Eminem: "I Wasn't Ready To Give Up Drugs"

Rapper Eminem is opening up about the drug problem that nearly stopped him from making any more music.

Speaking in hip-hop magazine XXL, Eminem explained how a failed stint in rehab put his career on hold for three years.

“I wasn’t ready mentally. I wasn’t ready to give up the drugs. I didn’t think that I had a problem,” he explained.

“Basically, I went in, and I came out. I relapsed, and I spent the next three years struggling with it. Also, at that time, I felt like I wanted to pull back, because my drug problem had got so bad. I felt like, maybe if I take a break, maybe this will help.”

The Grammy and Oscar winning performer explained how the death of his friend and fellow rapper Proof also fueled his descent into drug addiction. He told XXL: "I think it kind of hit me so hard. It just blindsided me. I just went into such a dark place that, with everything, the drugs, my thoughts, everything. And the more drugs I consumed, and it was all depressants I was taking, the more depressed I became, the more self-loathing I became.”                                                                         

The full interview - and the comic strip featuring Eminem as The Punisher - will be in the June issue of XXL.

His comeback album Relapse will be released on May 18th. His single "We Made You" is currently out digitally with it's physical release on Monday. (Photo: WENN)