A new interview on the Super Bowl LVI Halftime show press circuit was different. Eminem let his alter ego run loose and enjoyed fooling around on his own radio station.
He warned DJ Whoo Kid from the very beginning:
You don’t have Eminem here. You have Slim Shady. Slim Shady is actually sitting here with the clothes off. I’m trying to fit an outfit, but no matter what happens, every time I get naked again, I go like, oh, this is the best look for the Super Bowl.
Whoo Kid tried to start a conversation about the awful season the Detroit Lions had, and Eminem interrupted him in a voice full of pain:
Would you like me to throw up mid-interview? You, bringing the Lions up — that’s fucked up, man, that’s fucked up.
The football talk did not last for long, with everyone joking about the misfortune following Detroit athletes and how everybody from Detroit has to have a backup favourite team. Eminem, for instance, has three: the Detroit Lions, the Dallas Cowboys and then the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If Eminem admitted that he was nervous before the big event, then Slim Shady was confident and cocky:
I am ready. I just wonder if the NFL is gonna be cool with that I come on stage naked. This is what I was gonna say to the NFL. “I’m sorry, but I tried so many outfits, and I didn’t like any of them. What was I supposed to do?” This is where Paul comes in. He’s going to smooth it over, don’t worry. It’s gonna go fine.
The host asked an elaborate question about Eminem foreseeing this event when he just signed up to Dr. Dre. Not just a bright future with a legendary producer, but hitting the stage at the biggest football game. And then he remembered that Eminem was not there and Slim Shady would take the question and reveal that he was getting ready to play football:
Slim Shady don’t give a fuck. Eminem, though, he would probably tell you that he’s always dreamed of playing in Super Bowl since he was a little kid. Because he’s fucking stupid. What? Dre wants me to rap with him? I don’t understand. I thought the Rams needed me. What do you think? That I was trying to do the Halftime show or some shit?! Why do you think I’m here? What is more likely? Take a wild guess — I’m gonna fucking rap, or I’m gonna actually suit up and play for the Rams?
Slim Shady joined Dr. Dre in hinting at a mystery guest booked for the show:
There’s one person that’s top secret right now that I can’t talk about. I’m not allowed to talk about him. But I feel like it’s gonna be a really good moment for him.
Only when talking about Mary J. Blige, Slim Shady toned down his jokes and expressed his sincere appreciation to the queen of hip hop soul:
She is dope. I’ve had some interesting conversations with her too, on some Tupac shit, stuff like that. She’s gonna come out and kill it. She’s been killing it in rehearsal.
Listen to the full Slim Shady interview spiced with warm banter from Mr. Porter and Paul Rosenberg below:
