In a recent interview that quickly turned nostalgic, Tyler, the Creator took a deep dive into his Eminem fandom while chatting with none other than the legendary Nardwuar. Known for digging up the most obscure gems from an artist’s past, Nardwuar brought back a hilarious and iconic moment from 2011—The Eminem Show-themed urinal mat.
Back in that original interview, Tyler lit up when Nardwuar gifted him the bizarre piece of merch. “We are making this!” Tyler shouted with excitement. Flash forward to now, and with the release of his latest project, “Chromakopia,” fans are noticing a curious similarity between some of the new merch and that very urinal mat moment. Coincidence? Nardwuar doesn’t think so—and honestly, neither do we.
But the highlight wasn’t just the merch callback. Tyler launched into a passionate, off-the-cuff discussion about “The Eminem Show” and its release history, trying to pinpoint whether it dropped on May 23 or May 28, 2002. He even recalled how Interscope had to move the date up due to early leaks, showing just how much of a genuine Stan he still is. “Wow, what a great album,” he said, mid-conversation, clearly still in awe of Em’s early-2000s classic.
It’s rare to see an artist like Tyler so openly geek out, especially about something as specific as the release strategy of a 2002 Eminem album. But that’s exactly what makes the moment special—it’s not performative nostalgia, it’s real. Whether or not the urinal mat directly inspired Chromakopia merch, the influence of “The Eminem Show” is clearly still alive in Tyler’s mind.
