Eminem Speaks on Overcoming Addiction, Cost of Fame in Zane Lowe Interview (Part 2)

In Eminem's second interview with BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe, he notes that the rapper almost had the same fate as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and Whitney Houston. The lauded rap veteran acknowledges this as the conversation touches on effects of his massive fame early on and coming back from addiction.

Lowe's comparison is particularly striking since Eminem did suffer from an overdose in 2007, which he documented on 'Deja Vu': "See me and you we almost had the same outcome, Heath [Ledger, an actor who died from an overdose] / 'Cause that Christmas you know the whole pneumonia thing? / It was bologna, was it the methadone ya think?"

'The Marshall Mathers LP 2' creator understands how fortunate he is to make a comeback from addiction because many others don't do the same. "I'm definitely thankful," he says. "I know that I could've certainly took another path, but ... I feel like I'm probably able to be more focus than I've ever been. I'm also able to I guess put it in perspective."

The two also touched on 'The Monster,' Eminem's latest Billboard Top 10 entry. The song focuses on the double-sided coin of fame, which is something Em never really wanted to achieve.

"My dream was ... to be able to one day hear rappers that I looked up to on the radio and be like, 'Yo what if -- Jay Z or whatever -- what if they heard of me? What if they thought I was dope," Eminem admits.

There are two more parts to this interview, which will debut this week.