The setting was Only in Monroe, a local cable access show in the small town of Monroe, Michigan, located 25 miles south of Detroit and home to just over 20,000 people, according to the 2010 census.

Colbert popped up as a special guest on the show, interviewing (and drinking wine with) the usual hosts, Michelle Bowman and Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson.

After reading the news, Colbert introduces "a local Michigander who is making a name for himself in the competitive world of music," Eminem (scroll to the 21:55 mark for the start of the interview).

The pair trade barbs for the last 20 minutes of the show, with Colbert in full character. After grilling Eminem on Bob Seger songs, he quizzes him on his career as if he's never heard of him, asking if he's more "sing-songy rap like Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, or more street, like Will Smith."

The interview never strays from the absurd tone, with Colbert admonishing Eminem to set up a retirement fund and eventually talking about his work on the soundtrack of upcoming boxing movie, Southpaw (when they cut to an alleged clip from the film, it's a black and white video of two cats wearing boxing gloves tussling in a miniature ring to the sound of Eminem's song, "Phenomenon").