Eminem addresses rumor about being “high on ecstasy” during filming of “My Name Is” video

This past January marked the 25th anniversary of Eminem's breakout single, "My Name Is." On Thursday (March 7), he appeared on an episode of "Vevo Footnotes" to talk about the single — and the Phil Atwell-directed visual — in celebration of the momentous occasion.

"This was the second song we did during my first session working with Dr. Dre," Eminem revealed. "He had a turntable in the studio, dropped the needle on the record, and I just started saying 'Hi, my name is' over that little snippet. We shot this video a few months after recording the song — a big moment. It was only the second video I had ever done, and the first was real low budget."

The Detroit veteran also called the track “a perfect introduction to the world, and a perfect first single for [his] major label debut.” “I don’t think I would have done it any differently, but I certainly had no idea how big it would become,” he continued before humorously adding, “I don’t think I could write an update in 2024, but I’ll have them write ‘Bye, My Name Was’ on my tombstone.”

Eminem also used the opportunity to address longstanding speculation about the video, which involved the alleged use of a certain drug. “If you look closely at my eyes during the scene where I was dressed like Bill Clinton, it may look like I was high on ecstasy during that part of the shoot,” he said. “But that’s just a rumor.”

In addition to peaking within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, the track “My Name Is" would go on to earn Eminem a triple platinum certification. The album that it was placed on, The Slim Shady LP, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and eventually crossed the quintuple platinum mark.

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