Eminem gets inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with moving speech
Los Angeles, California - Rapper Eminem was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame over the weekend, and he used his acceptance speech to reminisce on the long journey he took to get there.
As Em sings, "This opportunity comes once in a lifetime (yo.)"
The Real Slim Shady was given the prestigious "award for musical excellence" which honors a list of artists who have "created music whose originality, impact, and influence has changed the course of rock & roll."
Dr. Dre, who discovered and signed the rapper in the '90s, presented Slim with the accolade, giving a speech about how many people around him at the time tried to discourage him from working with Em.
"I knew that his gifts were undeniable," Dre shared. "Each of us was what the other one needed - and I was willing to bet my entire career on it."
Dre also attributed Em for bringing "hip-hop to Middle America."
Em, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, took the stage to give a speech of his own. He began by looking back on a dark period of his career when he was addicted to prescription drugs, and openly admitted, "I’m not supposed to be here tonight."
"I almost died from an overdose in 2007, which kind of sucked. Hailie, plug your ears," he said jokingly to his 26-year-old daughter, who made a rare public appearance at the ceremony. "Because drugs were f***ing delicious."
Eminem says music saved his life at his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction
The Rap God continued by sharing that "music basically saved my life."
"I had to really fight my way through man to try and breakthrough in this music, and I'm so honored, and I'm so grateful that I'm even able to be up here doing hip-hip music, man, because I love it so much."
"I’m a high school drop-out with a hip-hop education," he added.
Eminem went on to perform a handful of his biggest hits for the crowd, bringing out guests including Ed Sheeran and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.
Cover photo: THEO WARGO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP