Eminem Says 'Slim Shady' Wasn't Right for Recovery

Eminem burst on the scene in 1999 with The Slim Shady LP, which introduced the world to Marshall Mathers' manic, violent alter ego Slim Shady. Shady's mercurial behavior has captivated fans throughout Em's career, as Slim took cheeky shots at everyone from 'NSYNC to his own mentor Dr. Dre and murdered his longtime gal pal Kim (only on wax, of course). Recently, the amped-up Shady has taken a backseat to Eminem's candid rhymes about his struggles with fame and addiction. However, Em said that he hasn't completely killed the Shady persona; it's just not right for Recovery.

"Shady still exists. But I don't think the subjects on this record call for, you know, 'bring the chainsaws and axes out and murder everyone on this record,' " Em told The New York Times in a recent interview. "There was so much stuff like that off the last record that I felt like I was starting to run it into the ground. I think consciously I went in a different direction with this record."

Em has been given a hard time for his hard-hitting rhymes, but when the Times pressed the star about whether he had any regrets about using unsavory terms when referring to women, he maintained that he was simply expressing his feelings honestly.

"Anything I've ever said, I certainly was feeling at the time," Eminem said. "But I think I've calmed down a bit. My overall look on things is a lot more mature than it used to be." The star has certainly changed his outlook, as he mentioned in the same Times article, which will run in Sunday's issue, that he supports gay marriage.

Eminem's Recovery is set to hit stores June 21. The album was pushed up a day after the much-anticipated follow-up to Relapse leaked online earlier this month.

Do you want Slim Shady back, or are you happy Em is giving his alter ego a rest? Let us know in the comments!

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