On Wednesday, Eminem phoned into Detroit radio station Channel 955 to promote the upcoming Slaughterhouse album Welcome to: Our House, due August 28. While in the studio with his Bad Meets Evil partner-in-rhyme Royce da 5 ’9”, Em spoke about his friendship with 50 Cent, his role as executive producer on the Slaughterhouse project (“I think that this is one of those things that hip-hop needs right now”), and getting started on his eighth solo record, which does not have a release date. But his main priority these days is getting his Shady Records label back on track.
Read some of the highlights from the interview below.
On his relationship with 50 Cent: “Ever since we started making music with Fif, it was always like a mutual respect thing and we became friends outside of the music. 50 is very big on the business aspects of his career. I would consider him a smart businessman. Not saying that I’m not, but I don’t get into as much of the technical aspect in the business sense. I have no idea what’s going on—ever. I don’t even know where I’m at right now.”
On his next album and the Slaughterhouse record: “I actually started my album, but I haven’t fully went in yet because I’ve been finishing up this Slaughterhouse record. I kinda been really hands-on with this album for the past year. This has kinda been a pet project for me. I kinda been executive producing, producing, co-producing, mixing—very hands-on with it and just really involved. We’re actually finishing up today. We’re handing the album in today. … Oh my album? I don’t have a date yet.”
On his Shady Records roster: “Me and Royce had been friends for a long time. As far as the Slaughterhouse project, that was one of the things. I’ve always respected Royce as an artist as well, so when we started this group and got these guys together it was kinda like one of those things where… I’m very into the technical aspect of lyrics. And Yelawolf to me is a very technical artist—Royce, Joell, all the guys from Slaughterhouse are very into the technical aspect too. It’s fun for me to be able to hear the different pockets that these guys get in with flows. I’m really into that.”
On the 10th anniversary of 8 Mile and future acting plans: “That’s crazy. Nah, I don’t really have any plans to do that as of yet. I’ve been really into just the music. I’ve been really focused on that and trying to get the label back in a place where we want it to be.”
[Rap Radar via Channel 955]