Although he has shown no chill throughout his 15 year career, Eminem is good for keeping a low profile. Surprisingly the self-proclaimed Rap God dropped various jewels in a town hall style Q&A interview with Sway Calloway on Shade 45.
Even with his newest album The Marshall Mathers LP 2 getting praised as well as slandered for being a bust, Slim faced the people in a memorable hour long sit down. Here Em broke down his approach to making MMLP2, explained what the all the accolades really mean to him, detailed working with Kendrick Lemar, gave an official response to the infamous the “Rap God” controversy and more.
While this rare look at the real Marshall Mathers might not create any new believers, it was interesting nonetheless to see the MC open up on various topics.
So we present 11 things we learned from his appearance on Shade 45. Let us know if this interview swayed your opinion at all in the comments section below.
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Photos: SiriusXM, Rawkus Records, Twitter, Vibe,
Eminem doesn’t read his tweets:
“I really try to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s going on but at the same time I can’t pay attention to what everyone’s saying. I would get into the worse arguments like drive to my house now! I would never be able to make music if I got caught up in that; it would consume a lot of my time and be very counterproductive.”
His top MC’s of all time:
In no particular order Em places Big Daddy Kane, Kool G. Rap, LL Cool J, Run-DMC, Treach of Naughty By Nature and the Beastie Boys atop his list.
His praise for Pharaohe Monch:
“That rhyme [“Bring It On”] would kill most rappers, 99.99 percent. Pharaoh Monch is incredible; he’s been ahead of his time since he came out.”
On actually writing his rhymes down versus piecing it in his head:
“I’ve done it where I kind of make it up as I go along and it just don’t usually come out right. I need time to think my sh*t through and make sure that’s what I want to say. Especially if you’re putting it out. So I’ve recorded like that but I don’t much has come out like that. Normally I like to write.”
On working with Kendrick Lamar and the “Control” verse:
“I was writing so much and I made so many songs for this record. I went in the zone probably for, man a year, year and a half. The fact of what Kendrick is doing, even before the “Control” verse , just about what he did on his album and the way he put it together, I admire that sh-t.
That’s an interesting thought. One of the things that’s so great about that verse was he did it in a way that you really can’t get mad at him because that’s what every MC should be thinking. At least every MC that competitively raps and he does competitive rap. As an MC you should already be thinking that. So he only said what every other rapper’s already thinking. The fact that he had the balls to say it is what’s incredible to me.”
On “Headlights” which addresses his mother Debbie:
“What I said on that record is what I have to say about it and I put it out there and that’s pretty much all I’m going [to] probably say about that. Everything I needed to say and get off my chest I said it. So there’s no need for me to even elaborate on it.”
On his past relapse and recovery from drugs:
“Life is about what you go through. I guess I’m able to take certain things that have happened and be able put it in words and talk about it. Music has always been therapeutic for me but just going through certain things in my life like the addiction thing was one of them things that helped me grow as a person mentally. Anybody who’s has been in that place knows it feel so hopeless when you’re there; it’s a bitch to walk to the other side. My thing is knowing that it can be done now and hopefully I can help some other people who maybe going through a similar thing and know you can do it.”
On his reckless mouth:
“I’m in this game to press buttons and spark conversation and to get a reaction out of people. I want to say the lines that are going to get people’s attention. And I would rather have even if it’s bad attention than no attention at all. I think it’s cool if my records spark conversation and debate.”
On his most challenging collaborator:
“The most fun, craziest and challenging would have to be [Dr.] Dre. Definitely challenging sticks in my craw when I think about Dre. Especially early on; even still to this day when Dre and I get in the studio it’s fun. There’s no stress.”
On seeing himself doing music 10-15 years from now:
“I f—ing hope not. Whatever I’m doing 10-15 years from now I want to have something to do with the music. It’s pretty much all I know. The day I decide to set the mic down, I’d probably would want to get into more producing.”
His biggest influence:
I would have to say the biggest influence on me probably would be Proof [of D12]. Obviously he’s not here but that definitely was probably the biggest influence on my life coming up. He always showed me the right way to go and do things. I learned so much from watching him from the Hip-Hop Shop to on through everything. I’d would always go to him for advice. Definitely Proof was that for me.
