(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Bruno Mars has joked that he "shut [Eminem] down" in a freestyle battle.

The 25-year-old Hawaiian singer-songwriter shot to international fame with his debut studio album Doo-Wops & Hooligans last year. He has since seen his popularity rise, and most recently is featured on Bad Meet's Evil's track, Lighters.

The duo consists of rappers Royce da 5'9" and Eminem, and Bruno has teased he secured the collaboration by defeating Eminem in a rap fight.

"It was a freestyle battle," he joked in an interview with MTV. "I said, 'Yo, Em, if I beat you, you're gonna have to do a song with me!'

"I shut him down right then and there."

Bruno has been contemplating his future in the music industry. The star has revealed his next move, which includes a new track.

"I'm definitely thinking about what's next," he explained. "I've got a song that I just wrote that I'm extremely proud of and I worked really hard on, and it's gonna come out soon.

"But this is just the very beginning and there's a lot more to come."

Bruno worked on songs Nothin' On You by B.o.B and Billionaire by Travie McCoy. He also co-wrote the hits Right Round by Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha and F**K You by Cee Lo Green.

The singer admitted he'd love to work with Cee Lo again, and American rapper Lil Wayne. (C) Cover Media