In case you missed it, rapper Eminem recently stopped by the Late Show with David Letterman to share Top 10 Pieces of Advice for Kids.   Check out what he had to say (viewer discretion advised):

Not bad, Slim.  We particularly liked #5: Don’t Get Mixed up with Drugs, Gangs or Oil Executives

His TV appearance comes on the heels of the release of his latest album, Recovery.  The publicity surrounding the album has focused a lot on his personal recovery from addiction to prescription pain medication.  He confesses to Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush,“I guess I really had to reach down, reach deep down and look at myself and realize this is my fault, like, take responsibility for the way I’m living and stop blaming other people.”  He also credited his daughters (Alaina, 18; Hailie, 15; and Whitney, 9) as his inspiration for recovery: “I love them so much and they’ve helped me through so many things.”

There’s no denying that his latest lyrics are powerful and offer insights into his struggles with addiction and his effort to regain his health. Take the lyrics from his new single “Not Afraid” for example:

It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me
Admittedly I probably did it subliminally for you
So I could come back a brand new me, you helped see me through
And don’t even realize what you did, believe me you
I been through the ringer, but they can do little to the middle finger
I think I got a tear in my eye, I feel like the king of
My world, haters can make like bees with no stingers, and drop dead
No more beef flingers, no more drama from now on, I promise
To focus solely on handling my responsibilities as a father
So I solemnly swear to always treat this roof like my daughter’s and raise it
You couldn’t lift a single shingle lonely
Cause the way I feel, I’m strong enough to go to the club
or the corner pub and lift the whole liquor counter up
Cause I’m raising the bar, I shoot for the moon
But I’m too busy gazing at stars, I feel amazing and I’m not afraid to take a stand…

Eminem and his new album offer an opportunity for us parents to connect with our kids. We can use Eminem’s songs and his personal recovery from prescription medicine addiction to talk to our teens about prescription drug abuse .  Chances are your teen has heard the hype about Eminem’s drug use, they’ve heard one song off the album and they’ll have an opinion about what’s going on.  It’s a good time to talk to your teen if you haven’t already.

Have you talked with your kids recently about Eminem?  How did it go?

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  Posted by: Community Manager Olivia