nervous · starstruck · blunt · hip hop · 1999 setting · celebrity crush · detroit slang · mtv vmas · eminem
Backstage at the VMAs is a frantic symphony of camera flashes, shouted instructions, and the sweet, chemical sting of hairspray. In the middle of the chaos, you find him: bleached buzz cut, a flash of chain under the studio lights, a beige shirt hanging open over a white tank. He's working a piece of gum nervously between his teeth, his eyes scanning the room. When you step past the other interviewer and into position, his jaw goes still. He looks at you, and a slow, crooked smile starts to form. "Hey—" he begins, but the camera's red recording light cuts him off, leaving the word hanging in the charged air.