Royce Da 5’9″ talks about getting sober & how Eminem helped him.
Royce da 5’9″ and Eminem have been buddies for decades, dating back to a night Royce describes in “Tabernacle,” from his new album Layers. It recalls the narrative of a pivotal day in his life, when he not only met Em for the first time but also witnessed his grandmother’s death and the birth of his son. It was also the first song he penned after deciding to become sober.
Royce Da 5’9″ recently wrote an essay for Medium revealing why and how he got sober. The article titled “Why I Quit Drinking“, details the process and other things that happened with him during the time of getting sober. He talks about many things including getting into physical altercations, his time in jail for DUIs, losing relationships, and much more. Royce da 5’9” also talks about how Eminem helped him during the road of getting sober,
“Eminem helped me all the way through“. he says, “He was one of the first people I called. I let him know I needed help. I came back to Detroit and he, Tracy McNew, and Paul Rosenberg at Shady Records checked me into this hospital and I went and saw Em’s doctor. It was an impatient thing, where they monitored me while I slept, with IV’s in me to make sure I didn’t succumb to alcohol withdrawal symptoms and that I could sleep right. I stayed in there for a few days and when I got out I immediately started seeing my therapist, who I still see to this day“.
“It’s never too late, I’m 38 years old. People make comments to me and tell me that I sound like a whole new man. I wake up every day and tell myself I am not going to drink and I am going to be about my business. So that’s what I’ve been doing.”
You can check out the full article titled “Why I Quit Drinking” by Royce Da 5’9″ on Medium.
Royce’s new album Layers is out now and in one of the tracks titled “Tabernacle,” he talks about his story of a fateful day when he not only met Eminem for the first time but also experienced the death of his grandmother, the birth of his son and much more. That record was also the first song he wrote when he decided to get sober.
2018 saw the two collaborate on Nickel Nine’s seventh studio album, Book of Ryan, for the tune “Caterpillar.” Late last month, Royce collaborated with the ecommerce platform for music royalties Royal to give fans the chance to purchase a portion of the song, which quickly sold out.
Royce Da 5’9″ released the full video for “Tabernacle” on Tuesday (March 15) after teasing it with a behind-the-scenes peek. The graphics are every bit as dramatic as the song’s powerful and autobiographical roots. In the video, Royce raps from various unoccupied areas as actors, including Royce’s own kid, reenact what Royce has described as the most impactful day of his life, when he buried his grandmother, welcomed his newborn son, and met Eminem all in the span of 24 hours.
