Iconic rapper Eminem recently marked a personal milestone by celebrating 16 years of sobriety. The achievement was shared through his personal Instagram account, where he showed off a new medal awarded by his support center. The photograph demonstrates that he remains committed to the fight to overcome himself after the critical moment he faced in 2007, when a drug overdose almost cost him his life.
On social media, he received an avalanche of support and congratulatory messages from his fans and industry colleagues, such as rapper DTG (Dylan Godfrey), who wrote: “Great decision, bro! “We are all very proud of you.”
The 51-year-old artist, born Marshall Mathers, has been candid about his road to recovery and sobriety. As he commented in an interview with the New York Times in 2011, it was his recklessness during his youth that compromised his health: “He used to get pills wherever he could. “I just took whatever anyone gave me.”
Furthermore, in every conversation where the topic comes up, he does not hesitate to credit his biological daughter Hailie Jade and his two adopted children, Alaina and Stevie, for keeping him sober. Exercise was also vital to his recovery: “When I got out of rehab, I needed to lose weight, but I also needed to find a way to function sober. Unless I went crazy, I had trouble sleeping. Then I started running. It gave me a natural endorphin rush, but it also helped me sleep, so it was perfect,” he told Men’s Journal in 2015.
On the 2022 Paul Pod podcast, he described his first sober moment as a “really happy” episode in his life, “everything was new to me again,” he added.
His discography has been another medium through which he channeled his internal struggles. Specifically, it was on her ninth album from 2017, Revival, where she was vulnerable about this process. In “Castle,” song number 18, in collaboration with Skylar Gray, Eminem says goodbye to his daughter Hailie, who was 23 years old at the time.
“Your dad is at the end of his rope, I’m sliding down a slippery slope. Anyway, honey, I better go, I’m getting sleepy… Love, dad, m—, I don’t know,” is heard in the third verse.
The narrative continues in “Arose”, the final track of the album, where he once again addresses the young woman, this time with openness and regret: “I just heard that they are disconnecting me, and it is your birthday. Jade, I’m missing your birthday. “Girl, I’m sorry.” Melancholy breaks out at the end of the verse when she promises a new beginning: “I promise to flush this methadone down the toilet.”
Today he is one of the most influential and acclaimed rappers in the world, but Eminem’s career took shape in 1997 when he met Dr. Dre. His second collaboration titled The Slim Shady LP not only catapulted him to fame but also marked the beginning of his extensive battle with drugs.
In a personal essay for XXL magazine in 2022, he narrated how his consumption grew at the same pace as his success. With The Marshall Mathers LP and Encore, other substances such as Vicodin, Valium, and alcohol began to be part of his daily life. “I was able to downplay my addiction and hide it for a while until it got much worse,” he confessed.
His worst moment in front of the public occurred during an appearance on the music program 106 & Park, where he performed alongside 50 Cent and G-Unit. “We performed ‘You Don’t Know’ and then did an interview. That’s when the wheels started to come off. One of the hosts was talking to me, and I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. “They had to cover me and answer for me,” he mentioned.
In 2006, the death of Proof, a member of D12 and one of his closest friends, exacerbated his consumption, bringing it to a point of apparent. “I remember that right after [del velorio], I was alone in my house, lying in bed, and I couldn’t move,” he recalled. He added: “I literally couldn’t walk for two days, and finally, my consumption skyrocketed. I had 10 drug dealers at one time. Between 75 and 80 Valium per night. “I don’t know how the hell I’m still here.”
Eminem’s struggle primarily centered around his addiction to prescription medications, such as Vicodin, Ambien, and Valium. Despite the challenges he faced, Eminem has continued to prioritize his health and has now achieved an impressive 16 years of sobriety. This milestone serves as a testament to his resilience and dedication to his personal growth and well-being.