Just what has Eminem been doing for the past three years? According to this profile of the now-reclusive artist: recording.
As a result - and this is critical when considering the potential impact of Relapse -- Eminem's so-called "missing years" have actually been surprisingly productive. "He's never stopped recording. Ever," adds Simaan. "I hear they've got over 300 songs in the can from what he's produced in the last three years. I've seen him write. He's a fast worker. He'll write one line, then three lines, then four lines, in all separate parts of the page. Then he'll come back to it, and say this is a sweet line, or that's working for him, and just pull everything together almost instantly. The guy's a total genius."
His new album, Relapse, is due out sometime in the next month or two.