Heffernan

Buzz up!After a long hiatus, the rapper talks about coming to terms with anger, fatherhood, being single, being white... and his pink boxers.



Eminem still lives and records in Detroit, Michigan. The title of his movie 8 Mile refers to the road that divides the city's poor and rich neighborhoods. He recently published an autobiographical book, The Way I Am.

Don't call it a comeback.

People can try to reinvent themselves. I don't think you can really change who you are, though, because who you are is pretty much where you came from and what you've done up to now. You can change your image and all that--you can change your fucking clothes, your underwear, your hair color, all that shit--but it's not going to mean you're a brand-new person.

You want to say, "I don't give a fuck what anybody says." Yeah, you do.

I'm sure people think I've vanished off the face of the earth.

I went for nine, ten years straight, without taking a break at all. I needed to rejuvenate.

I'm a T-shirt guy now. But wifebeaters won't go out of style, not as long as bitches keep mouthing off.

I like it when people talk shit. Because if people weren't talking shit, there would be nothing for me to come back with. I need that. If I don't have any ammo, what am I going to say?

There's obviously a limit to the things you want people to know, but I've pretty much put most of it out there. Maybe people don't know what kind of underwear I wear, what color.

Boxers. Pink.

It's fun to take a step back and hear other people do it, say shit I wish I would have thought of. I'm still a fan of rap.

When people buy a CD, you don't get to sit in the car with them and watch their faces and watch their jaws drop.

The guy behind the counter notices me, but I haven't put an album out in four years. "How you doing Marshall?" "What's up Em?" You pay for the gas, buy a bag of chips, and leave. But I put a record out, and that same person is going to be behind the counter with a camera and a piece of paper. "Can you sign this?"

It's not like I'm going to be a prick to everybody I meet. I keep it cool.

You're not going to say anything about me that I'm not going to say about myself. There's so many things that I think about myself; if someone really wanted to get at me, they could say this and this and this. So I'm going to say it before they can. It's the best policy for me.

Trust is hard to come by. That's why my circle is small and tight. I'm kind of funny about making new friends.

I don't know where to go to meet a nice girl. If you've got any tips, clue me in.

The emotions in a song--the anger, aggression--have got to be legitimate.

When I'm in the studio with Dre, I don't have to worry about the beat. I can just go. That's the only thing I got to concentrate on. When I'm trying to produce a song myself, I'm thinking about the high hat. Is it loud enough? The snare drum. Is it clear enough? This piano in the chorus. Is it too loud? That can be time-consuming.

Within the last year, I started learning how to not be so angry about things, learning how to count my fucking blessings instead. By doing that, I've become a happier person, instead of all this self-loathing I was doing for a while.

The music, I wouldn't say it's gotten happier, but it's definitely more upbeat. I feel like myself again.

Don't get me wrong, the aggression will still be there.

I don't know if I've fully accepted Proof's death, but I think I've come to terms with it a little bit, knowing how to cope. There was a good two years that I was pretty down in the fucking dumps. I just lay in bed and stared at the fucking ceiling. One day, I didn't get up until 7:30 that night.

Not that I don't guide them at all, because sometimes I do, right from wrong. Hailie's twelve now, and she still thinks it's really bad to stick up your middle finger. I think I'm doing pretty good, with what my music is about and being able to raise little girls at the same time.

I would say I'm an excellent dad, not to toot my own horn. Toot.

If you don't overlook the fact of what you look like, then no one else will. I had a complex back then: If I get booed off stage, it's probably because I'm white. There comes a time when you gotta stop thinking like that and just be you.

I want to say I'd be a comic-book artist. That was my dream as a kid. I used to paint and draw. If I wouldn't have had rap, I would have strived to--the past tense of strive, is it stroved?--I would have stroven to do something like that. Who knows? Maybe I would have.

Nobody likes to fail. I want to succeed in everything I do, which isn't much. But the things that I'm really passionate about, if I fail at those, if I'm not successful, what do I have?

Shit happens. Fucking happens to the best of us. Really does.

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skitershady

good read. Fuck, I always knew that Em wouldnt do another MMLP, but now it sounds we gonna have another Encore
If it is as good as Emshow is good enough.

G.O.A.T

Encore was a Bomb Ass Record, Do you not know quality music when you hear it.
Any Em Music Shits on everyone else's music. and if you didnt agree why would you have been the first to read this article. People like you is why hip hop died, i'm sure you bumpin your Souja Boy Cd is your whip, you enjoy that crap while i enjoy real music

Heffernan

what the fuck?

you talkin to me or skiter?

were the 2 biggest eminem stans on this site

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Jayse

Relapse is gonna be the best album to come out in the last ten years.

Aftermath2150

Great Read. Eminem is my favorite can't wait for relapse.

bx2dr

ready to get my stan mode back on!

Lyrikcha

Big Weenie Song>>>>>anything on the radio Now

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No, I don't like you, Yes, you are a better emcee then Chambers, I give props where props are due.-Smoke1Life

skitershady

I also think that. even tho I wanted the MMLP shit Em will not bring it, but he is gonna make his best album.

skitershady

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

tturenegade

ballin ass shit. Em will definitely set the tone in 09. fuck ya

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http://www.zshare.net/audio/539029746634a3e4/

TeGo

LMFAOOO

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ns_diplomat

FALSE!!! im the #1

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G-Unit/Shady/Aftermath!!
"Shout out to all the people in Montreal - Montreal is real hood. Real gangsta out there." - Juelz Santana

DrShady662

Propz............

Mr Wavez

GoodJoke!

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"Victory Consistantly, Train All Year To Be The Enemy's Misery" - Weezy

zuluking

just listen at the em dick riders, u guys worship em. u make it like the coming of jesus. em is talented but overrated

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some got hopes and dreams, I have means and ways

“If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologize.”

Hakaroodi

i agree with Em that's what its about.. the aggression in the song has got to be legitimate -

at the time of Encore there wasn't realy nuthin' to be aggressive about.. so he ripped Michael Jackson lol..

but this time, i think with the loss of Proof, the re-marriage-divorce relationship with Kim again.. all that could make him come strong again - and that's the Em that the fans want to hear.. that Till I Collapse shit.. that Soldier shit.. that was Em at his best 4 me.... the greatest rapper to ever do it..!!!!

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goothgone

yeah me to i was hoping a MMLP 2

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Lil Brizzle

good read by eminem....

anyways....

encore >>>> 80% of hip hop now....

oh and relapse >>>>> hip hop

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S.F.S. to be out on 23/11/2009!!!

Pudd 7

Damn i can't wait for this...Em's ganna bring real hip hop back!

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Year Of Shady/Aftermath

The platinum trio’s back on you hoes!

HENCHMAN

i dont see how eminem stans can so "its going to be great & i cant wait" blah blah blah and then he comes out with shit like "just lose it" as another single, and they actually have the nerve to call rappers like soulja boy wack, thats all eminem is now a white soulja boy, hes going to create another album for 12-13 year old girld and you 1-17 year old boys are gonna lap it up

Heffernan

FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK


i ment to neg that mother fucker and i accidently repped him

FUCKKKK

now hes green

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Mr Wavez

This is funny.

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"Victory Consistantly, Train All Year To Be The Enemy's Misery" - Weezy

DaKillahWitNoFace

Years later you think about it Encore wasn't all that bad. There was some ill songs on that and its still better then most trash that drops today. Relapse is gonna be fuckin great, no doubt.

G.O.A.T

to all these people who got it confused, Em in my opinion is a talent not seen anywhere else, he makes and creates music his own way. I think the only track em fucked up on was touch football on TIP. I never really listen to it cause i did not feel it right away, but basically is what i am sayin is that you cant really diss him or Soulja boy in that matter i brought that up only because oh his song Dong. And if you say em is a white soulja boy your confused. yes he has to put out music to sell, but ems street or harder shit is no where on any level of soulja boy. And if your gonna say just loose it is compared to a soulja boy song then listen back to ems old shit that is who em is, thats slim shady rapping on that song. Em is so diverse, There is Slim Shady Marshal Mathers, He has so many personas that his style gets mixed and suited to each one.