It’s also I think that, um, by me putting out a record like this, it can show people that no matter how down you are, it does get better. I feel stronger than ever, better than ever, nothing is going to stop me. Is this the most confident you’ve ever felt? Not as a rapper, but as a person.Īs a person, yeah. Every now and then, I’m sure they are like, “Yo, what’s up?” But for the most part, I pretty much don’t put it out till it’s right. Interscope, Dre and Jimmy, they kind of let me work at my own pace, which is a cool thing. Nobody understood what was going on with me or why I was acting so fucking goofy.ĭid Interscope pressure you to finish Encore and Relapse? Were they telling you, “We need the album. I remember going to L.A., recording with Dre and being in the studio high, taking too many pills, getting in this slap-happy mood and making songs like “Big Weenie” and “Rain Man” and “Ass Like That.” (3) When I was making Encore, my addiction took on a life of its own. But looking back on it now, there was some pretty mediocre things that I was putting out. It wasn’t like, “Let me put some bullshit out.” At the time, obviously I felt like it was the best I could do or else I wouldn’t have put it out. The last couple of albums I let some people down. Upon telling a friend about this interview he said, “Eminem hasn’t done shit since The Eminem Show.” Do you agree? I was in my first year of getting clean so it was a little awkward for me. It’s the album cycle again.Īre you doing more publicity than last year? He wants to be treated like a regular person. He just wants you to know he’s also human. After all, his life was always an open book. On the song “On Fire,” Eminem says, “Critics never ask me how my day went.” It’s a simple request. He also frequently lassos the conversation and steers it back into his comfort zone, which makes him a challenging interview. He is, however, articulate and commanding. He wears blue-and-white Nike sneakers, a white T-shirt, navy blue gym shorts and a matching navy Kangol baseball cap. “I’m addicted to these,” he says without a hint of irony at the poor choice of words.
“Hi, I’m Marshall.” From there, it’s over to his office where he takes a swig of sugar free Red Bull. He walks past the row of old school 1980’s video games and introduces himself with a firm handshake.
We meet at his homely studio in Ferndale, Michigan, about a thirty-minute drive from downtown Detroit. He has emerged from a personal hell-the drugs, the death of his best friend Proof, the failed marriage to his childhood sweetheart Kim-as a stronger artist and a stronger person.
It helps that he is sober now and has been through some rigorous rehab. (2) Either way, it’s quite the comeback story.Įminem points out several times on Recovery that his previous two albums, 2004’s Encore and 2009’s Relapse, were not very good. Hell, that’s more than even Justin Bieber sold. That’s more than Jay-Z sold last time out. In June, his seventh studio album Recovery sold 741,000 copies during its first week. And once again, he stands alone as the biggest rap star in the world. He is incredibly talented-only guys like Kobe Bryant and Roger Federer know what it’s like to be that damn good at something. His drug addiction to a myriad of prescription pills and alcohol nearly killed him. WORDS: THOMAS GOLIANOPOULOS II PHOTO: SCOTT COUNCILĮMINEM IS A 37-YEAR-OLD DAD who goes to work every day and has a fantasy football team. MARSHALL “ EMINEM” MATHERS IS CLEAN AND SOBER AND PUTTING SHATTERED PIECES OF HIS LIFE BACK TOGETHER AGAIN, ONE POTENT HIT AT A TIME Roc Nation founder Jay-Z said in a statement that their show will be "history in the making.WITH HIS MIND RIGHT AND RHYMES TIGHT, HIP-HOP’S BIGGEST BLOCKBUSTER RAPPER ISN’T READY FOR WAR ANYMORE. The five music artists have a combined 44 Grammys. The game and halftime show will air live on NBC. Roc Nation and Emmy-nominated producer Jesse Collins will serve as co-producers of the halftime show. It's the third year of collaboration between the NFL, Pepsi and Roc Nation. The Super Bowl returns to the Los Angeles area for the first time since 1993. The seven-time Grammy winner added that their halftime performance will be an "unforgettable cultural moment."
"The opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show, and to do it in my own backyard, will be one of the biggest thrills of my career," Dre said in a statement. Dre is responsible for bringing forth rap stars such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent and Lamar. Dre emerged from the West Coast gangster rap scene alongside Eazy-E and Ice Cube to help form the group N.W.A., which made a major mark in the hip-hop culture and music industry with controversial lyrics in the late 1980s.