Is this Eminem's most awkward interview ever?

Eminem being interviewed Stephen Colbert.

He's not exactly a forthcoming interview subject, but Eminem has found himself in one of his most awkward TV moments yet.

The superstar rapper was a guest on Stephen Colbert's one-off appearance on Michigan public access show Only in Monroe - and things got very random.

It's likely the interview was orchestrated to take a surreal turn, but at one point, Eminem stops the interview and tells Colbert: "I can't tell if you're serious right now."

Watch the video below (Eminem features at the 22-minute mark):

Colbert started the 20-minute interview by asking Eminem if he made music that was "more like Bone Thugs N Harmony or Will Smith".

"I like Bone Thugs and Will Smith ... somewhere in the middle," Eminem replied.

Colbert also asked Eminem if he had "feat'd" on anyone else's records, asked him to spread an anti-swearing message among the rap community and played a video of cats fighting instead of the trailer for the new movie Southpaw.

He also asked Eminem, one of the most successful rap artists in history, if he "had plans for when the dream dies".

Eminem replied: "I'm so confused right now ... I'm trying to figure out if you're serious ... I've put out, like, quite a few albums."

The mock-awkwardness reminds of the series Between Two Ferns - and there seemed to be a nod to the Zach Galifianakis web series with a fern in the middle of Colbert's low-budget set.

While it's likely Eminem was in on Colbert's joke, previous TV appearances haven't gone so well.

Colbert is set to take over from David Letterman on The Late Show in September.

- nzherald.co.nz