Joyner Lucas recently sat down with The Breakfast Club for a wide-ranging interview, discussing his new album, influences, and relationship with Eminem.
Rather early in the interview, Joyner acknowledges that while he might not be mentioned as frequently as Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole in mainstream hip hop conversations, he feels validated by the recognition he receives from top-tier artists, like, let’s say, Eminem himself:
I’m in those conversations when you are talking to people like Marshall, when you are talking to Eminem. He always mentions me. He puts me right next to them. He always talks about it and even in the records he’ll be saying it. Sometimes, he throws my name first. Joyner, Cole, Kendrick. He definitely acknowledges that, and in my mind, he’s considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest. So, if that guy says those things, then I guess that stands for something.
Later, Joyner sheds light on Eminem’s guarded persona. He describes an initial attempt to connect with Eminem on a deeper level, only to be met with a certain aloofness. Through his own experiences with newfound fame, Joyner comes to understand Eminem’s need for privacy:
It made me realise why niggas like Marshall move a certain way. You could probably hop on the phone with Barack [Obama] quicker than you can hop on the phone with Marshall. He is calling you from the line where his manager’s assistant is calling you from 1-800 number, and then it’s elevator music and “Please hold, Marshall’s coming to the phone”. You can’t have his number, nobody has his number. You can’t talk to him. It’s like hopping on the phone with the president. And I always wondered why this nigga moves like that. I had a conversation with him on the shoot of the “Lucky You”, and I was in his trailer, and I’m like, “any time you wanna talk, any time you wanna build on this music, you can hit me. We can talk”. He was like, “Yeah, yeah”, and I could tell he was really standoffish. I asked Royce, “Yo, why is he like that?” And he was like, “Man, that nigga’s been through a lot of shit. He’s really closed off from people”. And I’m like, damn! And I never understood it. And when I started experiencing this shit myself, I got it instantly. I’m like, this is why this motherfucker don’t want new friends. And I get it, 100%.
Charlamagne Tha God suggests Eminem’s era as the “biggest star in the world” is over. Joyner vehemently disagrees. He points out that despite the challenges of fame, Eminem’s status as a rap god persists:
He still is. He’s gotta drop a fucking album, and he still can’t be outside. He just can’t walk in the streets of New York. He’s a big deal to this day. He moves like that for a reason. You can probably get Jay-Z be texting niggas and shit. Some niggas don’t know how to handle trauma and all that shit. But I’m starting to get in the space now where it’s like I understand why this industry niggas move. When I came to the game, I was like, “these niggas are weird”. But now I see why niggas are weird.
Now Joyner sees things from a different lens. He recognises the impact of fame, pressure, and past trauma on artists, leading them to develop coping mechanisms that might seem odd to outsiders.
This interview offers a glimpse into Joyner Lucas’ growth as an artist and a human being. His newfound empathy for the challenges his peers face adds a layer of depth to his understanding of the music industry. Fans can also expect more details about his new album, “Not Now I’m Busy”, likely influenced by the experiences and perspectives he shared in the interview.
Watch the video below:
