In the new documentary, ”How Music Got Free” on Paramount+, Eminem reminisces on the times when music was just starting to get leaked and shares how afraid he was someone was going to steal his newly recorded material.

Eminem:
The kids… They want the music. And they don’t want you to tell them how to listen to it, when and where.

Paul Rosenberg:
Marshall was very hesitant to ever let his music leave the studio that was unreleased.

Eminem describes how in order to show his recorded sessions to Paul, he would be recording new material on physical CDs and then send them in large boxes hidden among a variety of random objects.

He mentions how at one time he would put the CD in a tampon box because he could be sure that nobody would look inside a tampon box.

[Eminem asks Paul] What?
Paul Rosenberg:
Post-traumatic leak disorder
Eminem:
Yeah, I had post-traumatic leak disorder [laughs]

Speaking about the Eminem Show album Eminem shares:

That was my first album that suffered, so it was devastating to me. Like uuuggghh, I just did all that for nothing!

The film contains interview of both Jimmy Iovine and Eminem trying to explain that, because of the leaking, Marshall had to reconsider what kind of music he should put out and whether or not to take another approach. So it was really frustrating for the artist. Plus it threw the whole marketing campaign in the dumpster. At the same time, the paid version of the album had many bonus materials that fans would surely enjoy.

It is for this reason that the Eminem Show was pushed ahead of time. and Eminem’s team did all they could to save the record from completely failing.