Eminem Opens Up About the “One Verse” That Took 37 Takes and Nearly Broke Him

Eminem, a name synonymous with razor-sharp lyricism and relentless perfectionism, recently shared an intense behind-the-scenes story about a verse that pushed him to his limits. In a candid conversation, the rap icon revealed that one particular verse—still unreleased—took him an astonishing 37 attempts to record, nearly driving him to quit the studio that night.

“Perfection ain’t a choice — it’s a curse,” Eminem admitted. “That night, I wasn’t chasing a sound. I was chasing something inside my head that just wouldn’t come out right.”

The Verse That Tested Him

Though Eminem didn’t specify the song, fans speculate it could be from the rumored Marshall Mathers LP 3. The verse demanded absolute precision. “Every word had to hit like a bullet,” he explained. “But every time I’d finish a take, I’d listen back and think, ‘Nope. Not sharp enough. Not clean enough. Not real enough.’”

His longtime producer Dr. Dre even urged him to step back and clear his head. “Dre said, ‘You’re hearing ghosts in your own flow, man. Go home.’ But I couldn’t. I kept hearing this one syllable off by half a breath — and it drove me crazy.”

A Moment of Doubt

The session stretched past 3 a.m., and frustration mounted. “I threw my notebook across the room,” Eminem recalled. “I told myself, ‘If I can’t get this right, maybe I’m done.’ It felt like I’d lost what made me me.”

Yet, true to his relentless spirit, he returned to the mic for one final take—and nailed it. “When I finally got it, Dre hit the talkback and just said, ‘That’s it.’ I didn’t even celebrate. I just sat there, staring at the floor.”

The Raw Truth Behind the Art

Eminem hinted that fans might eventually hear the raw, unedited version of this struggle—the takes filled with stumbles, curses, and restarts. “It’s ugly. It’s me stumbling, cursing, starting over — but that’s the truth of how I work. People think it’s all genius in one take, but sometimes it’s madness first.”

The Price of Perfectionism

Known for his intricate rhyme schemes and multi-syllabic flows, Eminem has long embraced an obsessive approach to his craft. “Every line has a purpose,” he said. “If it doesn’t hit my ear right, I’d rather scrap the whole thing than fake it.”

Fans have lauded his honesty, seeing it as a reminder that even the greatest artists battle self-doubt. “He’s not just a rapper,” one fan wrote. “He’s an artist fighting his own mind — and that’s what makes him legendary.”

Never Settling

Despite the mental toll, Eminem remains committed to his standards. “If I ever walk into the studio and stop caring about every word, that’s the day I hang it up,” he said. “’Cause this game don’t owe me nothing — I owe it everything.”

As anticipation builds around new music, fans are eager to hear if that legendary 37th take will one day be unveiled—a raw glimpse into the perfectionist behind the mic who refuses to let a single syllable slip.