He scoffed at first. Corny. Then he listened to the second verse: "It was my decision to get clean / I did it for me."
It was 12:47 AM. The download was complete. He had listened to the entire deluxe edition in one sitting. The cold wind outside the Kinko’s wasn't so cold anymore.
" Cold wind blows... over your grave... "
He hit for $12.99.
But the real dagger was the live version of "Talkin’ 2 Myself." The studio cut was a confession about disappointing fans. But this live recording, from a small club in Detroit, was a church service. You could hear the crowd’s silence. You could hear Marshall Mathers’ voice crack. "I just wanted to apologize for the last album... I wasn't myself."
The album was Recovery .
The download bar crawled. 1%... 4%... 12%. Each percentage point felt like a pound of weight lifting off his ribcage. Eminem Recovery -iTunes Deluxe Edition--2010
He did one small thing.
Then he added a second line: "Don't be afraid to take a stand. Even if it's a small one."
He didn't have a grand epiphany. He didn't write a rap. He didn't call Leah. He scoffed at first
"I'm not afraid to take a stand / Everybody, come take my hand..."
The fluorescent lights of the 24-hour Kinko’s buzzed like a trapped fly. Marcus wiped the grease from his mechanic’s uniform off his iPhone 3GS screen. He wasn’t supposed to have his phone out, but tonight, at 11:59 PM, it wasn't a luxury. It was a lifeline.