T.I. Thanks Eminem for Help Overcoming Substance Abuse

While struggling to overcome an addiction to painkillers, T.I. got a helping hand from Eminem, who told the Live Your Life emcee about what he dealt with during his own battle with substance abuse, Billboard reported Monday.

I heard that while I was down, he was trying to get in contact with me, but I don't know if the dots just didn't connect, admitted T.I., who said he became dependent on oxycontin and hydrocodone after having surgery on his mouth in 2010. [Eminem] overcoming his own adversities, winning the battle against his own demons and continuing to break the mold and re-set the standard of what it means to be the most successful hip-hop artist in the game ... I salute that to no end.

T.I. maintained that even if he hasn't touched base with Eminem since getting out of prison on Sept. 29, the Lose Yourself rapper deserves merit as an enormous supporter, but as supportive as Eminem was, there was only one person who had the power get his life back on track.

It starts with you on the inside, said T.I. I can give all the advice in the world, but at the end of the day you just got to make that decision internally with yourself.