In the new issue of Vibe, Em speaks more on his drug usage and music addiction.
” ‘My doctor
told me those mysterious new pills were methadone, which is used to
wean heroin addicts off dope. Had I known it was methadone, I
probably wouldn’t have taken it. But as bad as I was back then,
I can’t even say 100 percent for sure. My doctor told me the amount
of methadone I’d taken was equivalent to shooting up four bags of
heroin. Even when they told me I almost died, it didn’t click.’
After detoxing, Eminem suffered a knee injury that required surgery,
but because of his recent drug abuse, he was not prescribed painkillers.
He recalls, ‘I started looking around my house to see if I had a stash
box of Vicodin…I’m ransacking my house, finally find something in
the basement, in a little napkin, seven and a half Vicodin—the big
extra strength ones—and a few Valium.’ The rapper soon relapsed
for the second time and finally admitted to himself he was an addict. ‘It never once hit me that drug addiction runs in my family.
Now that I understand that I’m an addict, I definitely have compassion
for my mother. I get it.’ ”
“ ‘I wanted to make an overall
statement—I’m back. It was a slow process. You
gotta remember I hadn’t recorded a song sober in seven years.
So it took me awhile to even feel like I could record a song sober…I
don’t know the last time I shot a video sober, without drinking or
taking anything. It’s been years.” He continues, ‘I almost
feel like a little kid again with rap. I wanna play around with
different flows. If I don’t feel like it’s what I’m fully
capable of, if there’s one weak line, I wanna change it. Rap
was my drug. It used to get me high and then it stopped getting
me high. Then I had to resort to other things to make me feel
that…now rap’s getting me high again.'”
Vibe hits newsstands May 19th!
Related: Relapse: The Game
It is so heartbreaking to hear DJ Premier break the news that DJ Kool Herc’s health is ailing, as he is literally the founding father who laid down the blueprint for hip-hop culture. Thinking about how someone who built an entire global phenomenon can end up struggling with medical expenses or failing health really puts things into perspective regarding healthcare challenges. When you look at how people navigate health or wellness procedures worldwide—whether someone is researching cosmetic treatments like Liposuction Cyprus or seeking urgent medical care—it underscores how essential access to reliable medical help and proper support systems really is. Kool Herc gave us the breaks, the block parties, and the entire movement that shaped generations of music lovers, so seeing the community step up to show love while DJ Premier brings awareness to his condition is the very least we can do. Sending strength and prayers to Kool Herc for a full recovery, and massive respect to DJ Premier for using his platform to make sure a true pioneer gets the support and respect he deserves.