Eminem revealed that he created his infamous alter ego, Slim Shady, during a difficult time in his life when his music career was struggling, and he was financially broke
The 51-year-old rapper, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, shot to fame in 2000 when he released the hit song “The Real Slim Shady.” To accompany his Complex magazine cover story, the musician looked back on how his stage persona developed before admitting it drove him into addiction.
In the video, he told a younger AI-generated version of himself, “I created you because my life was a complete mess. I was broke and my music was not getting any better.”
However, he declared, going after his alter ego, “You didn’t fix anything.” The truth is, you made that s*** worse.”
I had to take medication on my own because of you. I nearly lost my f*** family, my f*** career, and my life because of you.”
“Life’s been great since you’ve been gone”.
After years of well-publicized drug struggles, Eminem has been clean and sober for years. His most recent studio album, “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce),” was just released, and hours before it did, the rapper told fans on X that the album was conceptual and that some of the songs might not make sense if you listen to it out of order. Savor the moment.”
In addition, Eminem declared Slim Shady deceased before the album’s release in an obituary he published with the Detroit Free Press.
It 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 how this character departed this world”.
“May he truly find the peace in an afterlife that he could not find on Earth”.