Seventeen years ago, Eminem made a decision that saved his life — and changed it forever. On April 20, he officially marks a new year of sobriety.

His struggle with addiction was not a secret. “I overdosed in 2007, like right before Relapse came out”, Em once said in an interview with NPR. But it did not immediately become his wake-up call. “I don’t think I actually realized the totality of what had happened”, he said, “so after I got out of the hospital … when I got home, I went right back to using again. I was in a really dark place. I felt like it was over for me … professionally. I felt like I had a really bad case of writer’s block. … Music is so therapeutic for me that if I can’t get it out, I start feeling bad about myself – a lot of self-loathing. I was in active addiction. I knew I couldn’t control it anymore”.

So, Eminem started the path to recovery. After a near-fatal methadone overdose, he disappeared from the spotlight. But behind the scenes, he was fighting his way back, detoxing, training, and slowly returning to the booth. “When I got sober, I needed something else to focus on, so I started running. It gave me a natural high”, he told Men’s Journal. “It helped me sleep, helped with my mood, and helped me get back in shape”.

At the time, many doubted if he would ever return to form. But the music told a different story.

He has dropped albums, headlined festivals, and broken streaming records — while staying completely clean. In fact, four of Em’s ten most streamed songs on Spotify were made during his sober years.

His journey also sparked a ripple effect. Royce da 5’9”, Em’s longtime friend and Bad Meets Evil partner, said: “I got sober because Marshall got sober. He showed me that it was possible to be dope, successful, and sober at the same time”. Mr. Porter and KXNG Crooked followed suit.

And it is impossible to count how many people around the world found the strength to break free from addiction because of Em’s example.

Whether through his lyrics or his life choices, Eminem keeps showing that strength does not mean being fearless — it means facing your fears and moving forward anyway.

While we do not know if Em will post his new AA chip this year (he shared it last year for the first time since 2020), fans everywhere are celebrating the date and what it represents.