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HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 09: Eminem performs onstage during the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on February 09, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
The Reason Some Are Convinced Eminem Is
A Clone
By LORENZO TANO
History - Science
Whether living or dead, pop musicians tend to be the subject of conspiracy theories claiming that they have been replaced by clones. This is the case for the rapper Eminem, who is said to have been cloned in 2006 — right in the middle of a five year gap between albums and around the time he entered rehab for his dependence on sleep medication.
One version of the clone theory comes from the Spanish-language website La Guia del Varon, which posits that Eminem actually died in 2006 and was replaced by an android. It points to photos showing how Eminem’s face has thinned over time as well as his switch to a darker wardrobe, but these are likely just effects of normal aging and shifts in personal style.
Another line of “evidence” for the clone theory comes from a 2013 BBC Radio 1 interview that Eminem did with Zane Lowe. Towards the end of the interview, the rapper tells Lowe to “stay out of my head” before staring at the screen for a few moments with his mouth open, which led online conspiracy theorists to claim that this was the Eminem clone “glitching” in front of the camera.
As far fetched as it may seem, the Eminem clone theory doesn’t show signs of going away. In fact, it experienced a revival in 2017 after the YouTube conspiracy theorist Vrillex reposted the “glitching” clip, and the Canadian rapper Tom MacDonald has made an entire song called “Cloned Rappers” in which he claims that Eminem and other rappers have been replaced.