Eminem has discussed rapping about mental health and addiction in his music, calling the process “therapeutic”.
The rapper has been open about his issues with substance abuse and mental health problems throughout his career.
Speaking to Westside Boogie on Shade 45’s Sway In The Morning radio show, Eminem was asked how speaking about these issues so openly has changed his life.
He responded: “Well, I think that’s, that’s one of the great things about rap music is that, you know, you could put so much of your life in it. I was just trying to figure out how to expand on that and I kinda got lost.”
Marshall Mathers added: “It’s therapeutic and it’s, you know, that’s how it’s always been for me. But with this album, with this new Boogie album, the, the title, everything is fucking, everything’s great.
“And it’s like, you know, watching him, watching him just keep getting better and better and better is incredible too. And he’s got so much of his life weaved in this album. You know what I’m saying? Like, I think that it’s like, it’s therapeutic.”
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This week, Eminem and CeeLo Green teamed up on ‘The King And I’, a song from the soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann’s new Elvis film.
The track is co-produced by Dr. Dre and sees Eminem compare himself to Elvis Presley over the course of the ‘Jailhouse Rock’-sampling track, rapping: “I’m about to explain to you all the parallels between Elvis and me”.
“It seems obvious: one, he’s pale as me/ Second, we both been hailed as kings/ He used to rock the Jailhouse, and I used to rock The Shelter,” he raps, before adding “I stole black music, yeah, true, perhaps used it / As a tool to combat school kids / Kids came back on some bathroom shit / Now I call a hater a bidet / ’Cause they mad that they can’t do shit”.
For help and advice on mental health:
- CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably
- “Am I depressed?” – Help and advice on mental health and what to do next
- YOUNG MINDS – The voice for young people’s health and wellbeing
- Time To Change – Let’s end mental health discrimination
- The Samaritans – Confidential support 24 hours a day
- Help Musicians UK – Around the clock mental health support and advice for musicians (CALL MUSIC MINDS MATTER ON: 0808 802 8008)
- Music Support Org – Help and support for musicians struggling with alcoholism, addiction, or mental health issues (CALL: 0800 030 6789)