Eminem gives an indepth interview with Metro Times. The discussion revolves around his upcoming album, Proof, his writers block, Detroit, Bill O Reilly, politics, and much more.
MT: Even though the album harks back to your earlier stuff and maybe better times, during the last couple of years, there’s been a lot of pain in your life. Proof’s death. Your drug problems. There’s an old cliché that says pain is the best and truest teacher. Have you learned anything important from the pain you’ve experienced since the last record?
EMINEM: Well, I don’t know that I’ve learned anything. … Well, you know, I guess I’ve actually learned quite a bit. As far as Proof passing away, I’ve gotten a little better at dealing with it. I guess as time goes by, you get a little better at dealing with something like that. And I’ve certainly learned from my own experiences with addiction. I don’t know if this is gonna answer the question for you or not ”” but I’ve learned that you certainly can’t get sober just because everyone else wants you to. You have to want to do it yourself. You know what I mean? When I first went into rehab, I kinda felt like I was doing it just because everyone else was ready for me to get sober. But I wasn’t. And that is why I relapsed when I came out of treatment. When I came out of rehab. And it was because I just wasn’t ready. I had to actually be ready, mentally, to say, “I’m done with this now. I’ve had enough.”
In response to losing Proof, I’ve also just learned that no matter what ”” no matter how much I want to beat myself up over what happened, the wish that I could have done something or have been there or done something to change the course of what happened ”” nothing that I do or say or wish is gonna bring Proof back. So I’ve just kinda finally come to that realization. I don’t know if I can ever totally accept his death. But I’m certainly getting better at coping with it.
You know, just a couple of days ago was pretty rough for me. When I’m doing something like getting back into performing again and shit like that ”” you know going onstage again and stuff like that, it just feels really empty. Those are the days when I really miss him. So, you know, I do still have my days with it. I have good days and bad days with it. But I’m certainly getting a little better at coping with the loss.
