Stephen Colbert is officially taking over on the Late Show in September but, to make sure he still has the hosting skills –and probably to ensure that no one forgets about him in the meantime — he hosted a much smaller show.
In a hilarious, and very odd interview, Colbert, 51, sat down with none other than rapper Eminem, 42, on the unheard of public access television show, Only in Monroe.
Colbert introduced the show stating that he was sitting in for the regular hosts and explaining that he was “itching” to host again, so he took over Only in Monroe and then brought out Michigan native, Eminem (whose real name is Marshal Mathers) about halfway through the 40-minute talk show.
The ensuing interview was strange. Colbert asked Eminem about his “musical influences” and then named off artists who weren’t even in his genre. Eminem seemed baffled by the questions; however, it’s hard to tell if he was in on the joke.
Colbert also seemed to confuse the rapper when he asked him if rapping was more of a “career or a hobby” and then asked him if he had a “fall back position” like HVAC planned out. Eminem, who has 15 Grammys to his name and multiple hit albums, stated, “I am so confused right now. I’m trying to figure out if you’re serious or…” “I’m serious,” Colbert said with a straight-face. “There’s a certain point you have to be humble and say maybe it doesn’t happen for you.”
Whether it was a prank that Eminem was in on or not, Colbert definitely succeeded in having people buzzing about his hosting abilities once again.
Watch the hilarious interview below!