The pop star received one of the rapper’s records when he was nine.
Ed Sheeran recently stopped by The Howard Stern Show to chat about his new album, Subtract. During their interview, Sheeran also shared a unique story about how a certain rapper’s album helped him overcome a stutter as a child.
Specifically, it was Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP that helped him out. Sheeran received it as a gift when he was nine and found he stuttered less when performing along to the songs. (According to NME, he was also in speech therapy at the time.)
“[My uncle] just said to my dad, ‘This guy is the next Bob Dylan. You gotta let him listen,’” he said. “And by learning that record – and rapping it back to back to back to back – it cured my stutter.”
Sheeran was so impacted that he’s even told this story to Eminem throughout the time that they’ve known each other. He even joined the rapper on stage last year during Em’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction.
“I think it’s different with Eminem because he is quite reclusive, doesn’t see or meet that many people,” Sheeran added. “I’ve known him now six years and we’ve done three songs together, I’ve played with him twice onstage. He’s another person I really relate to, as he lives in his hometown still and has his eco-system around him.”
Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
