Eminem says he nearly lost his life to drugs. In an interview with CNN’s “Showbiz Tonight” this week, the emcee admitted that his addiction to prescription pills once had him just hours away from dying.

Eminem says it was hard for him to admit that he had an issue with drugs. He points out that hip-hop is a very macho industry, which makes it difficult at times to confess that you need someone else’s help. ‘Em first visited rehab in 2005, and says the treatment was ineffective because he never really believed he had a problem. It wasn’t until he lost his close friend and fellow D12 emcee Proof in 2006 that Eminem realized he had a problem. The “Not Afraid” rapper says his friend’s death prompted him to use lots of drugs, eventually leading to an overdose. Eminem says it was at that point that he realized he needed to commit himself to leading a healthier lifestyle.

Eminem will return to music stores later this month when he releases his seventh studio record, “Recovery.” The album was originally scheduled for a June 22nd release, but earlier this week it was announced that the record will arrive in stores and online one day earlier, on June 21st.