Eminem credits rap career launch to 'Stretch and Bobbito' college radio show [VIDEO]

Marshall Mathers has been a popular hip-hop act in his native Detroit but his international rap career was launched in New York City after performing for a college radio program based in Columbia University.

A documentary film about the now-defunct “Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show” on WKCR-FM (89.9 FM) revealed an unseen footage of Mathers performing at the show on Aug. 20, 1998. The college radio program was created by disk jockey Adrian Bartos and Bobby Garcia in a low-budget studio at the Columbia University campus in New York.

“For me to be able to go to New York was like just mind-blowing,” Eminem recounted on the for-sale documentary film, portion of which was published Thursday on video-sharing site Vimeo.

Coming from Detroit, we always have felt like underdogs and [appearing on] ‘Stretch and Bobbito’ was our dream. The fact that we had a chance to be on it was so crazy,” the best-selling rap artist said.

Aside from Eminem, “Stretch and Bobbito” introduced unknown artists-turned-rap-icons like Jay-Z, Biggie Smalls, Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Fat Joe, Big Pun, DMX and the Fugees. The unsigned young rappers were given a chance to be heard and make a name for themselves in the music industry through the late-night radio program.

“That was certainly a highlight and a boost obviously for my career but also with my self-esteem at that time, like ‘yow, we’ve made it. This is it,’” Eminem added.

The 98-minute documentary film titled “Stretch and Bobbito: Radio that Changed Lives” was released in October 2015. It is being sold for US$4.99 (AU$6.49).

According to documentary film producers Garcia and Bartos, “the total record sales of all the artists that premiered on their show had exceeded US$300 million (AU$390 million).

The "Stretch and Bobbito" show airs via online streaming on Samsung 837NYC.

WATCH: Eminem rap demo on ‘Stretch and Bobbito’ dated Aug. 20, 1998