Eminem Biography

(One of the Most Influential and Popular Rappers of All Time)

Birthday: October 17, 1972 (Libra)

Born In: Saint Joseph, Missouri, United States

Eminem is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter, and actor. He is considered as one of the greatest and most influential artists of all time. The 'Rolling Stone' magazine has labeled him the 'King of Hip Hop,' and listed him in its list of the '100 Greatest Artists of All Time.' He became passionate about rapping at the young age of fourteen and began attending local open-mic competitions with friends. As he grew up, he formed a group of rappers called 'D12,' which became quite popular among local music lovers. Soon, he caught the attention of famous record producer Dr. Dre, and with Dre's assistance, he released successful albums like 'The Slim Shady LP,' and 'The Marshall Mathers LP.' His albums have all been roaring hits, making him one of the biggest sensations in the rap industry. Most of his songs are based on his personal struggles with his family members and his career. This is considered by many as the USP of his albums, making them close to his fans' hearts. He has often run into trouble with the law. He is known for his explicit use of words, often sending out aggressive signals. Yet, this famous rap artiste has managed to win the hearts of critics and followers alike, bagging more than a dozen 'Grammy Awards.'

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Quick Facts

Nick Name: Slim Shady

Also Known As: Marshall Bruce Mathers III

Age: 51 Years, 51 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Kimberly Anne Scott

father: Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr.

mother: Debbie Mathers

siblings: Michael Mathers, Nathan Samra-Mathers, Sarah Mathers

children: Alaina Marie Mathers, Hailie Jade, Whitney Scott Mathers

Born Country: United States

Rappers Hip Hop Singers

Height: 5'8" (173 cm), 5'8" Males

Ancestry: Swiss American, Polish American, German American, British American

Notable Alumni: Lincoln High School

U.S. State: Missouri

Founder/Co-Founder: Shady Records

More Facts

education: Lincoln High School

Humanitarian Work: Founder of 'The Marshall Mathers Foundation'

  • 1

    What is Eminem's best-selling album?

    Eminem's best-selling album is "The Marshall Mathers LP," released in 2000, which has sold over 21 million copies in the United States.

  • 2

    What inspired Eminem to become a rapper?

    Eminem was inspired to become a rapper after listening to the Beastie Boys' album "Licensed to Ill." He was drawn to the genre and found a way to express himself through rap music.

  • 3

    How did Eminem get his stage name?

    Eminem's stage name is derived from his initials, Marshall Mathers. He used the phonetic pronunciation of "M and M" to create the moniker Eminem.

  • 4

    What was Eminem's breakthrough song?

    Eminem's breakthrough song was "My Name Is" from his debut album "The Slim Shady LP." The song introduced him to a wider audience and established his unique style and lyrical prowess.

  • 5

    How did Eminem rise to fame in the music industry?

    Eminem rose to fame in the music industry through his raw and introspective lyrics, controversial persona, and technical rap skills. His authenticity and storytelling abilities set him apart from other artists and garnered a dedicated fan base.

Childhood & Early Life

Eminem was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III in St. Joseph, Missouri, to Marshall Bruce Mathers, Jr and his wife Deborah Rae "Debbie" Nelson, on October 17, 1972.

Marshall's parents were members of 'Daddy Warbucks,' a band that used to perform at a hotel named 'Ramada Inns.' His father, Bruce, and mother, Debbie, later separated, and went on to have different partners.

Eminem has three half-siblings, Michael, Sarah, and Nate. Marshall lived with his mother, Debbie. They relocated to several cities, before settling down in Detroit, Michigan.

He grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood, where he was often bullied by African-American youngsters. As a child he showed affinity toward comics and music, particularly rapping.

He had a difficult childhood and he was never on good terms with his mother. He was, however, close to her half-brother, Ronnie. Marshall's education suffered as a result of constant tiffs with Debbie, and he dropped out of 'Lincoln High School,' when he was seventeen.

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Career

When Marshall was only fourteen years old, he joined his friend Mike Ruby to practice rapping. The two friends called themselves 'Manix' and 'M&M', the latter becoming 'Eminem' in the future.

Marshall also attended rap contests at the 'Osborn High School,' along with his friend DeShaun Dupree Holton, who later became famous as rapper Proof. The two rappers went to all such music contests at West 7 Mile, in Detroit. To excel in the art, Eminem practiced writing long words and phrases that rhymed with each other.

He initially rapped with a group called the 'New Jacks,' but later moved to 'Soul Intent,' the band that brought out a song in 1995, featuring Eminem and Proof.

The two friends later separated from ‘Soul Intent’ and formed their own group called 'D12' or 'The Dirty Dozen,' in 1996. This group included famous rappers Kon Artis and Bizarre. The group has produced several record-breaking singles like 'Fight Music,' 'Shit on You,' and 'How Come.'

In 1996, Eminem brought out his first album titled 'Infinite.' The album was recorded under the banner of 'FBT Productions,' and included songs that spoke about the struggles he faced after the birth of his daughter, at a time when he was financially unstable.

His financial condition had worsened and by 1997, he was forced to live in his mother's house with his family. During this time, to let go of the frustration building inside him, he created an anti-social alter-ego named 'Slim Shady.' He even recorded his first extended play by the same name in the same year.

In 1997, he contested in the 'Rap Olympics' and secured second place. Dr. Dre, the owner of 'Aftermath Entertainment,' heard his 'Slim Shady EP (Extended Play).' He was highly impressed with Eminem and showed keen interest in working with the talented rapper.

In February 1999, Dr. Dre helped Eminem release an album titled 'The Slim Shady LP,' which immediately catapulted him to fame. With hits like 'My Name Is,' '97 Bonnie and Clyde,' and 'Guilty Conscience,' it was one of the most successful albums of the year.

The same year, he founded the record label 'Shady Records' along with his friend Paul Rosenberg.

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In May 2000, Eminem released an album titled 'The Marshall Mathers LP', an album that sold almost 2 million copies in the opening week itself. The album included the record-breaking hit 'The Real Slim Shady', which topped the charts despite outrageously insulting other artists.

The other famous song, 'Stan', from the album ‘Marshall Mathers LP’, featuring English singer Dido, and her single 'Thank You', saw a slight shift from the artist’s usual style of rapping. It talks about an obsessed fan of rapper Slim Shady, who kills himself and his girlfriend who is pregnant, on being ignored by his idol.

The same year, the famous rapper featured in ‘8 Mile’, a movie based loosely on his life, though the artiste claims otherwise.

During 2001-2004, the famous rap artiste released popular albums like 'The Eminem Show', and 'Encore'. The albums included hit singles like 'Without Me', 'Superman', 'Mockingbird', and 'Just Lose It'. During this time he also assisted Dr. Dre on several songs including the Grammy-winning 'Forgot About Dre'.

Eminem collaborated with popular singer Elton John to sing at the 'Grammy Awards' ceremony in 2001. The organization called 'Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation' ('GLAAD'), displayed their resentment towards the decision since allegedly the rap artiste openly criticized homosexuality.

The same year, he also went touring with famous rap artists like Xzibit, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre. In 2004, the artiste helped Afeni Shakur release a posthumous album of the latter’s son rapper 2Pac.

In 2006, the rapper produced ‘The Re-Up’, an album of compiled songs, under the banner of his label ‘Shady Records’. The same year he appeared at the ‘BET Music Awards’, singing a song titled ‘Touch It’. He also sang for albums by Akon, 50 Cent, and Lil Wayne, with the most memorable song being ‘My Life’.

Two years later, in 2008, the artiste published a book named ‘The Way I Am’, which spoke about his life and career. The autobiography also provides readers with the lyrics for songs like ‘The Real Slim Shady’, and ‘Stan’.

From 2009-2010, the sensational rapper released the studio albums 'Relapse', and 'Recovery'. 'Relapse' boasts of successful singles like 'Beautiful', and 'We Made You', while 'Recovery' was the most popular digital album ever.

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The album ‘Recovery’ includes songs like 'Not Afraid', 'Love the Way You Lie', featuring singer Rihanna, and 'No Love', along with fellow rapper Lil Wayne.

In 2014 the rapper released an album named 'SHADYXV', which had hits like 'Guts Over Fear' and 'Detroit Vs. Everybody'. The album featuring various top-notch artists became an instantaneous hit, selling 138,000 copies in the first week of release.

A collection of ten discs titled 'The VINYL LPS', containing all albums produced by the famous rapper, was released in 2015. He released his ninth studio album named ‘Revival’ in December 2017. The album opened to a mixed reception but managed to top the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200. The following year, he put out his tenth studio album titled ‘Kamikaze.’ The reviews for the album were somewhere between positive and mixed. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and reached 225 million streams within a week. In 2020, he released his tenth album ‘Music to Be Murdered By’ which received positive reviews from critics. The album peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 and sold 279,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.

The rap artiste has made guest appearances in several movies including ‘The Wash’, ‘Funny People’, and ‘The Interview’. He has also been featured in a TV show named ‘Entourage’.

Eminem has also appeared in numerous concerts including the 'BET Awards', 'The Home & Home Tour' with singer Jay-Z, and 'MTV Video Music Awards', throughout his career.

Major Works

Though this rapper has won awards for almost every single album that he has released, the most famous is ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’, which is credited as the fastest-selling record in the history of rap.

Awards & Achievements

In 2001, the popular rapper was presented the 'Academy Award' in the 'Best Original Song' category for 'Lose Yourself', from the movie '8 Mile'. The award was the first ever to have been presented to a rap artiste.

This exceptional rap artiste was declared the ‘Emcee of the Year’ by the popular website ‘HipHopDX’ in 2010, while ‘MTV’ named him the ‘Hottest MC.

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Three years later, in 2013, the rapper won the title of 'YouTube Music Awards Artist of the Year', which was being presented for the first time. The same year, he was named the 'Global Icon' at the 'MTV EMA Music Awards'.

The following year, his 'The Marshall Mathers LP 2' won a 'Grammy' for 'Best Rap Album', while the song 'The Monster', featuring Rihanna, bagged the award in the 'Best Rap/Sung Collaboration' category.

This artist has won the ‘Grammy’ for almost all his albums, including 'The Slim Shady LP', 'The Marshall Mathers LP', 'The Eminem Show', 'Relapse' and 'Recovery’, receiving the honor fifteen times.

Family & Personal Life

At the age of fifteen, the rapper became friends with Kimberley Anne Scott, who had run away with her sister Dawn and was living with Eminem's mother. The two young people fell in love and gave birth to a daughter, Hailie in 1995. He also has 2 more children named Stevie and Alaina. 

Kim and the talented rap artiste got married in 1999, but the relationship has always been turbulent, with the couple getting divorced and remarried several times. In 2000, this brilliant rapper appeared on the front page of 'The Source' magazine, becoming the first white singer to have the honor.

In 2008, the famous rapper's mother published a book titled 'My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem', which is an autobiographical account of how she raised her son, and saw his rise to fame.

The rapper has openly accepted his dependence on drugs like Valium, Vicodin, Methadone, and Ambien. His addiction became so strong that on one occasion, he binged on fast food, leading to excessive weight increase. In another instance, he passed out in his washroom as a result of a Methadone overdose and had to be hospitalized.

The artiste's lyrics are often considered homophobic, and he has fallen into trouble many times due to his songs, but he claims that they are just songs and that he has no objection to people being homosexuals.

This artiste has established the 'The Marshall Mathers Foundation', a charitable organization to help underprivileged young adults. The establishment receives assistance from attorney Norman Yatooma's charitable trust.

Facts About Eminem

Eminem is a talented artist not only in music but also in visual arts. He is known for his skill in drawing and has created various artworks over the years.

Despite his public persona, Eminem is known to be a devoted father to his three daughters, whom he often references in his music as a source of inspiration and motivation.

Eminem holds the Guinness World Record for the most words in a hit single hit. His song "Rap God" contains a total of 1,560 words words in just over six minutes.

Eminem has a passion for collecting action figures and has an extensive collection that he has curated over the years. He often incorporates his love for action figures into his music videos and performances.

In addition to his music career, Eminem is also an accomplished actor, having starred in the critically acclaimed film "8 Mile," which is loosely based on his own life story.

Awards

Academy Awards(Oscars)
2003 Best Music, Original Song 8 Mile (2002)
MTV Movie & TV Awards
2003 Breakthrough Male Performance 8 Mile (2002)
2003 Best Male Performance 8 Mile (2002)
People's Choice Awards
2011 Favorite Song Winner
2011 Favorite Hip-Hop Artist Winner
2011 Favorite Music Video Winner
Billboard Music Award
2011 Top Rap Song Winner
Grammy Awards
2015 Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Winner
2015 Best Rap Album Winner
2011 Best Rap Solo Performance Winner
2011 Best Rap Album Winner
2010 Best Rap Album Winner
2010 Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group Winner
2004 Best Rap Song Winner
2004 Best Male Rap Solo Performance Winner
2004 Best Rap Solo Performance - Male Winner
2003 Best Short Form Music Video Winner
2003 Best Rap Album Winner
2003 Best Short Form Music Video Eminem: Without Me (2002)
2001 Best Rap Album Winner
2001 Best Rap Solo Performance Winner
2001 Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group Winner
2000 Best Rap Album Winner
2000 Best Rap Solo Performance Winner
ASCAP Film And Television Music Awards
2004 Most Performed Song from a Motion Picture 8 Mile (2002)
MTV Video Music Awards
2010 Best Hip-Hop Video Eminem: Not Afraid (2010)
2010 Best Male Video Eminem: Not Afraid (2010)
2009 Best Hip-Hop Video Eminem: We Made You (2009)
2003 Best Video from a Film 8 Mile (2002)
2003 Best Video from a Film Eminem: Lose Yourself (2002)
2002 Best Rap Video Eminem: Without Me (2002)
2002 Best Male Video Eminem: Without Me (2002)
2002 Video of the Year Eminem: Without Me (2002)
2000 Video of the Year Eminem: The Real Slim Shady (2000)
2000 Best Male Video Eminem: The Real Slim Shady (2000)
1999 Best New Artist in a Video Eminem: My Name Is (1999)
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