“Eminem Speaks” by Juice WRLD
Although “Eminem Speaks” is a Juice WRLD track, the lyricist/vocalist is another, more popular rapper, that being Eminem. But Em is not actually rapping therein. Instead this is a sampled excerpt from his participation on a documentary entitled How to Make Money Selling Drugs.
As implied by its title, said documentary is highlighted by interviews with individuals who are or were successful drug dealers. However, such was not the nature of Eminem’s participation on the video. Instead, Marshall Mathers used the opportunity to quite humbly admit to the entire world that he was a drug addict, with the early 2010s being around the time he definitively took a stance to kick the habit.
Now as for Juice WRLD, he’s someone whose artistry was influenced by Slim Shady. And like Eminem, relatively grounded portrayals of drug consumption and abuse were also common subthemes in Jarad’s music. In other words, they aren’t like other musicians who tend to celebrate being dependents on drugs. Instead Em and Juice not fully recognized that such a dependency is life-threatening. Furthermore, they also, again unlike other popular musicians, weren’t afraid to say so.
Amongst the core drugs that WRLD tended to reference in his songs is Vicodin. According to Wikipedia, this drug is a combination of hydrocodone and paracetamol, both of which are pain killers.
“Eminem Speaks”
And in “Eminem Speaks”, it is said substance that the vocalist is forthrightly acknowledging having been addicted to. Eminem proceeds to depict himself like the classic addict, one who thought everything was all good at first, even damning the people who tried to tell him others.
Or as Marshall puts it, Vicodin is perceived as a joke drug when compared to hero-n, coca-ne, cra-k and the harder, more publicly recognized intoxicants. And to note, Juice likewise didn’t seem to have a problem with coke or any of the harder stuff.
The Important Point
But the point Eminem is leading us to is that at the end of the day, the drugs that you take in pill form, such as Vicodin and Xanax – the latter of which was also a personal favorite of Juice WRLD’s – are ultimately just as destructive, when illicitly used, as cr-ck and the rest of that sh*t.
And also like some of WRLD’s own songs, Eminem had gotten to the point where he firmly believed that he may die of an overdose. In his case he was actually hospitalized for nearly ODing to death.
Of course the primary difference in Eminem’s and Juice WRLD’s respective stories, as far as drug addiction goes, is that the former was able to kick the habit before it took his life. Perhaps Juice would have also benefited from a solid, near-death OD experience, instead of going out the way that he did.
What “Eminem Speaks” is all about
All in all, the main purpose of “Eminem Speaks” would logically be an effort on the part of Juice WRLD’s people to deter others from meeting a similar fate. And as with How to Make Money Selling Drugs, the implication is that if someone as rich, famous and idolized as Marshall Mathers can admit that he had degenerated into a run-of-the-mill drug addict, then other such individuals would likewise be encouraged to take that all-important first step on the road to recovery.
Composition Credits
“Eminem Speaks” has two official composers, including Eminem. The other is Juice.
Release Date
“Eminem Speaks” appears on Juice’s 2021 posthumous album titled “Fighting Demons”. It was released alongside “Fighting Demons” on December 10th, 2021. This album, which is Juice’s second posthumous album, birthed the following singles:
NOTE: Em was one of Juice’s favorite rappers. And Em allowing his voice to be used this extensively on Juice’s album is sort of his way of paying respect to Juice.
The interview in question reportedly took place somewhere in 2010.
