Eminem checking in to Popsomp Hills (2008)

Today, on April 20, 2024, iconic Detroit rapper Eminem celebrated 16 years of sobriety and of course we are delighted for him. While it may have seemed that Eminem was on top of the world at some point, he was actually battling a crippling addiction.

Slim Shady has been rather open about his battles and demons in the past, revealing he was once taking up to 30 Vicodin (an opioid that treats severe pain) a day as well as ‘anywhere from 40 to 60 Valium’ (a benzodiazepine that can help people be calm).

During the documentary titled How To Make Money Selling Drugs, Eminem said: “I don’t know at what point exactly it started to be a problem. I just remember liking it more and more. People tried to tell me that I had a problem. I would say, ‘Get that f***ing person outta here’. I’m not out there shooting heroin. I’m not out there f***ing putting coke up my nose. I’m not smoking crack.”

It got a lot worse for the rapper after that though, as he developed insomnia in the early 2000s. Following that, a friend introduced him to Ambien (a medication used to help people sleep), which acted as a gateway to other prescription pills. In 2007, Eminem hit rock bottom as he overdosed on methadone, a moment which was a defining moment in his recovery.

Marshall Mathers opened up about the horrifying experience in the same documentary: “The doctors told me I’d done the equivalent of four bags of heroin… Had I got to the hospital about two hours later, I would have died. My organs were shutting down. My liver, kidneys, everything. They were gonna have to put me on dialysis. They didn’t think I was gonna make it. My bottom was gonna be death.”

Elton John even became a mentor and would check in on him once or twice a week to ensure he was on the straight and narrow. And now, Eminem at the point where he is 16 years sober – well done, Marshall. Check his recent post on social media below: