Whatever You Say I Am

July 28, 2003
The demand for all things Eminem is big, and rock journalist Bozza aims to fill in the gaps with some personal notes of his own. Culling from his own past interviews with the often-reviled rapper, Bozza's portrait begins four years ago, when he first met and interviewed 27-year-old Marshall Mathers III. He stumbled upon a young man growing into his fame and struggling with the demons of his past life. Eminem's music—propelled by Dr. Dre's beats and Mathers's own controversial lyrics—gave rise to a new era. But it was before this big break, before the awards, movie offers and protests, that Bozza met and connected with Eminem. The two would become irrevocably linked—Bozza gained prominence after writing a remarkable in-depth piece on Em for Rolling Stone, which took the cover and helped catapult the artist to superstardom. It is Bozza's relationship with Eminem that lends credibility to this bio, as well as his ability to fold personal reminiscence into longer analytical sections on Eminem's life, the Detroit rap scene and pop culture. Bozza's unprecedented access to Mathers then and now has given rise to one of the only fully honest accounts of the now brilliant star.