In keeping with his recent trend of expansive interviews, Eminem sat down with Rolling Stone magazine to discuss a myriad of topics, among them his 2004 release, Encore.
“Around the tail end of Encore, the songs started getting really goofy,” said Em of the album, which was his first solo release to garner anything less than near-universal acclaim. “‘Rain Man,’ ‘Big Weenie,’ ‘Ass Like That’ – that’s when the wheels were coming off. Every day I had a pocketful of pills, and I would just go into the studio and goof off.”
Shady, revealed he is currently working on Dr. Dre’s long-awaited Detox, also broached the difficult topic of his best friend Proof, who was gunned down in 2006. “The best way to describe Proof would be a rock. Somebody to confide in, somebody who always had your back. At this point, it’s difficult to find people I know I can trust. I still have certain friends like that, but when you lose one, man… it hit me pretty hard.”
Em admitted selfishness on his part in the grieving process. “I wasn’t the only person grieving – he left a wife and kids. But I was very much in my own grief. I was so high at his funeral. It disgusts me to say it, but I felt like it was about me. I hate myself for even thinking that.”
The interview centers on the rapper’s heavy drug abuse, which nearly ended his life in 2007. When asked whether he is ever tempted to use drugs, Eminem replied, “Honestly, no. For one thing, I try not to be in a position where I could be tempted. I’ve performed in a few clubs where there is drinking and shit, but I think even if I’d never had a drug problem, at the age I’m at, I wouldn’t want to [use] anyway. I feel like this is the time in your life where you stop doing that stuff. Time to grow up.”
As for Eminem’s sober date? “4/20. Ironically.”
The Rolling Stone issue with the exclusive Eminem interview is available for purchase now.
Dopest MC ever.
Em is ill at rapping; arguably the best.But Jay-Z is the greatest Emcee/Hip-Hop Artist of all time.
I agree.
BIGGIE>JAY-Z
Em’s a beast on tha mic
“But when it’s all said and done I’ll be 40
Before I know it with a 40 on the porch telling stories
With a bottle of Jack…”
He’s lost his ghetto style, it’s all about intelligence now. Which isn’t a bad thing.. I still hold him as the best rapper, the old Em is just better
What a lot of people don’t realize is that Eminem also released a D12 album (D12 World) the same year that Encore came out. And If you didn’t like his encore CD I suggest you go and listen to that D12 album cuz it’s seriously underrated. His flow on ‘Git Up’ is insane. He also produced that 2pac record in 04 so it was obviously a very busy year for him, as well as working on Bank$ album. Aside from the goofy songs on Encore, the rest was pretty much up to par. I also thought his relapse album was dope, accent or no accent it was lyrically crazy and u cant deny that. Em just a perfectionist so of course he’s gonna look down at his weak points, even tho his weak points is where most other mcs strong points is at
What I don’t understand is that Eminem was biggin up his albums on the bonus song ‘Careful What You Wish For’ from relapse. He biggs up Encore and says ‘encore just didn’t have the caliber to match it, I guess enough time just aint pass yet, a couple more years that shit will be illmatic’, and then on his Recovery he admits that encore was weak and now he’s sayin he was on drugs when he recorded…He was on drugs his whole career up until recently and has always been doin goofy songs, so idk what hes talkin bout on that 1…
true dude,but i think when he was recording the sslp and mmlp he wasnt heavily into drugs and if im correct he was pretty much sober during the recording of the ES then once he started to record encore it went downhill just like he stated
em is a legend.. i aint really like recovery but yo no denying he is a legend!! i cant wait for that lloyd banks n eminem track on HFM2!!! banks and eminem= classic!! HFM2 nov 22
“Recovery” was IMO his best album since “The Eminem Show” but i didnt kno he was high at Proof’s funeral thats crazy!! but im glad he’s back to his sober self and you can tell thru his music!! now bring on “Session Two” lol
He seems alot less miserable these days then he had been
First 2 alums, from 98-2001, in interviews he always cae off a carefree and then when the MMLP blew up it seemed like summin got to him, be it the attention, the haters ordrugs, whatever it was he looed like he was gonna off himself for a while there
He aint exactly back to the guy who droped all those pills on the ground while accepting his MTV award( Remembr that back in the day??)……… But at least hedoesnt act like the miserable “I hate the world guy” who slapped Moby either. The Music has gotten better to, Recovery was muchbetter then the previous 2
finally explain the whole set up of the album and why it went from serious songs like like toy soldiers and mosh to my 1st single after 6 tracks
As for Eminem’s sober date? “4/20. Ironically.”
why is that ironic?
It’s ironic because it’s national weed smoking day. lol
international. lmao.
4/20 is a bud smoking holliday
really?
your a dumbass. 420 is the time and date that weed is most known for being smoked. april 20th? yea international weed smoking day mafucka.
*1*
EMINEM *1*
I love how he doesn’t even consider weed being a drug
And the Shady dickriders will soon come out. This nigga WAS good, now he just no more than a pop selling artist trying to mask himself as a rapper. Fuck that shit!
Bawse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What’s worse than a dickrider is a hater. Rick Ross is the worse rapper alive, and em’s verses on forever,airplanes part II,and the cipher kills rick ross’ entire catalogue.He’s not big meech, he’s not larry hoover, he’s not even the real rick ross. he ain’t shit but the bawse of law enforcement wit his C/o ass
Real talk – Javito^^^
Em isnt making songs about how much he loves horses and ross has a lot more “pop” sounding songs than eminem,hell he got a song with kevin rudolf if thats not pop then what is?
Listen man…oh wait you’re a rick ross fan…get a life!
“Rain Man” is one of my favorite Eminem’s song.