Eminem Says Rap Music Is ‘Therapeutic’ for Him: ‘That’s How It’s Always Been for Me’

Eminem recently said on his Sirius XM Radio channel 45 that “one of the great things about rap music is that you could put so much of your life in it”

Mandatory Credit: Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (10544102aa)
Eminem (R) delivers a speech as US rapper Curtis 50 Cent Jackson is honored with the 2,686th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California, USA, 30 January 2020. The star was dedicated in the Category of Recording.
Curtis 50 Cent Jackson honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, USA – 30 Jan 2020

Eminem is opening up about the healing power of art.

The 15-time Grammy Award winner, 49, recently called into the Sway in the Morning show on his Sirius XM Radio channel 45 and was asked about how rapping about mental health and addiction was transformative for him.

“I think that’s one of the great things about rap music… is that you could put so much of your life in it,” Eminem said over the phone. “It’s therapeutic, and that’s how it’s always been for me.”

Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, has shared some of the more intimate parts of his life with his fans through his music. He also wrote several verses about his addiction to prescription pills in his 2010 album Recovery.

In a 2015 interview with Men’s Journal, Eminem discussed his 2007 drug overdose and how he beat his addiction through extensive exercise.

“In 2007, I overdosed on pills, and I went into the hospital. I was close to 230 pounds. I’m not sure how I got so big, but I have ideas,” he told the publication. “The coating on the Vicodin and the Valium I’d been taking for years leaves a hole in your stomach, so to avoid a stomachache, I was constantly eating — and eating badly.”

Earlier this year, the rapper performed at the 2022 Super Bowl alongside Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg and surprise guest 50 Cent. After performing his Oscar and Grammy-winning track “Lose Yourself” at SoFi Stadium, Eminem sunk to his knee and held his head in his hand while Dr. Dre performed some of Tupac’s “I Ain’t Mad at Cha” in a tribute.

During the 2016 season, former quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling while the national anthem played at the beginning of each of his NFL games to protest racial injustice, police brutality and systemic oppression.

It was announced in May that the rapper will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this fall alongside Lionel Richie, Duran Duran, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics, Carly Simon, and Dolly Parton.

[via]