Eminem Refused All Interviews This Week — Instead He Mailed a Single Black Cassette to Ozzy’s Memorial
Inside was one chilling track, looping exactly 13 times — a hidden verse he once promised never to release.

Eminem Refused All Interviews This Week — Instead He Mailed a Single Black Cassette to Ozzy’s Memorial

In a week marked by the somber farewell to heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away on July 22, 2025, at the age of 76, the music world was left reeling from another enigmatic gesture by rap icon Eminem. Known for his provocative artistry and reclusive tendencies, Eminem, born Marshall Mathers, declined all interview requests following Osbourne’s death. Instead, he sent a cryptic package to the memorial service held in Birmingham, England—a single black cassette tape, unlabeled, containing a chilling track that looped precisely 13 times. Within it was a hidden verse, one Eminem had vowed never to release, sparking a wave of speculation and intrigue among fans and critics alike.

A Silent Tribute in a Noisy World

Eminem’s decision to forego interviews is not entirely surprising. The 51-year-old rapper has long maintained a complex relationship with fame, often retreating from the public eye to let his music speak for itself. However, his choice to send a black cassette to Osbourne’s memorial—a gesture both theatrical and deeply personal—has captured the attention of the music community. The cassette arrived at the Birmingham memorial procession, where thousands gathered to honor Osbourne, accompanied by a simple note: “For Ozzy. From Marshall.” No further explanation was provided, leaving mourners and media to dissect the meaning behind this mysterious tribute.

The cassette’s contents were revealed only when a close associate of the Osbourne family played it during a private gathering after the public procession. The track, described as haunting and raw, featured Eminem’s unmistakable voice delivering a single verse that seemed to bridge his own struggles with those of Osbourne. The verse, shrouded in secrecy, was reportedly a piece Eminem had written years ago but swore never to share publicly due to its intensely personal nature. Its inclusion on a tape looping 13 times—a number often associated with superstition and darkness—has fueled theories about its significance, with some suggesting it was a nod to Osbourne’s fascination with the occult and others interpreting it as a reflection of Eminem’s own battles with addiction and loss.

The Eminem-Ozzy Connection

The connection between Eminem and Osbourne may seem unlikely at first glance—one a Detroit-born rapper, the other a Birmingham-bred heavy metal pioneer. Yet, their paths have crossed in meaningful ways, most notably through Eminem’s 2010 track “Going Through Changes” from his album Recovery. The song prominently sampled Black Sabbath’s 1972 ballad “Changes,” a piano-driven meditation on heartbreak and transformation written by Osbourne and his bandmates. Eminem’s use of the sample was more than a musical choice; it was a tribute to Osbourne’s vulnerability, which resonated deeply with Eminem during his own recovery from addiction. In a 2010 interview with Complex, producer Emile Haynie recounted how Eminem instantly connected with the Black Sabbath track, recognizing its emotional weight as a perfect fit for his reflections on loss, addiction, and family.

Osbourne, for his part, never objected to the sample, despite some Black Sabbath fans’ initial skepticism about a hip-hop artist borrowing from their icon. This mutual respect laid the foundation for a quiet but profound bond between the two artists. Sources close to Eminem suggest that he viewed Osbourne as a kindred spirit—a survivor who had faced personal demons and emerged, scarred but resilient. Eminem’s spoken-word eulogy at Osbourne’s funeral, delivered in a Birmingham chapel, further underscored this connection. Described as a raw blend of rap and poetry, the eulogy moved attendees to tears, weaving together stories of late-night conversations where the two discussed pain, survival, and redemption.

The Black Cassette: A Symbol of Secrecy

The black cassette itself is a curious artifact in 2025, a time when physical media has largely been replaced by streaming platforms. Eminem’s choice to use a cassette recalls his earlier efforts to protect his unreleased music from leaks. In a 2025 article, Koimoi detailed how Eminem once mailed unreleased tracks to his manager, Paul Rosenberg, hidden inside tampon boxes to deter theft—a tactic dubbed “Post-Traumatic Leak Disorder”. The black cassette, with its retro aesthetic and air of secrecy, seems to channel this same paranoia and protectiveness, suggesting that the hidden verse was something Eminem guarded closely.

The number 13 adds another layer of intrigue. In music and mythology, 13 is often associated with mystery, rebellion, or the supernatural—themes central to both Eminem’s and Osbourne’s careers. Some fans speculate that the looping track was a deliberate echo of Osbourne’s fascination with the macabre, while others believe it represents Eminem’s attempt to process his grief through repetition, a motif in his music that mirrors his obsessive lyrical style. The verse itself, though not yet publicly released, is rumored to address themes of mortality, regret, and the weight of legacy, with lines that blur the line between Eminem’s voice and Osbourne’s influence.

A Verse Too Personal to Share

Eminem’s promise to never release the hidden verse has only deepened the mystery. In his career, Eminem has often used his music to confront personal pain, from his tumultuous relationship with his mother to his struggles with addiction and fame. Yet, this unreleased verse seems to occupy a unique space—too raw, too vulnerable, or perhaps too revealing to share with the world. Fans on platforms like X have theorized that the verse may reference Eminem’s own near-death experience with a methadone overdose in 2007, a period he chronicled in Recovery. Others suggest it could be a direct address to Osbourne, a final farewell to a man who inspired him to persevere.

The decision to loop the track 13 times may also hold symbolic weight. In numerology, 13 is often seen as a number of transformation or upheaval, fitting for a tribute to Osbourne, whose life was marked by dramatic highs and lows. Some fans have pointed to Eminem’s 2024 album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), which explores themes of closure and rebirth, as a possible clue. The album’s conceptual structure, meant to be listened to in order, tells the story of Eminem confronting and retiring his alter ego, Slim Shady. Could the black cassette be an extension of this narrative, a private epilogue dedicated to Osbourne?

The Public’s Reaction

The news of Eminem’s cassette has sparked a frenzy online, with fans and critics debating its meaning. On X, posts range from admiration for Eminem’s unconventional tribute to speculation about whether the track will ever be released. Some have called it a masterstroke of storytelling, consistent with Eminem’s history of using cryptic gestures to engage his audience, as seen in his 2025 documentary Stans, which explores his relationship with his fanbase. Others view it as a deeply personal act, a refusal to let the media commodify his grief.

Critics, however, have questioned whether the cassette is a publicity stunt, pointing to Eminem’s history of leveraging controversy for attention. A 2013 article on What Went Wrong With… accused Eminem of being an overhyped media creation, suggesting his provocative actions are calculated to maintain relevance. Yet, those close to Eminem insist this gesture was genuine, a reflection of his respect for Osbourne and his discomfort with public mourning.

A Legacy of Defiance

Eminem’s black cassette is more than a tribute; it’s a testament to the shared defiance that defined both his and Osbourne’s careers. Both artists built their legacies on challenging norms—Osbourne as the wild frontman of Black Sabbath, Eminem as the controversial voice of hip-hop. Their music, though worlds apart, spoke to the marginalized, the broken, and the resilient. By sending a cassette instead of granting interviews, Eminem honored Osbourne in a way that felt authentic: private, unconventional, and unapologetically raw.

As the music world continues to mourn Osbourne, the black cassette remains a haunting enigma. Will the hidden verse ever see the light of day? Or will it remain locked in the vault of Eminem’s psyche, a secret shared only with the Prince of Darkness? For now, the cassette stands as a symbol of their unlikely bond—a reminder that even in grief, art can speak louder than words.