(AllHipHop News) Eminem rarely gives interviews. So when the Hip Hop legend does speak with a reporter, the public typically gets to learn something new about the man born Marshall Mathers.
With the release of his new album Revival, Em connected with Vulture for an in-depth Q&A about a host of topics. The Detroit representative’s views on Donald Trump, the critical response to his music, and Jay-Z’s ability to stay relevant were part of the discussion.
On Trump:
He makes my blood boil. I can’t even watch the news anymore because it makes me too stressed out. All jokes aside, all punch lines aside, I’m trying to get a message out there about him. I want our country to be great too, I want it to be the best it can be, but it’s not going to be that with him in charge. I remember when he was first sniffing around politics, I thought, We’ve tried everything else, why not him? Then — and I was watching it live — he had that speech where he said Mexico is sending us rapists and criminals. I got this feeling of what the f###? From that point on, I knew it was going to be bad with him. What he’s doing putting people against each other is scary f###### s###. His election was such a disappointment to me about the state of the country… I hope he gets impeached. I’d be there for that.
On critic reaction to Revival:
I’ve always felt in touch with the people who listen to my music. I make it for them. Anybody else, f-ck ‘em. It’s fine if critics or whoever keep thinking I’m not as good as I was. So what I’m looking for — whatever the response or the sales — is things I did right or things I could’ve improved musically. I’m critical of myself and I’m always trying to figure out how to do better. I certainly have not had a perfect career. I’ve put out bad albums.
On the “bad” albums in his discography:
Encore was mediocre, and with Relapse — it was the best I could do at that point in time. [Relapse] was a funny album for me because I was just starting back rapping after coming out of addiction. I was so scatterbrained that the people around me thought that I might have given myself brain damage. I was in this weird fog for months. Like, literally I wasn’t making sense; it had been so long since I’d done vocals without a ton of V##### and Vicodin. I almost had to relearn how to rap… I’m cool with probably half [of Encore]. I recorded that towards the height of my addiction. I remember four songs leaked and I had to go to L.A. and get Dre and record new ones. I was in a room by myself writing songs in 25, 30 minutes because we had to get it done, and what came out was so goofy. That’s how I ended up making songs like “Rain Man” and “Big Weenie.” They’re pretty out there. If those other songs hadn’t leaked, Encore would’ve been a different album.
On Jay-Z:
I get the part about not liking what your parents like, but we’re also in this weird place where 40-somethings can listen to music with their kids who might be 20-somethings and they can all like the same thing. This is making me think about Jay-Z. What I love about him is that he’s figured out a way to stay relevant without conforming. He’s so good at what he does that he makes people follow him, which is super interesting because one of the things that’s great about Hip Hop is that it hasn’t been around so long that we know what a full career is supposed to look like… It’s cool that a younger generation can look to me and Jay and say, “Holy sh-t, a career doesn’t have to be a five-year run.” I know I look at Jay to see what he’s passionate about. I’m right there when he puts out something new. I want to see where he’s at, then I use it to see where I’m at.
Read Eminem’s full interview with Vulture at the link below.