Having been in the business for over two decades, Eminem now has some sage advice for his younger self.
Reflecting on his lengthy career, the rapper also revealed that his life became a ‘big ball of s**t’ shortly after finding fame in the mid-nineties.
Despite striking a somewhat sour note during the interview, Shady has been praised for his brutal honesty by fans.
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The ‘Rap God’ musician made the admission while appearing on BET’s Rap City back in 2013, with the then-41-year-old recalling how he shot to fame.
Ironically, he wasn’t an overnight success and struggled to find his voice, initially going under the name MC Double M when he first started in music.
His debut album Infinite was also a commercial flop, with Detroit DJs largely ignoring the 1996 record.
Just three years later though, the Slim Shady LP would propel him to superstardom, with the album topping the charts and certified five-times platinum.
Nearly two decades on, Eminem reflected on his sudden fame and how he’d struggled to be in the spotlight.
When asked what he would tell his pre-fame self in 1996, he simply replied: “Keep going.”
He then quipped: “Stop when you get to the Slim Shady LP.”
Though he was half-joking, the musician went one to explain how he’d wished he’d taken the time to enjoy his new-found fame a little more.
“Just slow down. Take a breath,” he sighed: “I never got a chance to really enjoy what was happening, because it was happening so fast, but also because I felt like I needed certain things…and then it just became a big ball of s**t.”
While the rapper wouldn’t mince his words on the pitfalls of fame, fans have praised Eminem for his sage advice after the clip was uploaded to YouTube.
One impressed viewer even wrote: “Everyone is wiser with age. The young need to listen.”
More fans agreed in the comments, with another adding: “Em has really grown into someone I respect. He's lost a bit of that chip on his shoulder, but has kept all of the talent.”
A third was shocked by the candid admission and wrote: “I was fully expecting him to just troll but he actually gave a serious answer for the first time.”
It’s not the first time, Eminem has opened up about life in the limelight, revealing he had to relearn how to rap after his accidental drug overdose back in 2007.
Katherine Sidnell