Just days before releasing The Marshall Mathers LP, Eminem sat down with MuchMusic host Rick Campanelli in a tour bus in Toronto. The 20 minutes of conversation preserved a unique moment in Em’s career: already one of rap’s biggest stars, he had cooked a timeless classic instead of a “difficult second album”. He was on the brink of becoming a global phenomenon, and nobody yet understood what was coming.
MuchMusic unearthed and published a video filmed in May 2000. Looking back 26 years later, this interview feels like a Polaroid photo of an artist who is quite different from the Marshall we know, yet unmistakeably the same person. He talks openly about Marshall Mathers and Slim Shady, his friendship with Dr. Dre, his plans for D12, his frustration with critics, and the controversies already surrounding “The Real Slim Shady”. Most surprisingly, he sounds relaxed. The armour he would later develop in interviews had only begun to show.
The Chubby Shady LP
The interview begins with jokes. Moving between being slightly defensive and deflecting with sharp self-deprecating humour, Marshall seemingly repeats the pattern that would become familiar to fans. Em pokes fun at his own weight, vocabulary, and education before the conversation turns to the album, which is only days away from release.
Rick: You’re looking good these days.
Eminem: Thanks, man. Thanks a lot. I appreciate it.
Rick: Last time we saw you, you were in a tracksuit. You’re looking very healthy.
So, I was fat? I was fat, basically. I’m fat. All right. I’m trying, man. I’m trying to slim down. Chub Shady. Chubby Shady.
Rick: First of all, tell people where we’re at.
Well, we’re on this tour bus, but I’m not actually on tour. This is a bus we just got because I’m doing a few spot dates. I just finished my album, and I’m heading back to the States tonight after I do this show.
I don’t start touring until the Chronic tour with Dre on June 15. So I’m gonna kick back for a minute.
Rick: So this is all preparation for that?
Yeah, something like that. We’re kind of gearing up. In our set now, we throw a couple of new songs in that nobody’s heard yet.
We don’t want to do too much because it’d be a boring-ass show if nobody knew the songs. But I’m gonna throw a couple in there.
Rick: The show tonight is an actual rave. You’re performing, and then the rave continues?
Yeah, it’s a rave. Not on drugs. Maybe everybody will be on drugs tonight, and I won’t have to be.
Rick: There’s a lot of talk these days about outlawing raves. Your thoughts?
I like raves. I mean, it’s one place you can come to where everybody’s going to be just as high as you. Can we say that?
Rick: It’s like a natural high, right?
Right. Exactly. That’s what I mean. FUCK! Can we say that?
Rick: Why do you have to put that word in there?
I have no fucking clue. It’s a word that’s in my vocabulary quite frequently, and it’s really easy to say. I can’t say words over four letters anyway. You know, I didn’t graduate past the eighth grade. So, with an eighth-grade education, I think that’s about all you get to is “fuck”.
Rick: You just said “education”.
Yeah, but that’s because I practised. With an eighth-grade education, you don’t get to “son of a bitch” and “kiss my ass” until ninth or tenth grade.
Once the jokes settle down, Eminem gives one of the earliest explanations of what The Marshall Mathers LP is actually about. He also explains how much more involved Dr. Dre was in the making of the new album. He describes their relationship as an evolving friendship, rather than a purely business partnership.
Rick: Let’s talk about the new album. “The Real Slim Shady” is the single, but The Marshall Mathers LP is the album. What’s it about? Can you describe it?
Basically, the whole concept of the album is to show people that, at the end of the day, when I go home, I’m Marshall Mathers. Besides all the entertainment and everything that I do, which is my job, at the end of the day, I’m Marshall Mathers. I was Marshall Mathers before this rap shit, and I’ll be Marshall Mathers after all this smoke clears. You know what I’m saying?
Rick: You’re Marshall Mathers when you failed out of grade eight, and you’ll always be Marshall Mathers. Yeah, I got you.
But I didn’t fail grade eight. I graduated grade eight. I failed ninth grade three times. I’m proud to say it. I have an eighth-grade education, and I’m sitting here on a fucking tour bus, and I’m not even on tour.
Rick: What was Dr. Dre’s involvement on this album? Was it as much as on the first one?
More. On the first album, he only did three tracks. On this album, he’s got seven on there. And Dre was definitely more hands-on with this project. He sat in the studio with me. He even mixed songs that he didn’t do the beats for. So he was definitely more involved this time around.
Rick: Has your relationship with him changed over the years? Not for the worse, but has it changed?
Yeah. If anything, I’d say there’s more of a friendship there now. I’ve known Dre for almost two years. Of course, it’s business. But it’s friendship too. We’re boys now.
Rick: Like, hanging out together and working together?
Yeah.
Demanding crowds
From the very beginning of his mainstream career, Eminem attracted harsh, undeserved criticism. Responding to British reviewers who complained about his live performances, he pulls receipts. He says he did not care, but they timed every show.
Rick: Word is you guys are heading to England very soon. You’re huge over there. England loves you. Norway loves you. Have you been there before?
In England? Yeah. One, two… three times. Three times.
Rick: Looking forward to going back?
No. But I guess I gotta go. The label makes me go. You bastards! “Bastard” is a big word. I borrowed that one from somebody I knew who graduated ninth grade.
Actually, yeah, I’m happy to go back. I like England. The food sucks, but other than that, I like it.
Rick: Don’t like that battered fish?
Nah. I don’t like any of the food. The lettuce is like grass. Like they dig grass out of somebody’s backyard, throw it on your plate, and put some dressing on it, I’ve never heard of.
I like the crowds in England. They’re demanding, though. On my first album, I got bashed in some papers. Not that I give a fuck. But some papers said I only performed for twenty minutes. Others said fifteen minutes, while we performed for forty. We time every show. Then I read for fifteen minutes and thought, “Get the fuck out of here. What are you talking about?” It was my first album. How much material did I have? My album was 56 minutes! There were 14 songs on it. I performed almost every song I could perform and even did some freestyle shit as well. Then we came back for an encore. Once we did two encores, the second time we were there. So. The critics can kiss our ass, as we performed for almost an hour the second time we were there.
Dedications and shots
The controversy aside, Eminem dedicated The Marshall Mathers LP to the people closest to him. And also to those who annoyed him the most.
Rick: The first album was dedicated to Hailie, your daughter.
Yeah.
Rick: The new one is, too?
Yeah. This album is dedicated to Hailie. It’s also in memory of my Uncle Ronnie and one of our good friends, Bugz, from D12. His real name was Karnail Pitts. He passed away less than a year ago. So the album is dedicated to them and to my little girl.
Rick: Do you think every album you make will be dedicated to Hailie? Would you say she’s your most prized possession?
Yeah. Definitely. This album is kind of dedicated to the critics, too. I had to throw them in there. I’ve got a few things to say about some people on this album. It might not sit well with some people, but that’s me.
Rick: The first single isn’t sitting well with a lot of people.
I’m glad. I figured I’d come back and stir a few things up. Some people had things to say about me, so I had things to say about them. And some people didn’t have anything to say about me, and I still had some shit to say about them. People ask me my opinion, and I give it. Whether my opinion is worth anything or not. If you ask me, I’m gonna tell you.
Aiming at pop idols
Asked about the disses on “The Real Slim Shady”, he explains his issues with manufactured pop acts. He also tells his side of the Christina Aguilera feud often remembered simply as Eminem attacking an innocent pop princess.
Rick: There is a lot of dissing on that song. Boy bands. Pop acts.
Yeah, I take some stabs at some people. But overall, I think this whole boy-band and girl-group shit is out of control. These kids are selling records, but they’re taught to be puppets and just do everything somebody teaches them. How much talent can somebody really possess if they’re told everything to do and how to do it?
People just started asking me my opinions, what I thought about boy and girl groups, and I voiced it. I think the shit is corny.
Rick: You don’t only pick on the talent they don’t possess, in your opinion, you’re also picking on specific people. With the whole Christina Aguilera thing. Where’s that coming from?
That shit is funny to me. She was on MTV in the States doing one of those specials, What a Girl Wants or whatever it was called. I was watching it during some downtime while filming the Farm Club with Dre. I walked in right as she picked one of my videos as one of her favourites. I was like, “Cool. She picked my video”. Then she started picking me apart. “Yeah, he’s cute, but isn’t he married?” Then she started talking about my personal life. Stuff she’d heard but wasn’t even sure was true or not, but she voiced it anyway. Then she said, “Doesn’t he have a song about murdering his baby’s mother? He makes songs about killing people. I always tell my friends, if you are in an abusive relationship na na na na…” Basically, she started bashing me.
I was like, “This bitch is about to get it”. I didn’t do anything to provoke that. I didn’t do anything for my name to even be in that little girl’s mouth. So I gave it back to her. I don’t need to be on TV bashing this girl. I did it on a record, I said my piece, and that’s it. I’m not thinking about it any more.
Rick: Did you ever actually meet her?
Yeah, I met her at the MTV Europe Music Awards. She presented me with an award. I basically just said, “All right. Bye”. That was it. She doesn’t know me for her to say anything about me. So for her to say anything about me, let alone put my personal business out there like that… She said what she’d heard. So I said a few things I’d heard. Rumours I’d heard. I put them on a record. Anybody who has something to say about me, I’m probably going to have something to say about them.
D12 pact
With only one mainstream album in his catalogue, Eminem had already launched his own label and signed his battle crew from Detroit. All he wants to talk about is D12; his main focus has shifted from personal success to helping his friends succeed.
Rick: I’ve seen you popping up everywhere lately. You’re working with Dre, you’re showing up in videos. Is there anybody you’d like to collaborate with that you haven’t worked with yet?
The main thing I’m concentrating on right now is D12. That’s really where my focus is. But as far as other artists… I’d like to work with Jay-Z. I’d like to work with Jadakiss. Maybe Redman. Definitely Redman. We’re supposed to do a song together.
Beyond that, I kind of like to stick to my own thing. Especially because I’m going to be so busy with D12.
Rick: Let’s talk about that. They’re the first band signed to your label?
Yeah. D12 is my group. They’re the first group signed to Shady Records. What a lot of people don’t know is that D12 is actually the group I started with before I got my deal. It was five other MCs from Detroit and me. We got together and started a group. Really, it began as a battle team. We have a Hip Hop Shop in Detroit, where we used to battle different crews. It was almost like a drill for us; we clicked up. We considered ourselves the six best MCs in Detroit at that time. So we’d go around battling people. It was our battle team. Then we wanted to start a group with it. We always said, the first one out of the group who got a deal would come back and get the rest of them. That’s what I did.
A million of Slims
With the album only days away, Eminem also previews the video for “The Real Slim Shady”. Mixing sincerity and humour, he describes an “Eminem factory” filled with look-alikes, celebrity cameos, and a mysteriously missing Dr. Dre.
Rick: The new album comes out May 23. I’ve heard there’s more singing on this one. Is that true?
Yeah. There’s a lot of singing on it. But whenever I’m singing, I’m usually clowning around. I can’t sing for shit. But I can still sing better than a Backstreet Boy. Or NSYNC. Or 98 Degrees. Whatever.
Rick: The video for “The Real Slim Shady” is done. You shot it in Los Angeles a few weeks ago. Can you tell us a bit about it?
The concept behind the video is like a million of me. The song says, “Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?” So everybody stands up. Because everybody has a Slim Shady in them somewhere. We got a bunch of look-alikes in the video, and it’s kind of like an Eminem factory. A bunch of Slim Shadys are being manufactured and pressed out. There are also scenes that go along with some of the comments I make in the song.
I think it’s a funny video. I think it#s going to get a few chuckles. This is the first video I’ve ever looked at and laughed at myself. I don’t usually laugh at my own shit. But there were a few things I was like, “Did I do that? Oh, okay”.
Rick: And you played the part of Britney Spears for a scene.
I play a lot of different people. Tom Green. Britney Spears. We had Fred Durst in the video, B-Real from Cypress Hill, Xzibit. Dre’s in the video. Missy.
Rick: He’s missing?
Yeah. I can’t tell you what that’s about until you see the video. He’s just missing in a video. It’s a funny shot.
Rick: If anyone can locate Dr. Dre, call Slim Shady immediately.
Call 1-800-LOST.
Acting plans
The final section foreshadows Marshall’s future acting success. He just started thinking about acting outside his music videos, but without any interesting offers, it’s all hypothetical. As we know, a tempting script would arrive soon – 8 Mile. The segment ends with jokes about Marshall starring in a chick flick and a quick promo for one of Rick’s MuchMusic shows.
Rick: Before we let you go, let’s talk about acting. People see your videos and the different characters you play. You’re expanding your horizons. Would you like to get into acting someday?
It’s been talked about, getting into acting. But right now I’m so full throttle on music that it’s hard to find the time. I’ve had a few offers. Nothing I’ve wanted to participate in. Participate is a big fucking word. Somebody better give me a star for that one.
Rick: You’ve got a dictionary hidden somewhere. You’re cheating.
I don’t even remember what I just said. Anyway, the intervaleniable circumference which repulsively makes the mouth thrusting ingelled to 21 gigawatts, which the equilibrium in the flux capacitor amounts to the capacity…
Rick: What is this, Back to the Future?
What I’m saying is nothing. I forgot what I was saying. Oh, the acting thing… I haven’t had anything that really struck me. Plus, I’m so busy with the music. I just got D12 signed to my label.
Nothing has really grabbed me yet. I barely have time to spend at home as it is, private time, you know, for myself. Maybe later this year, maybe next year, I might do something.
Rick: You’d be great in a chick flick. You could make girls cry. Play the emotional guy.
A chick flick? Thanks a lot, man. “Hey, you’d be a great girl!” I appreciate that.
Rick: Thanks for talking to us. Have a great show tonight.
I’ll be out there showing my ass as much as possible.
Rick: Before we leave, I’ve got one favour to ask. I host a show called Combat Zone. It’s a show where one music video competes against another. Right now, “Forgot About Dre” is the champion. We’re going to put your new video in the competition soon. Could you record a promo for us? Something like, “Hey, this is Eminem. You’re watching Combat Zone with Rick. If you want to vote for my video, call the number on the screen”. I don’t want to put words in your mouth, but something like that.
Okay. (Turns to camera.)
Hey, what’s up? This is Slim Shady. You’re watching Combat Zone right now with Rick.
And you’d better call up this number and vote for my video. Or I’m going to come and kill you.
A time capsule
After the interview, Rick wandered deeper into the tour bus to wake DJ Head and ask him about Ed the Sock, the famous Canadian TV puppet. This wrap-up really summed up the wild world of music TV in the early 2000s.
More importantly, the interview captures a version of Eminem that many younger fans never saw. He was confident but not yet untouchable, controversial but still eager to explain himself. The superstar was already there, but he had not fully retreated behind the walls that fame would eventually build around him.
Most of all, this conversation preserves a moment that will never happen again: the few days before The Marshall Mathers LP arrived and changed hip hop history.