Eminem's promo time isn't finished just yet. The rapper nabbed another magazine cover, this time for Rolling Stone's December issue.
In the issue Eminem talks about channeling the Beastie Boys in his "Berzerk" single and how hip-hop saved his life. For now read exceprts of the interview below, and you'll be able to pick up a copy when it hits news stands on November 22nd.
On his ESPN blank stare:
"I knew we were about to show the 'Berzerk' video, so I was doing what I call the Berzerk face," he says. "The whole song to me feels like vintage Beastie Boys. And you know the 'Pass the Mic' video where Ad-Rock is making that face, kind of not looking the camera? I was doing my own version."
On the Beastie Boys:
When Paul's Boutique came out, I was one of the fans that didn't get it," he says. "It took me years to realize how fucking genius it is. I felt bad for sleeping on it."
"Obviously, yes, there was something about Licensed to Ill — you had the Zeppelin samples and their vibe. You had Run-DMC, who were so cool, with the attitude of 'Fuck you if you don't like us.' Same as the Beastie Boys. 'Fuck you. We fucking curse. We spit beer. We throw it on our fucking fans.' And obviously as they got older their views and things changed, as all of ours do. You can be mad at their shit for not sounding like their last shit, but if it did, then they didn't grow as artists. Same as me."
On learning from other rappers:
"Being a student of hip-hop in general, you take technical aspects from places," he says. "You may take a rhyme pattern or flow from Big Daddy Kane or Kool G Rap. But then you go to Tupac, and he made songs. His fucking songs felt like something — 'Holy shit! I want to fucking punch someone in the face when I put this CD in.' Biggie told stories. I wanted to do all that shit."
