The sequel to the New York Times bestseller Whatever You Say I Am, chronicling the last 20 years of rapper Eminem's life, based on new, exclusive interviews with the artist, his friends, family, and associates. In 1999, a former dishwasher from Detroit became the most significant, controversial, and polarizing musical artist in the world. He was a fish out of water, a white artist creating viable art in a black medium, telling stories with such verbal dexterity, nimble wit, and shocking honesty that he resonated universally. In short, Eminem changed the landscape of music and pop culture as we know it. In 2006, at the height of his fame and one of the biggest-selling artists in music history, Eminem all but disappeared. Beset by non-stop controversies, bewildering fame, a debilitating drug problem, and personal tragedies, he became a virtual recluse, withdrawing to his Detroit area compound. He struggled with weight gain and a prescription pill addiction which resulted in an overdose that nearly took his life. Over the next five years, he got sober, relapsed, and finally got clean with the help of his unlikely friend and constant supporter Elton John (Eminem has remained sober for the past ten years). He then triumphantly returned to music, continuing his streak of number one albums and singles. Not Afraid picks up where rock journalist Anthony Bozza's best-selling Whatever You Say I Am left off, capturing Eminem's "wilderness years" in his own words and through the insights of those closest to him, chronicling the musical, personal, and spiritual growth of one of popular music's most enduring and enigmatic artists.
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