, a village hall and two churches. It has a population of just over 1,000 people.

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The musician's visit has delighted parish council chairman Andrew Batty, who has said he is welcome back any time.

"We were absolutely thrilled that Eminem chose to take a pre-concert walk in East Keswick and used the village as a backdrop for photos for his Facebook page. We must have provided just the relaxation he was looking for; a quiet walk on a sunny morning in a beautiful area with stunning scenery. We're delighted that a memory he will take back of Yorkshire is of our village and our landscape.

"We're only a few miles away from the Leeds Festival site, and when you think about it, we were an ideal choice since any visit to a more populated area would have carried greater risk of being instantly spotted. If he ever wants to come back he'd be really welcome.

"The irony is that my youngest son Joe, 18, camped at the festival hoping to see Eminem, whilst Eminem and his friends were in East Keswick, just a short distance from our home!"

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