He dominated the portable CD players of turn-of-the-century youth, who emulated his style by dying their hair blonde and donning tank tops and oversized pants. “If I had been black, I wouldn’t have sold even half of it,” he acknowledged in one of his songs. Eminem, also known as Marshall Mathers, is a well-known rapper known for his lyrical prowess and ability to express his struggles through his music. He has been open with one of his most prominent struggles, drug addiction, which he has battled throughout his career.
Eminem Battled Drug Addiction With Running: ‘I Became a F—ing Hamster’
Eminem celebrated 14 years of sobriety in 2022, and for him, he’s never looked back.
From Pills to Platinum: Eminem’s Raw Battle with Addiction
After his near-fatal experience, Eminem made the life-altering decision to pursue sobriety. He sought professional help, entering a rehabilitation programme and committing to intensive therapy to address the root causes of his addiction. All the running eventually took a toll on his body and he tore his hip flexors. When he was better, the rapper tried to mix things up by incorporating Shaun T’s Insanity workout, P90X, and alcoholism treatment Body Beast into his routine.
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- He has inspired countless others to continue on their recovery journeys.
- A 2022 interview with XXL magazine stated that Eminem was celebrating 13 years of sobriety.
- One of Eminem’s most prominent struggles has been his drug addiction, which he has battled throughout his career.
- In the piece penned for XXL, Em discusses the way that “everything changed” after he signed with Interscope and released his second studio album, 1999’s ‘The Slim Shady LP’.
In 2006, Mathers’ former bandmate and friend Proof Mathers died from a shooting incident. Mathers’ drug abuse worsened at this time, and he recounted how he had about 10 drug dealers at this time. According to the rapper, if he made it to the hospital just two hours later, he would have died from the drug overdose. His organs—liver, kidneys, and everything else—were already shutting down. In 2007, Eminem consumed the equivalent of four bags of heroin in the form of methadone, and was rushed to the hospital.
- His daughter Hailie remained a primary source of motivation, driving him to become the father he knew he could be.
- Eminem went to rehab in 2005 to get treatment for his addiction to sleeping pills.
- In an interview with Vibe magazine this month, Eminem opens up about his past few years, what helped him get sober, and where he hopes his future will lead.
Eminem’s provocative lyrics, littered with homophobic and sexist rhymes and profanity-laden attacks on all manner of public figures, caused a scandal. He transformed this controversy into a platform for his alter ego, Slim Shady, who became one of the great antiheroes what drugs was eminem addicted to of his time. The mainstream media branded him a “public menace” and theorized about the reasons for his excesses. His success shot to a new level in 2002 when he emerged as a cinematographic rebel without a cause, but with a hoodie, in the semi-autobiographical movie 8 Mile, which earned him an Academy Award for best original song. Eminem has opened up about his struggles with addiction and fame in a new essay.