7 Mile

Chapter 13

April 18th 1995

I was now signed to Jeff and Mark Bass' FBT Productions and starting to record my debut album for their independent Web Entertainment label. After being recruited for several rap collectives I was still in my latest group, Soul Intent, myself, Chaos Kid, Proof, Champtown, Manix and Buttafingaz, but we all was now formed under the Bass Brothers. We'd just made up our first single back in February, a self-titled EP, and I was getting mad fucking love for one of my solo tracks on there, Biterphobia. 

We got recognized because Jeff
was listening to the radio while I was freestyling. After the show I received a phone call and at three o'clock in the morning I turned up to the studio with my clan. That's how it began. The Bass bro's studio was down on 8 Mile, the shit was like a second home for me. Kim would have to come down just to be able to hang with me and to see me, otherwise I'd be flipping burgers. At first I was a little uptight about having her around cause I didn't want Mark or Jeff knowing my private business with my on again, off again crazy girlfriend. I mean, I had no problem with my homies knowing cause they knew us, they knew what we was about, but the guys building up my career? I didn't want them knowing that. But cause I spent so much time with them it was impossible to avoid that from happening, man they was even on first name status with my fucking mom and uncle.
This by far was the biggest fucking thing I'd achieved, period, and I was going full steam with it, no time to waste on bullshit, I had one goal, and that was to fucking make it.
Word was getting round about my skills and now signed gaining a professional rap career seemed more achievable now more than ever. I was hungry for the goal and now it was time for me to work on my first solo project. Man and it felt bugged working on a solo thing, I only knew about working as a collective or battle rapping.
I was sat around with Proof waiting on Kim to come home from work, listening to the radio while the Bass Brothers were doing an interview on some hip hop radio channel, they told me to tune in and right now they was talking about their latest projects, I hoped they'd give me a little shine to get my name out. I took the blunt from Proof and took one big ass draw...

(Radio DJ) "So tell us more of this Eminem character you have just signed? We heard the sample you played for us, of his freestyle that you heard, the kid can really spit, how'd you meet?"

(Jeff Bass) "My brother was listening to the radio, to a DJ we know named Lisa Lisa. He called and asked her who that was, freestyling. She said, that's Marshall Mathers. He said, "Is there any way we can get in touch with him?" She gives him the number. My brother called. And at three o'clock in the morning Eminem came to the studio, with a bunch of dudes who he raps with. That's how it began. We didn't know him, and he didn't know us. He took a leap of faith at three in the morning"

(Radio DJ) "Is he in school? He sounds quite... young"

(Jeff Bass) "No, he's working. He's flipping hamburgers at a little diner. Kind of a Coney Island. But every chance he gets, he's in the studio. After work, before work. Studio."

(Radio DJ) "What did you make of him at first?"

(Jeff Bass) I've always kind of been a hip-hop head, because of the R&B roots behind it. But when Marshall came into the picture, I wasn't quite sure about his ability.. because I can't understand what he is saying at times! He is triple-timing, spitting rhymes, I'm trying to comprehend him. But I've started writing tracks for him. And it's become apparent that he is amazing. And he has a lot of support and respect as an underground artist already. We have to deal with his mother, we have to deal with his girlfriend, we have to deal with uncles and friends trying and other hangers-on. But I can see why the kid is so popular. You really get to know a person in this line of work. And he is amazing. He comes up with the stories on the songs that he's working on now, and there is so much truth in what he is saying. It's pure emotion. It's realism. And he's telling it like he's speaking to every kid out there that's going through the same thing"