I'll just post the Eminem bits but worth reading the whole thing if you're a fan
DX: What do you think it means to be a raw rapper today?
Hopsin: I think raw is always just, raw. The definition will never change. It means raw talent. You’re not scared to say what you feel. A lot of rappers today aren’t raw. The ones that are don’t get the proper shine. Raw is shredding emcees up, how Canibus was back in the day. The old Slim Shady [era for Eminem], that’s raw. DMX. That raw aggression, the I-don’t-give-a-fuck style
DX: When you were coming up was the road to becoming a successful rapper equally as misleading as it is now?
Hopsin: No. Before there were actual real songs and they were motivating. I used to listen to Eminem a lot. Yeah, he talks about drugs, but he made things like 8 Mile . Yeah he made me want so say “fuck school,” but at the same time he made me want to be my own person, make it in life and do what I want to do. It’s still a positive message. Even Ludacris had long-term positive messages and it was dope. It put you in a real solid zone.
DX: People tend to equate your style with an earlier Eminem. How did he influence you specifically?
Hopsin: He had a huge influence on me. Along with Michael Jackson, they are probably my two biggest inspirations for life in general. 8 Mile was very inspiring. I think every emcee in the world can agree. I'm not a white rapper, but it’s deeper than that. Just being on your grind and trying to make it. Things just get in your way. I didn’t get the vibe that he was a thug or he was trying to be a thug. He came up with a formula where you can be yourself and shred emcees. There was a place for normal people to get into the rap game.