Ashley Newsome

Christine Olding
College Writing II
13 May 2016
The Exploration of Eminems Addiction
When many people think of Eminem there can be many key words that come to mind
such as: his daughter Hailie, who is a main subject of his music, Detroit, the poor neighborhood
where he grew up, white rapper, because during his time rappers were predominately black, Kim
Scott, who is the mother of his child, Deborah Mathers, who is Eminems mother and known to
the world as an abuser through his music, and lastly, addiction because he has made it publicly
known through his music that he was an alcoholic and frequent drug user. My goal is to explore
Eminems drug exploration during the 2000s. In doing so, I will also be examining Eminems
childhood, which will consist of his life before he became famous, the correlation between
childhood abuse, neglect and household dysfunction and illicit drug use, analyzing his music,
and seeing if musicians are prone to engage in higher risk behaviors rather than typical people.
Many people know Eminem for his music career, but before he became Eminem, he was
just Marshall Mathers. Growing up, Mathers lived a rather difficult childhood. He was born on
October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri. During this time, Marshalls father up and left his
family, forcing his mother, Deborah Mathers, to play both the mother and father roles in
Marshalls life. Unfortunately, his mother did not have a steady job. This caused the Mathers
family to move quiet often between Missouri and Detroit, Michigan. I would change schools
two, three times a year," Eminem later recalled. "That was probably the roughest part about it
all(Bio.com). By age 17, he had failed ninth grade three times and dropped out of high school.

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After that, he knew he wanted to express himself through music and start his career. He entered
underground rap battles and not only earned his way to the top, but respect from other rappers as
well. During this time period, rap was predominately produced by black people, whereas
Eminem was white. His stage name was M&M, which are his initials, but then later was changed
to Eminem. Through all of this, he was still working hard to make money doing side jobs just to
be able to afford the bare minimum for not only himself, but his girlfriend Kim Scott too. In
1995, their daughter Hailie Jade Scott was born. Now he was not only pushing his music to make
money for himself, he was doing it to provide for his family. In 1996, Eminem released the
album, Infinite, however, this was considered to be a failure because of the lack of recognition he
received for it. Though the album was considered a flop, Eminem did not give up. In 1997, he
released his second album, The Slim Shady EP, and was signed by Dr. Dre. Shortly after, in 1999
the album The Slim Shady LP was released. He continued to release many hit songs and albums
throughout his career discussing alcoholism, drug addiction and personal experiences. During
this time, Marshall and Kim married in 1999, but their marriage was short lived and the couple
divorced in 2001. Just like when they were dating, the couple was on and off constantly. They
remarried in 2006, but once again, divorced and had an ugly custody battle over Hailie. Typical
non-famous people have may troubles and arguments that need settled in court, however, being
in the public eye added much more stress to their situation. This caused Eminems addiction to
sleeping pills and prescription painkillers to worsen along with his alcoholism. (Bio.com)
In 2005, Eminem entered a rehab facility. He was trying to get sober, however, this did
not last too long because in December of 2007, Mathers overdosed on methadone. The doctors
told him that he was lucky to be alive. He explains in an interview that, Had I known what it
was, I probably wouldnt have taken it. But as bad as I was back then, I cant even say 100

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percent for sure. My doctor told me the amount of methadone Id taken was equivalent to
shooting up four bags of heroin. Even when they told me I almost died, it didnt click, he told
Vibe magazine (Seay 2014). The article continues to be informative by explaining that at
Eminems peak, he was taking up to 60 Valium and 30 Vicodin pills a day. In addition, he would
take the sleeping pills, Ambien, which caused him to lose his memory. After learning this
information, it is no surprise that he overdosed considering the amount of drugs he was taking.
Eminem continues explaining how his organs were shutting down from the overdose and he
would not have made it. (Seay 2014). Hearing his story seemed to be a very eye opening and life
changing experience, but unfortunately for him, it was not. Eminem explains that the overdose
truly did not cause him to make drastic, much needed changes in his life and he states that, .
When I got home, I went right back to using again (NPR). Just from the title of his album,
Relapse, which was the first album released since his overdose, it can be concluded that he has
relapsed again with either substance abuse or alcoholism. The article continues by saying that his
album Relapse was released in 2009; however, it did not portray his sobriety. He believed that he
had made great strides to overcome his addictions, but the album did not portray this. Eminems
next album, Recovery, truly showed the comparison from addiction to sobriety. It is made
apparent from the title that he has overcome his addiction and is on his way to a clean, fresh
start. Eminem explains to us how it felt when listening back to his album that, "When I first
recorded the record and dumped it all out, it was a little difficult to listen back to," he says. You
know, it just reminds me of how I was feeling and why I would never want to go back to that
place (NPR). Many people know from the tabloids and his music that he had strong alcohol and
drug addictions. However, many people, including myself, were unaware to the extent his
addictions were. In 2012, Eminem decided to address his past addiction publicly by releasing the

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documentary How to Make Money Selling Drugs, which truly showed how much he let opiate,
benzodiazepine, and zolpidem (Ambien) control his life. Though the movie 8 Mile discusses his
addiction, actually hearing the amounts of drugs he consumed is insane. (Seay 2014). Eminem
has remained sober since 2008, and his sobriety will always be a battle.
His goal through not only his music, but the doctumentary as well, is to let people know
hes been in those horrible times and that someone understands. In his song, Talkin 2 Myself,
the chorus:
Is anybody out there?/ It feels like I'm talkin to myself/ No one seems to know my
struggle/ And everything I come from/ Can anybody hear me?/ I guess I keep talkin to
myself/ It feels like I'm going insane/ Am I the one who's crazy?/ So why in the world do
I feel so alone/ Nobody but me, I'm on my own/ Is there anyone out there/ Who feels the
way I feel/ If there is, let me hear just so I know I'm not the only one (Google Play).
Shows that through his healing process, the loneliness and pain he experienced. He does not
want others to go through these difficult times alone like he did. Hes expressing himself, along
with helping those who need it.
In 2002, one of Eminems famous songs is Cleanin Out My Closest was released on
the album The Eminem Show. The song explains his past relationship with his mother Deborah
and the effect it had on him. The chorus shows that Eminem was dealing with his troubled past
and never meant to slander his mothers reputation as she claims he did. I'm sorry momma!/ I
never meant to hurt you!/ I never meant to make you cry, but tonight/ I'm cleaning out my closet
(one more time)/ I said I'm sorry momma!/ I never meant to hurt you!/ I never meant to make
you cry, but tonight/ I'm cleaning out my closet/ (Google Play). He continues in the song by
stating, Now I would never diss my own momma just to get recognition (Google Play). This
shows he was not trying to get rich off of hurting her. It was his way of coping with their
dysfunctional relationship. As the song continues, he tells everyone that he would watch his

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mother take prescription pills and asks his fans to understand his point of view. But put yourself
in my position, just try to envision/ Witnessing your momma popping prescription pills in the
kitchen (Google Play). After the first chorus in the very beginning of the song, Eminem raps
about how his dad abandoned his family and the hatred he grew up having toward him because
he left. He says, I was a baby, maybe I was just a couple of months/ My faggot father must have
had his panties up in a bunch/ 'Cause he split, I wonder if he even kissed me goodbye/ No I don't.
On second thought I just fucking wished he would die/ (Google Play). He blames not only his
mother, but father too, for his horrible childhood.
Eminem has been scathingly critical of the way his mother raised him. Through his song
lyrics, he has publicly accused her of being addicted to prescription drugs as well as subjecting
him to emotional and physical abuse. However, Deborah Mathers has vehemently denied all such
accusations, and in 1999 she filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against her son (Bio.com).
The song Cleanin Out My Closet, along with others, is the reason for the lawsuit. Eminem
was expressing his emotions and explaining his life before fame, whereas his mother saw the
money he was making off of this and did not like that the world was seeing her for who she truly
was. But how dare you try to take what you didn't help me to get/ You selfish bitch, I hope you
fucking burn in hell for this shit (Google Play). These lyrics show how enraged he was for her
suing him for money he had earned. She was not there for him and did not help him at all during
his struggles. Deborah filing a lawsuit against her own son for telling the truth about his
childhood and the pain he endured is evidence enough that his relationship growing up affected
his relationship with his mother today. Typically, most parents do not sue their children for
money. This shows their dysfunctional relationship as a child has evolved into adulthood.
Toward the end of Cleanin Out My Closet, Eminem explains that he wants nothing to

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do with his mother due to all the pain shes caused him. He says that she wont admit her faults,
and does not want Hailie to endure the pain that he went through. And Hailie's getting so big
now, you should see her, she's beautiful/ But you'll never see her, she won't even be at your
funeral!/ See what hurts me the most is you won't admit you was wrong/ Bitch do your song,
keep telling yourself that you was a mom!/ (Google Play). Through this song, it is made
apparent the damage Deborah Mathers has done to her son. It is obvious too that their
relationship will never be normal.
Shanta R. Dube and colleagues article, "Childhood Abuse, Neglect, And Household
Dysfunction And The Risk Of Illicit Drug Use: The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study"
supports the claim that childhood abuse can put someone at risk for using drugs in later life.
In the beginning of the article, it claims that approximately 55% of people say they have easy
access to marijuana. This constellation of inherent behaviors combined with easy access to
drugs may contribute to the increased risk of using illicit drugs during adolescence (Dube 564).
This supports the claim that Eminem was at risk for these behaviors from not only his mothers
behaviors, but having access from the neighborhoods they lived in also played a role. In support
of this, Dube and colleagues continue by explaining that previous studies have inferred that
childhood trauma can have a detrimental effect on health and behaviors, which can include
substance abuse for both adolescents and adults. Previous reports from the Adverse Childhood
Experiences Study have established that forms of childhood abuse, neglect, and household
dysfunction tend to co-occur, and the effects of these developmentally disruptive childhood
experiences have repeatedly been shown to be strong and cumulative (Dube 565). When getting
to the results of the study, it must first be understood how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
were calculated. The researchers calculated ACEs by questioning the participants first 18 years

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of life. The questions were created from the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) and to determined
neglect; the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) was adapted. From the results, it shows
that, The ACE score increased the likelihood of ever having drug problems, ever being addicted
to drugs, and parenteral drug use in a dose-response manner (Dube 567). As the ACE score
increased, there was a 30-40% increase risk for having an illicit drug problem. The researchers
further explain their findings by stating, We also found a strong graded relationship between
ACEs and reported problems with drugs, addiction to drugs, and parenteral drug use (Dube
568). Those with adverse childhood experiences may use these drugs to have an escape from
their current life situation or as a coping mechanism for facing their past. Therefore, it can be
inferred that due to Eminems detrimental childhood, it increased his risk for having a drug
problem.
Though Eminem had an increased risk for substance abuse because of his childhood, his music
career also was a factor that increased his risk for drug usage. In general, pop and rock stars are
known for their risky behaviors such as drinking, smoking, engaging in drugs and having insane
performances. This has led many to believe that they have a higher mortality than the normal
population and it occurs at a young age. This study measures survival rates of famous musicians
(n=1064)

from their point of fame and compares them to matched general populations in North
America and Europe (Bellis 2007). The participants in this study were Individuals from North
America and Europe performing on any album in the All-Time Top 1000 albums from the music
genres rock, punk, rap, R&B, electronica and new age (Bellis 2007). The earliest date of fame
was Elvis Presley in 1965 and the latest was for Eminem in 1999 (Bellis 2007). The fact that
Eminem was actually used in this study is also a reflection of his music career. From the tables
provided in the article, it shows that in Europe alone the percentage of cause of death due to

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drug/alcohol overdose was the highest cause of death with 28.57%. In North America, it was the
third leading cause of death at 15.28%, with cardiovascular disease at 18.06% and cancer at
19.44%, which had the leading scores. Another factor that was analyzed was chronic disorder
that resulted in 3.57% in Europe and 9.72% in the North America. In addition, it was calculated
that 7.14% in Europe and 2.78% in North America have pop stars that die from accidents related
to drug/alcohol abuse. This all supports that musicians are more likely to engage in risky
behaviors that may result in their death. Violence and suicide were also causes of death present in
this study. Though the percentages for suicide (Europe, 3.57%;North America, 2.78%) and
violence (Europe, 3.57%; North America, 6.94%), these also show that they are engaged in other
types of risky behavior, not just addiction and that it is a common cause of death among pop
stars. (Bellis 2007). This reinforces that those in the music industry are likely to engage in risky
behaviors and may become deceased as a result. From this information, it is proven that due to a
musicians environment, they are more likely to turn down a negative path of drug and alcohol
abuse. Therefore, I cannot only infer that due to his childhood abuse there was a chance for his
addiction, but his career choice has also played a role in his life outcome.
In summation, it has been made very apparent that Eminem had a difficult childhood. In
addition, his music career choice as a rapper has been known for engaging in risky behaviors.
His music, movie and documentary all support that he admits to drug and alcohol abuse. Through
this exploration of his addictions, it is unable to be known if he wouldve chosen a different
career path or had a different childhood, if he wouldve used drugs still at some point in his life.
Though his circumstances have made a difficult path for him to get to where he is today, he is
known for his amazing music career and inspires everyone to work hard for what they want. He
is a prime example that if someone wishes to accomplish a goal, all they need is determination

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and to believe in themselves. It does not matter where someone comes from or their past, and
Eminem shows everyone that.

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Works Cited
Bellis, Mark A., et al. "Elvis to Eminem: quantifying the price of fame through early mortality of
European and North American rock and pop stars." Journal of epidemiology and
community health 61.10 (2007): 896-901.
"Cleanin' Out My Closet - Eminem." Google Play Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2016.
Dube, Shanta R., et al. "Childhood Abuse, Neglect, And Household Dysfunction And The Risk
Of Illicit Drug Use: The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study." Pediatrics 111.3 (2003):
564-572. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
"Eminem." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 5 May 2016.
"Eminem Confronts His Inner Demons In 'Recovery'" NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 5 May 2016.
Seay, Nikki. "Eminem Dedicates a Song to Addiction Recovery." Recovery.org. N.p., 21 Aug.
2014. Web. 5 May 2016.
"Talkin' 2 Myself (feat. Kobe) - Eminem." - Google Play Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2016.