Why Does Eminem Look So Different Now?

Eminem's lyrics are laced with references to drug use, and even his album names pay homage to his struggle with addiction. From 2009's Relapse to 2010's Recovery, music fans have stuck by him through every step of his tumultuous journey. However, many listeners weren't aware of the extent of his drug battle until he opened up while filming the 2012 documentary, How to Make Money Selling Drugs (via MTV).

"When I took my first Vicodin, it was like this feeling of 'Ahh.' Like everything was not only mellow, but [I] didn't feel any pain," the rapper says in the film. "I don't know at what point exactly it started to be a problem. I just remember liking it more and more. People tried to tell me that I had a problem. I would say 'Get that f*****g person outta here. I can't believe they said that sh** to me."

Before he knew it, his apparent addiction to prescription medication — Vicodin, Valium, Ambien, and methadone — was so out of control, it led to an overdose. "Had I got to the hospital about two hours later, I would have died. My organs were shutting down. My liver, kidneys, everything," he says. "They were gonna have to put me on dialysis. They didn't think I was gonna make it. My bottom was gonna be death."

Drug use can drastically change one's appearance (warning: these images are jarring), and although Eminem doesn't look as harrowing as others who've suffered from drug addiction, his previous demons may have robbed him of his once-boyish appearance.

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