Eminem has revealed the real reason he invented his alter ego Slim Shady but has slammed the character for making his life worse.
It comes after the rapper, 51, released his 12th studio album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) where he officially kills off the controversial character.
In an interview with Complex where the rapper, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, verbally sparred with an AI generated version of himself, he revealed that he invented the iconic persona to resurrect his career.
In the video, entitled Slim Shady vs Marshall Mathers: The Face-Off, the rapper told his former self that he was outdated and he was ready to kill him off.
He said: ‘I invented you because my life was f****d up. My music was going nowhere and I was broke.’
Eminem has revealed the real reason he invented his alter ego Slim Shady but has slammed the character for making his life worse (pictured performing in Detroit, June 6)
In an interview with Complex where the rapper verbally sparred with an AI generated version of himself, he revealed that he invented the iconic persona to resurrect his career
The revelation comes after the rapper, 51, released his 12th studio album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) where he officially kills off the controversial character
He added that the character had made his life worse and didn’t fix any of his problems.
‘You’re the reason I had to self-medicate. Because of you I almost lost my f*****g career, my f*****g family, my life.’, he said.
He also added that his life had been much better after moving away from the persona, referencing his battle with substance abuse.
The rapper has been sober for 16 years and has documented his previous struggles with alcohol and prescription drugs.
Throughout the video, the two went head to head, trading insults and comparing their careers.
Eminem, dressed in a black hoodie, grey trousers and a matching cap scolds his bleached blonde persona throughout the interview, telling his character he is outdated and offensive and defending his 20-year career.
The bizarre interview also touched on the rapper’s ongoing feud with Machine Gun Kelly with crude insults being traded.
Slim Shady told Eminem, ‘MGK f****d your mother,’ to which an exasperated Eminem replied, ‘He did, but she’s your mother too, so you really need some help man.’
During the interview where the rapper had a heated discussion with an AI verison of his alter ego, he told him the character made his life worse and didn’t fix any of his problems
The rapper revealed that the controversial character was the reason he began to self-medicate and almost cost him his life (pictured January 30)
The past rivalry between Eminem and Machine Gun Kelly, whose real name is Colson Baker, spiked years back.
The musical artists had released diss tracks aimed at one another – Eminem’s 2017 track Not Alike and 2018’s Killshot, and MGK’s 2018 song Rap Devil.
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The chat between Eminem and his alter ego also included references to multiple celebrities, including Richard Gere, Caitlyn Jenner, Vanilla Ice, Ja Rule, Moby, Fred Durst, Christina Aguilera and the late Christopher Reeve.
The interview is part of Eminem’s promotion of his latest album which has received mixed reviews.
Some of the veteran rapper’s songs have been heavily criticised over their lyrics which even included references to Alec Baldwin’s Rust shooting.
The rapper was branded as ‘sick and tasteless’ after referencing the fatal incident.
In Fuel, Eminem, 51, raps: ‘But it’s in a holster, I proceed to bust it/ F**k around and get popped like Halyna Hutchins
Alec, 66, has been cleared of all charges after a trial in New Mexico following the shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, on October 21, 2021.
Despite the mixed reaction, the album has been praised by die-hard fans who believe they have uncovered a hidden meaning in the latest release (pictured June 9, 2018)
The bizarre interview also touched on the rapper’s ongoing feud with Machine Gun Kelly with crude insults being traded
Despite the mixed reaction, the album has been praised by die-hard fans who believe they have uncovered a hidden meaning in the rapper’s latest release.
Just before the 19 tracks dropped on July 12, Eminem added fuel to the fire by cryptically telling his followers how they should listen to the new album.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he warned: ‘Public service announcement: the ‘death of slim shady’ is a conceptual album, therefore, if you listen to songs out of order they might not make sense. Enjoy.’
By listening in order, the album seems to tell the story of him confronting his alter ego Slim Shady and eventually putting him to rest, which is in line with its name.
However, some hardcore fans of the rapper believe that the proper way to listen to The Death of Slim Shady and uncover its message is to listen to it in reverse.
They have taken to social media to theorise that the album is not actually about Slim Shady’s death, but instead about his revival and coming back to life, writing:
‘I’m not gonna lie those online theories about Eminem’s album story line making more sense if you listen backwards kinda make sense.’
‘The Death Of Slim Shady is meant to be listened to in reverse, it tell the story of Eminem’s career.’
In the lead up to the release, Eminem shared an obituary for Slim Shady in the Detroit Free Press, declaring him dead.
The announcement said: ‘A product of Detroit who began his career there as a rogue splinter in the flourishing underground rap scene of the mid to late 1990s, Shady first became a household name in 1999 with the debut of his playfully deranged single ‘My Name Is’, which – along with its uniquely eye catching video – exposed the young artist and his lyrics to a wider audience.
‘Ultimately, the very things that seemed to be the tools he used became calling cards that defined an existence that could only come to a sudden and horrific end.
‘His complex and tortured existence has come to a close, and the legacy he leaves behind is no closer to resolution than the manner in which this character departed this world.
‘May he truly find the peace in an afterlife that he could not find on Earth.’