Famously, Eminem went from playing in dive bars to becoming the best-selling rapper EVER, but he's now saying that a few icons who came before him nearly forced him to throw out his old rhymes!
For The New York Times' 50-year commemoration of the genre, Slim Shady looked back on his humble hip-hop beginnings. The article also includes testimonies from prominent rap figures including 50 Cent, Krayzie Bone, Bun B, and Trina.
Em recalls being smitten with LL Cool J, Run-DMC, and Kool G Rap — all of whom eventually inspired him to rap — and gave his Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Edna credit for nurturing his rap fandom.
However, Em claims that when Nas and Naughty By Nature emerged on the scene in the early 1990s, he started to doubt himself and almost gave up on the dream that had made him famous.
Em claims that he blasted NBN's self-titled debut album all summer long, to the point where Treach's rhyming prowess seriously interfered with his ability to create.Em had memorized "Illmatic," Nas' debut album, when it was out a year later, but he claims the Source's "5-mic" rating made him anxious because he felt he wouldn't measure up.
Before Em started destroying local open mic nights in Detroit and presumably went on to sell a billion records, he recalls being disillusioned with rapping for a number of years.
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