Reddit user, Chupacockbrah, who appears to toured with Eminem decades ago, shares never before seen pictures and untold stories about Slim Shady’s 1999 Warped Tour.
Introduction: Long story but when I was 14-15 I went on multiple tours with Eminem. Even donned the mummy costume once. We got booed on stage at Warped Tour 1999 after someone threw a bottle of water and hit Em in the face, he stopped the show and we bounced “back stage” which was just trailers and tour buses. This was a few years before Eminem was a household name and megastar phenomenon. Most of my pics and polaroids were stolen from me over the years as his star grew and people got obsessed. Used to have a polaroid with Proof and Em. Sad I don’t have it anymore, Proof was the nicest dude ever, so was Kim, believe it or not. Anyways, I guess AMA if you want.
Q: How did you get so lucky to tour with Em at 14?! Are you a performer? Also, I am very interested in knowing more about your interactions with Eminem, and Kim as well!
A: I grew up with a friend that’s dad was his tour sound guy for a while. Took us on short legs of his California tours. Eminem was nice to people he knew. He always recognized me but don’t think he even knew my name. My name is Eric and my brother tells his nieces that in White America he’s talkin about me which is obviously not true. But I did have bleached hair for a while so maybe I helped spawn The Real Slim Shady lol. Kim chain smoked menthol 100’s but other than that she just hung out. Supported Em, she was only on tour with us once though… I have a cool story/interaction with her that I’ll never forget, she tried to protect me, grabbed my hand and pulled me off stage when Em got booed off. He literally said “peace out Cali” and booked it. Left us all on stage lol while people were literally throwing fireworks on stage (like the little flowers that spin) it was kinda scary to be honest, I just wanted my clothes from the trailer cause it had my camera and the film capsule if you guys are old to remember that. Had 40 bucks in it but they never found it. She asked how much money was in it and I said 40 bucks so she gave me 40 and my buddy always said I should have said 100. Eminem was never very warm to his fans. He’s always kinda been, how you say this, “the way he is.”
Q: Amazing to think of him getting booed off a stage! Thanks for sharing your experience! Sounds like a dream to me.
A: Yeah it was a bunch of punker metal dudes and they probably had no idea who he was. Also, people always say they were jealous but it actually messed with my head a lot. I mean, sure, everyone at school thought we were Eminem’s homies but in reality if always left me feeling empty. It was so cool to hang out and then we had to go home and back to school and I didn’t want it to end. Didn’t want to live a normal life. And they just kept going on tour and having fun, I just went back to a “normal” and boring life. At this point it’s been so long, none of it even feels real, just a story I tell and have a few mementos I occasionally break out.
Q: What did you do dressed as a mummy?
A: Just walked around on stage lol, they told me some people breakdance. Actually Dustin Hoffman supposedly wore it right before me. No joke.
Q: Hey, was he funny?
A: Yeah he could have killed it as a comedian no joke, would freestyle on the bus. Also, he wrote The Watcher for Dre, heard him reciting the lyrics the year before The Chronic dropped and was like ‘what?!’ but I remember him rapping about Gus, the tour manager makin a fuss on the bus and some other rap I can’t recall. He really is as cool and legit as witty as he seems.
Q: Does he still remember you?
A: There’s no way. But also there’s no way to know cause I don’t see him anymore. His career launched and probably required and expansive stage crew.
Q: That’s cool as f–k, bet it makes some good drinking stories lol. Were you around any drugs or anything? or see anything at 14 most people wouldn’t?
A: Yeah totally cool stories. Most people don’t believe me cause I’m a digital artist that could easily photoshop these but they don’t exist anywhere else so. Also I just tell them to ask my mom lol she agreed to let me go, what could she say? She couldn’t deny me the opportunity. No drugs really, just weed. I stole his pipe and took it to school. My mom found it washing my clothes and I told her I stole it from Eminem and she was like “Welp, I believe that…You can have it when you’re 18” she lost it lol but yeah lots of weed…I went on tour with Cypress Hill so I’m sure you can imagine.
Q: What was your experience with him?
A: I have lots. I was there when he met B-Real from Cypress Hill. B-Real even got on stage and announced Xzibit and Em and only Xzibit came out which was probably confusing for the crowd. Also met Dre once, nice as f–k…Never Snoop though, which would have been cool. No idea why Eminem did not come out. I wasn’t on tour with him then. Was on tour with Cypress Hill and I guess Eminem was in Hollywood. He just left I guess.
Q: You’re probably one of the luckiest people on here to kick it with him when he was in his prime! did he ever share any rap battle stories with you? or did you ever see him at work writing any lyrics between shows?
A: Thanks, was hoping you guys would enjoy. He didn’t, he would rap a lot obviously but I mentioned earlier I heard him reciting the lyrics to The Watcher by Dre, pretty sure he ghost wrote some or all of that song.
Q: I was at that Warped Tour show in 1999 where someone threw that bottle. He had entire stage setups and stuff to match the aesthetic of The Slim Shady LP release. I remember when it happened and he was like “f–k this” and walked off stage and ended the show. I was 15 years old at the time and it was my first time seeing Eminem right after he got famous. I remember leaving thinking for some reason that was going to get talked about on MTV News or some other outlet but never heard a peep about it. So crazy that you were at that show on tour!
A: Dude! I was hoping someone would have been at that Warped Show! This is so cool. Yeah they had mushrooms on stage and I was the mummy walking around. Crazy side story: When we got back to the tour bus, some Warped Tour manager guy came in and said they had found the guy who threw the bottle and if Eminem wanted to press charges. Em said “nah” and that was the end of it. That was wild!
Q: How was Eminem?
A: Not the nicest to fans. We stopped at aJack in the Box once in Bakersfield and he walked down the street and a couple kids recognized him and he wouldn’t even talk or make eye contact when they came up. But I will say, he loved my friend’s dad so he treated us kids really cool even though it’s kinda lame to bring your kid and his friend on tour.
Q: Did you ever see him get violent with people?
A: No but he did have a cast right before we went on tour cause he jumped off the stage and punched someone and broke something in the hand/arm. Didn’t see it happen just heard the story. He also got tattooed by Mr. Cartoon right before a show at the HOB.
Q: What’s your most and least favorite experience with him?
A: Probably being on stage was the best and least. Was exciting but also stressful and getting booed off sucked.
Q: What’s your favorite Eminem album?
A: The Slim Shady LP changed my life, made me and every other suburban white kid wanna be a rapper. We used to pass a raps notebook around school and battle each other on paper lol I can rap my a– off though, just ask my girlfriend lol
Q: You said Kim was really nice in person. How so?
A: I kinda elaborated a bit in another comment but very motherly I guess? Protective? Just really sweet. To add to the other comment she legit grabbed me and was like WE HAVE TO GO and I was like I NEED MY CLOTHES lol so dumb.
Q: One of the best posts I’ve read on Reddit not just this sub. I couldn’t help but read every part of this thread – very interesting! I appreciate the time you took to share and have taken to further answer our queries, it means a lot to me and I’m sure everyone else in the sub. I have two questions if you have time and feel like answering: What is your favorite memory of the tour(s) and If you had a 14 year old child would you let them go on tour with Eminem? 2.1 Eminem then 2.2 Current Eminem.
A: For sure, my pleasure. It’s been fun. My favorite memory would probably be meeting Em for the first time, he was with Dre and it was surreal. I don’t know if I would want my kid to go on tour with either, but I don’t think I could deny them the opportunity if they were dying to go like I was. My mom knew I was really into his music but she didn’t know enough about him or maybe she wouldn’t have allowed it.
Q: What are your top 5 Em songs and what do you think of his current day music?
A: I don’t listen to his new music. No offense its just not for me. I still listen to SSLP-TES and even liked Relapse a while after it came out. I know he can still rap but I miss when he sang choruses and told stories and now it just seems like he’s trying to rap super complex rhyme schemes and the puns kinda get old. Also, seems like so many songs are Em rapping and a female vocalist singing the chorus. Favorite songs: 1. Infinite 2. As the World Turns 3. Rock Bottom 4. Marshall Mathers 5. Brain Damage. That’s tough though cause I love Role Model, Kill You, the I Don’t Give a F–ks…so many amazing songs. Shoutout to all of his old radio and recorded freestyles too those were all immaculate.
Some stuff from when I toured with Em
by u/Chupacockbrah in Eminem