Eminem has never really hidden his problems from the world. Instead, he has poured them into his award-winning songs and best-selling albums and earned himself a reputation as one of the world's finest hip-hop stars. At last night's show in New York, the often caustic rapper took a moment to thank his fans for the part that they have played in helping him through some of his more troubled times. Eminem performed last night at the Hammerstein Ballroom, performing more than a dozen songs, at an event for G-Shock (makers of wrist watches).
Before he played the track 'Not Afraid,' he told the crowd that he "wouldn't have gotten out of that dark place without y'all" and dedicated the evening's performance to "anybody tonight who's been through personal struggles." In 2010, Eminem released the album 'Recovery,' which dealt with his own struggles with addiction and the path to sobriety. It became the biggest selling album of the year. Last night, he also performed a number of his best-known hits, including 'Lose Yourself,' 'Love the Way You Lie' and 'The Real Slim Shady.'
Supporting Eminem was the hip-hop four piece, Slaughterhouse. Eminem's a huge fan of the band, who formed in 2008 and even produced their album 'Welcome To: Our House,' and told MTV that he's picked up a few production tricks from Dre along the way: "All of Dre's little tricks, I've stolen over the years," he explained, whilst the band joked that they had left themselves off some of the songs so that Em could drop a guest verse or two.