Eminem Pushes Dr. Dre to Finish ‘Detox’

Over a decade in the making, Dr. Dre’s Detox looks like it’s finally going to see the light of day. But it was his confidant Eminem who gave him the much-needed push to finish the oft-delayed album.

“My whole career, especially in the beginning but even still to this day, is always to try to get a reaction out of Dre,” Eminem told “Extra.” “[With ‘I Need a Doctor’], the reaction I wanted, was to spark him even more than he’s been sparked lately, you know what I’m saying? Even push it further and just get him to finish the album.”

Em’s mentor concurred, explaining it was his protégé’s verse on “I Need a Doctor” that really hit it home. “That’s what it did. He was like, ‘Yo, come on, let’s go! Let’s get it.’ This is what he was saying after I heard the song,” said Dre.

The Detroit rapper explained the concept behind the “Doctor” video, which officially marks Dre’s return to hip-hop. “The car crash I think is just metaphorically speaking, feels like Dre’s been in a coma, and like me and hip-hop are trying to wake him up out of his coma.”

The super-producer felt a sense of renewal after shooting the reflective clip, which looks back on his life and career. “It almost felt like this song and this video was the rebirth of something. Maybe the rebirth of me, going to whatever the future holds for me,” added Dre. “It’s weird because that’s how I started feeling last night during the making of this video, kind of feeling the rehabilitation and everything. It just really feels that way.”

Detox is still awaiting a release date, while the Alex Da Kid-produced “I Need a Doctor” is currently No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.