Eminem once described drugs as “so delicious.” But in 2007, that indulgence nearly killed him. But, music saved his life.

At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, he revisited that dark chapter, admitting that music ultimately “saved his life.” Standing on stage at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, he turned to his daughter, Hailie Jade, and asked her to listen closely as he laid it all out.

“I lost what I had in mind to say,” he admitted mid-speech. “Did I say the drug was delicious, didn’t I?” His raw honesty about his battle with addiction made it clear just how much he had fought to reclaim his life. “Finally, I had to really fight my way to being a good person to try and make a strong entry into music, and I’m grateful to be here making hip-hop music. I love it with very true.”

The moment was personal, but also historic. The rapper performed a medley of his biggest hits, including My Name Is, Rap God, and Sing for the Moment, marking his official induction into the Hall of Fame. But behind the celebration was a story of survival.

Eminem’s addiction spiraled in the mid-2000s, peaking in December 2007 when he was hospitalized after a near-fatal overdose. He revealed that his dependency started on the set of 8 Mile in 2002. “We were on set for 16 hours where you had a cabin where you had to sleep. One day, someone gave me an Ambien, and it knocked me down. I was like, ‘I need this all the time.’”

What started as a quick fix for sleep spiraled into full-blown addiction. After overdosing, Eminem relapsed before finally checking into rehab in April 2008. The road back wasn’t easy. Looking back in 2017, he admitted his music suffered during those years.

By 2022, he reflected on Paul Pod that it took a long time for his brain to fully recover. But that struggle reshaped him. He rebuilt, redefined, and came back stronger.

His Hall of Fame speech was more than career recognition — it was proof of survival. A reminder that even at rock bottom, there’s a way back.