I would like to start off by saying that I was born into a hardcore catholic family. I was forced into a private catholic school for several years, until about the age of 8.
Now, keep in mind that my father always had a strange knack for truly clever word-play. Even before I was born, my mother tells me stories about how he would go on and on about the silly hiccups of our language. And really exploit them into something humorous.
So, from time to time we would play what my father and I had tagged "The Rhyming Game". A really simple game for occasions such as road-trips; where one person would say a word, and we would go back and fourth rhyming that word until we landed on a person who couldn't find an unused word that rhymed with the original one.
Anyway, my father left around 7 years old, and I have yet to speak with him since. But that's beside the point. I remember I was getting picked up from school by my babysitter's daughter, and her best friend. And they were going on and on about this CD she had bought (which I later came to find out was The Marshal Mathers LP). I vividly remember that it was really rainy outside, and we couldn't pick up anything clear on the radio. So her friend was about to put the CD in, but the driver stopped her. And told her to wait until I was asleep (I believe we were leaving town for an errand). She said it in a whisper towards her friend, so I knew she didn't want me to hear.
Anyway, a few minutes pass and I layed down in the back seat, pretending to be asleep. And sure enough -- within the hour they had put the CD in, and they were flipping through to 'The Real Slim Shady'. As soon as the first verse started playing, I was INSTANTLY hooked. I was literally caught in a trance. I had never heard rap music before, so I didn't even know what to call it. I just remember hearing rhymes. Of course -- I was too young at the time to know exactly what it was he was talking about, but I didn't really care either. I was just in a different world for what seemed to be an eternity.
I remember telling my mom about it when we got home, and of course she got on their asses for letting me hear Eminem. Of course, she wouldn't buy me the album. But my birthday was coming up, and for my 9th birthday, my older half-brother took me behind our home and gave me a small, square, blue-wrapped gift. I opened it, and sure enough, my first Eminem album (The Marshal Mathers LP). hH made it very clear to me, to not let anybody know he had bought that for me, and to hide it from my mother.
It was my outlet to say the least. From that point on, very rarely does there come a day that I don't listen to Eminem. I'm almost 17 now, and I spend most of my time at school, sitting alone writing down his lyrics in a large notebook of mine. Song by song, verse by verse, bar by bar, word by word.
I've always been a loner, constantly moving, never had a girlfriend, never had a father that stuck around, my mother is a recovering drug addict, etc. etc. etc.
I'm not asking for sympathy in the slightest. I'm just trying to give the whole story here.
Now, I'm not a rap fan. I really don't listen to any other artists. Nor do I listen to any other genre. Only Eminem. Every underground track, every movie soundtrack, every hook, every single interview, every book, absolutely everything. Of course, I'm no stalker, but I gain a very good sense of mental empowerment when hearing his words. You'll have to excuse my very tacky cheesiness here, but I am by definition an "Eminem-aholic".
He's undoubtedly a drug for me, and my everyday life. The way he constructs syllables together, while simultaneously getting an absolutely vicious message out there, is something that I personally admire so incredibly much. I owe most of my personal accomplishments to this man, and I plan on getting a quote or two of his tattoo'd on my wrist at some point.
Anyway, that's my story. I will be posting on this forum from now on, whenever I have free time.
But, my question is - do any of you ever feel this sense of connection to the guy? Now, I'm 100% atheist, but it's almost spiritual in a way to be honest...
Regardless, thanks for reading, and I'd love to hear your answers to the question above.