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{{Infobox musical artist
| Name = Eminem
| Img = Eminem2004NBAFinals.JPG
| Img_size =
| Background = Rapper
| Birth_name = Marshall Bruce Mathers III
| Alias = Slim Shady
| Born = ] ] ], ], ]
| Died =
| Origin = ], ]
| Instrument = Vocals
| Genre = ]
| Occupation = ]<br/>]<br/>]
| Years_active = ] — ]
| Label = ]/]/]
| Associated_acts = ]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]
| URL = <!--Only include the official website, no others-->
| Notable_instruments =
}}

'''Marshall Bruce Mathers III''' (born ] ]), better known as '''Eminem''', is an ] ] and ] Winning ], ], and ] from ].

He has sold over 70 million albums worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.tv/mtv.tv/dynamo/shells/artist_of_the_week.jhtml;jsessionid=GYCT1VPRA0ZFDQFIAIISFE4AVABBEIV0?article=30113358 | title=Eminem|publisher=MTV.tv|accesdate=2007-03-12}}</ref>He was discovered by pioneer gangsta rapper and producer ], who signed him to his ] label.

Nobel Laureate ] has praised Mathers for his "verbal energy" and for arousing popular interest in poetry and lyrics.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3033614.stm</ref> Eminem is infamous for the controversy surrounding many of his lyrics. With the enormous success of his highly acclaimed album '']'' and its subsequent nomination for four Grammy awards including Album of the Year, critics such as ] denounced his lyrics as ] and ], while others protested that it promoted violence.<ref name="GLAAD99">{{cite web|title=GLAAD: Eminem's Hate Lyrics |url=http://www.glaad.org/action/campaigns_detail.php?id=3304 |publisher=GLAAD}}</ref>

==Biography==
===Early career===
Born in ], ], <ref>http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0872608.html</ref> and raised in Detroit, Eminem was interested in hip hop from a young age. Eminem began performing as early as 13, later gaining some local attention with the group ] in 1995. In 1997, he released an independent underground album named '']''. The album received no airplay and a mixed response from critics, with people claiming Eminem's rapping style sounded too similar to Nas and AZ. It was after this that drugs, drama, and negativity spread in his life. Eminem followed ''Infinite'' with ''The Slim Shady EP'', which saw his lyrics take a decidedly darker turn, in songs like "No One's Iller" and "Murder Murder", the latter of which he talks about having to feed his daughter. After this album he received much attention in the hip hop underground some of it positive and some of it negative because of his distinctive style and the fact that he was white in a predominantly black genre.

Eminem had done a notable amount with fellow Detroit MC ] early in his career. They referred to themselves as Bad Meets Evil, with Eminem playing the Evil and Royce playing the Bad in the song of the same name. Royce da 5'9" and Eminem were considered to be two of the best underground MCs in Detroit and were both respected for their skills.

While Royce and Eminem were great friends and had mutual respect for one another, both personally and musically, they eventually had a falling out. Recent rumors suggest that the argument was subdued prior to ]'s death.

===Success===
]'']]

At Aftermath/Interscope, Mathers released '']'', which went on to be one of the most popular albums of 1999, going ] by the end of the year. With the album's popularity came controversy surrounding many of the album's lyrics. In "'97 Bonnie and Clyde", he describes a trip with his infant daughter, disposing of the body of his wife. Another song, "Guilty Conscience", ends with him encouraging a man to murder his wife and her lover. "Guilty Conscience" also marked the beginning of the powerful friendship and musical bond that Dr. Dre and Eminem would share. The two label-mates would later collaborate on a line of hit songs, including "]" and "What's the Difference" from Dr. Dre's album ].

]

''The ]'' was released in May 2000. Breaking the sophomore curse, it quickly sold two million copies. It was Eminem's fastest selling album to date. <ref>http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5923810/eminem_bounces_britney_from_top_spot</ref>. The first single released from the album,'']'', was a huge hit, thanks in part to the catchy rhythm and chorus line, "Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?" (adapted from the catch phrase of the TV quiz show '']''). It also created some buzz by insulting celebrities and making dubious claims about them; he implies, among other things, that ] performed ] on ] (of ]) and ] (of ]'s '']''). In his second single, "]", he reveals to his fans the pressures from his record company to top "My Name Is" and sell more records, and dismisses the alleged controversial link between music such as that of ] and shootings such as ] as absurd, instead blaming the parents. In the third single, "]" (which samples ]'s "]"), Eminem attempts to deal with his new-found fame, taking on the perspective of a deranged fan who kills himself and his pregnant girlfriend, mirroring "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" on ''The Slim Shady LP''.
]'']]

Mathers' third major album, '']'', was released in summer 2002 and proved to be another smash hit for the rapper shooting to number one on the charts and selling well over 1 million copies in its first week of release. It featured the single "]", an apparent sequel to "The Real Slim Shady", in which he makes derogatory comments about ]s, ], ], and ], among others. The album reflected on the impact of his rise to fame, his relationship with his wife and daughter, and his status in the hip-hop community. He also addresses the charges he faced over assaulting a ] he saw kissing his wife in 2000. While there is clear anger present on several tracks, this album was considerably less inflammatory than the previous, and as such did not face any protests of misogyny and homophobia that had plagued ''The Marshall Mathers LP''.

The year 2004 saw the release of Mathers' fourth major album, '']''. The album was another chart-topper for the rapper, driven by the single "]", notable for its lampooning of ]. Despite the comedic theme of the lead single, ''Encore'' also had its fair share of serious subject matter, including the anti-war track "]". By the end of 2005 Mathers was back with a new single, "]", recorded for the greatest-hits set '']''. Eminem often said that one of his most influential rappers in his career was ], during an interview for the '']'' documentary.<ref>http://www.mtv.com/bands/t/tupac/news_feature_102703/</ref>

===Drug use===
]'']]

Mathers is no stranger to drugs and alcohol, as suggested by a large number of his songs, including "Drug Ballad", "These Drugs" (with ]) and "Under the Influence". The song "I'm Shady" (''The Slim Shady LP'', 1999) includes the explanatory line "well, I do take pills (], acid, or prescription drugs), don't do ] / don't do crack, don't do ] / I do smoke ] / don't do ] / I do do ], do drink ] / I just wanna make a few things clear". Other tracks, such as "]", do suggest cocaine use. However, with a sentence of two years of probation taking effect in 2001, during which he was subject to mandatory regular drug testing, his recreational drug use was put to an end. This is supported with references to his drug use in his music all-but disappearing after 2001, and comments by late band-mate Proof, who stated that Mathers "sobered up".<ref>http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1452709/03012002/eminem.jhtml</ref> However, he did turn to ] ] for relief of sleeping troubles and eventually went to rehab to recover from the addiction. In summer 2005, Mathers embarked on his first U.S. concert run in three years, the Anger Management 3 Tour, featuring ], ] and G-Unit, D12, ], ], and others. In August 2005, Mathers canceled the European leg of the tour and subsequently announced that he had entered ] for treatment for a "dependency on sleep medication".<ref>http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/theshallowend/200508/s1441976.htm</ref>

===Remarriage and second divorce===
Mathers remarried ] on ], ] in Michigan. His best man was longtime friend and ] member ], while Kim's maid of honor was their daughter Hailie Mathers. They walked down the aisle to Mathers' song "Mockingbird". Guests at the wedding included the other members of D12, as well as the members of ]. Kim's mother attended the wedding, while Mathers' mother did not. However, less than 11 weeks after remarrying, the couple filed for divorce at the ] office,<ref>http://www.chocolatemagazinefuck.co.uk/news.php?article=342</ref> citing "a breakdown in the marriage relationship" (which, in Michigan, is the only reason one can give for cause of divorce). On ], ], the news was leaked to the '']'' and ]'s '']''. In addition, Mathers was romantically linked with "The best selling female artist of the 1990s" ]. She denies they ever officially dated. Mathers states that they dated for 6 or 7 months and "she was too diva". <ref>http://www.exposay.com/eminem-says-he-dated-mariah-carey-for-six-months/v/5827/</ref>

===Recent events===
]''.]]

In 2005, some industry insiders speculated that Mathers was considering ending his rapping career after six years and several multi-platinum albums. Speculation began in early 2005 about a double-disc album to be released late that year, rumored to be titled ''The Funeral''. <ref>http://www.1strowseats.com/blog/?p=32</ref> The album manifested itself under the name ''],'' and was released on ], ] under Aftermath Entertainment.

In July 2005, the ''Detroit Free Press'' broke news of a potential final bow for Mathers as a solo performer, quoting members of his inside circle who said that he will begin to fully embrace the role of producer and label executive. The ''Free Press'', Mathers' hometown paper, wrote that the aptly titled ''Encore'' album would now stand as his final solo album.<ref>http://www.freep.com/entertainment/music/encore15e_20050715.htm</ref>

Mathers announced via '']'' that he does not plan on retiring soon, though he is planning on taking a break to produce music. <ref>http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1506087/20050721/eminem.jhtml</ref> He is still uncertain whether another album will be released, but his career has not come to a full stop. He is continuing to work out of the spotlight, including producing the ] album ''Red Gone Wild''.

At "Anger Management" in ] and Atlanta's HiFi Buys Amphitheater, he openly announced that he is not retiring and indicates this is all just gossip by saying the moon exploding is a more credible rumor. However, many still speculate that he will be retiring and the announcement at Madison Square Garden was only a ploy to distract the fans.

Adding to the already feverish rumors from fans, Mathers released a track on ''Curtain Call'' entitled "When I'm Gone". The lyrics feature the topic of Slim Shady's destructive power over Marshall Mathers' life, and talks of laying his ] to rest, one line featuring the lyrics "I turn around, find a gun on the ground, cock it/ Put it to my brain, scream 'Die Shady!' and pop it. *gun fires*"

]'' (2006)]]

On ], ], the day of ''Curtain Call''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s release, Mathers denied that he was retiring on Detroit-based WKQI's "Mojo in the Mornin'" radio show, but implied that he would at least be taking a break as an artist, saying, "I'm at a point in my life right now where I feel like I don't know where my career is going… This is the reason that we called it 'Curtain Call,' because this could be the final thing. We don't know."<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-People-Eminem.html</ref>

Eminem has had some activity since the release of ''Curtain Call.'' Eminem also rapped a verse in a live performance of ]' "Touch It" remix at the 2006 BET Music Awards on ], ].

On ], ], ] released '']''. Eminem produced 8 tracks on the album. He was also featured in the song "There They Go".

Eminem is featured in a new ] single "]" which appeared on ]'s new album ]. He also appears in the video with a new tattoo and a green polo. According to Akon, Eminem has canceled his retirement plans and is making a new album. He said, "Eminem told me he was getting bored with everything, which is why he took a break. But he's back working on an album and I've got some records ready for him to use on it. We've talked about doing something together for so long, but our schedules made it impossible. It was our chemistry that got him out of retirement".<ref>http://www.teenmusic.com/d.asp?r=135889&c=1020</ref> On November 19, "Smack That" topped the ] and claimed Eminem his 7th UK Number One Single. In December 2006, it was nominated for "]" at the ].
Producer Swizz Beatz has also said in an interview that he has sent some new tracks to Eminem. <ref>http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.4371/title.swizz-beatz-talks-work-with-eminem-2pac</ref>

Eminem will be featured on ]'s new Album ] on a song called "Off The Wall".

Eminem was set to appear on ]'s 2006 album ''Everready: The Religion'' on track entitled "My World" along with Tech and ], but it has been said that the passing of Proof prevented Eminem from contributing his verse.

On ], ], Eminem released an album compilation entitled '']'' which features artists from the Shady Records roster. The first single released was "]" which features ], ] and new artist ]. Eminem has plans to release his fifth solo Aftermath album around November 2007.

Mathers has stated that he is taking a break from solo work, but continues to produce and collaborate with fellow Aftermath artists, as well as rappers under his ] label. ] has praised Eminem on many occasions claiming he is amongst legendary music stars such as ] and ].<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4423941.stm</ref>

==Controversies==
''See main article:'' ]

==Other works and ventures==
====Eminem as an actor====
]'' poster]]

Mathers made his ] acting debut with the semi-autobiographical '']'', released in November 2002. He has said the movie is not an account of his life, but a representation of growing up in Detroit. He recorded several new songs for the soundtrack, including "]", which won an ] for ]; it was not performed at the ceremony, reportedly because ] wanted him to perform an edited version.

Mathers voiced a character in ], who is an semi-aging corrupt police officer that speaks in ebonics.

Mathers has also done some ], both on '']'' and a web cartoon called ''The Slim Shady Show'', which has since been pulled off-line and is instead sold on DVD.

Eminem will star in the upcoming film '']'' in which he will play a bounty hunter called '']''. He will also be involved in either the soundtrack or scoring. <ref>http://news.usti.net/home/news/cn/?/living.tv/1/wed/bd/Uus-eminem.R_Ti_GuD.html</ref>

====Shady Records====
Dr. Dre's leading protégé, Mathers succeeded in multi-platinum record sales. He was granted his own record label, a sub-label of ]. He and his manager Paul Rosenberg created Shady Records in late 2000. Mathers and Dr. Dre had signed 50 Cent on a joint venture between Aftermath & Shady Records. His own Detroit collective ] and rapper ] were signed to the Shady Records label. In 2003, Mathers and Dr. Dre signed on ] rapper ] to the Shady/Aftermath roster. ], the former ] for Mathers, was signed to Shady Records until a dispute with 50 Cent forced him to depart from the label; he is no longer associated with Mathers. <ref>http://www.ballerstatus.net/news/read/id/91991464/</ref> ] is now officially Mathers' tour deejay. In 2005, Mathers officially signed another Atlanta rapper known as ] to his label along with west coast rapper Ca$his.
In the Anger Management Tour of 2003 ] hurt his wrist, preventing him from being the tour's DJ. Clinton Sparks filled in for him, with the rectom playing and his name is mentioned on the album numerous times.

====Eminem as a producer====
Mathers is also active as a ] of rap records. Besides being the executive producer of D12's two albums, '']'' and '']'', he has also executive produced Obie Trice's '']'' and '']'' as well as 50 Cent's '']'' and '']''. In addition, Mathers has produced and appeared on several songs by other famous rappers, such as ]' "Welcome To D-Block", ]'s "Renagade" and "Moment of Clarity" ]' "Warrior Part 2", and "Hands Up", ]'s "Drama Setter", Trick Trick's "Welcome 2 Detroit", and Xzibit's "My Name" and "Don't Approach Me". Most of ''The Eminem Show'' was produced by Mathers himself, with co-production from longtime collaborator ]. He also split the production with Dr. Dre on ''Encore''. In 2004, Mathers was the Executive Producer of ]'s posthumous album '']'' with 2Pac's mother ]. He produced the UK #1 single "]" which featured ]. On certain tracks on the album, 2Pac's voice was slowed down and digitally altered to match the beat and make him say things like "2005" and "G-Unit", angering many fans. Mathers has named 2Pac as his favorite rapper. He has also produced "The Cross" off ]'s album '']''.

{{see also|List of songs Produced by Eminem}}

====Eminem in D12====
{{main|D12}}

In 2001, Mathers brought his rap group, ], to the popular music scene. In 2001, D12 released their hit debut album ''Devil's Night''.

The first single released off of the album was "]" (radio named "Purple Hills"), an ode to recreational drug use (although this was preceded in the UK by a song called "]", which was included on the special edition version of the album). The version of the song released on the radio and music television was heavily rewritten to remove many of the song's obscene lyrics, and renamed "Purple Hills". While the first single was a massive hit, the album's second single, "]", was not as successful, in part due to its timing in relation to the 9/11 attacks.

After their debut, D12 took a three-year break from the studio, later regrouping to release their sophomore album, '']'', in 2004, which featured the popular hit single release "My Band". The other members of D12 have also appeared as guests on all of Mathers' albums since ''The Marshall Mathers LP''. D12's third album was tentatively scheduled for a 2006 release. D12 member ] had said that the crew had spent time in the studio. However, it can be expected that the album may be postponed due to the untimely death of D12 member ]. The news has since been released that the album, ], will be released June 12, 2007.

==Death of Proof==
{{main|Proof (rapper)}}
] in "]"]]

On ], ], Proof was killed by a fatal gunshot wound to the head at approximately 4:30am ] (08:30 ]) at the ] on ] in ], ] after fatally shooting U.S. military veteran Keith Bender, Jr.

Proof was buried on ], ] in The Fellowship Chapel, Detroit to a full house of 2,000 with thousands mourning outside. Mathers and ] both read ] at the service.

An excerpt: "I'm sure everybody who has ever met him, even just once, can testify to the fact that he illuminated a room when he walked in it. I believe that Proof loved people and people loved him. He was a magnet. He lured you in. You wanted to learn about him, follow his swagger. Without Proof, there would be no Eminem, no Slim Shady, and no D12."



==Discography==
<!-- It is customary to provide at least (and only) a small and succinct
sampling of the artists discography before redirecting the reader.-->
For more details and an extensive discography, see ''']'''.

*'']'' (February 23, 1999)
*'']'' (May 23, 2000)
*'']'' (May 28, 2002)
*'']'' (October 29, 2002)
*'']'' (November 12, 2004)
*'']'' (December 6, 2005)
*'']'' (December 5, 2006)
*''Eminem's fifth studio album'' (November 2007) <ref>http://www.hhnlive.com/news/more/998</ref>

==Videography==
*2000: '']''
*2001: '']'' Platinum
*2002: '']''
*2002: '']''
*2005: '']''

==Filmography==
*2000: '']'' (Cameo-Performance)
*2001: '']'' (Chris)
*2002: '']'' (Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith)
*2008: '']'' (Paladin)

==Trivia==
*The Song "Stan" from the album "The Marshall Mathers LP" was ranked 290th in Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 Greatest Songs Of All Time".<ref>http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs</ref>
*Eminem parodied shock rocker Marilyn Manson in the video "My Name Is", the artists are now on very good terms. They have performed a remix of the song "The Way I Am" together in concert.<ref>http://www.nyrock.com/worldbeat/02_2001/021601.asp</ref>
*His song "Stan" from ''The Marshall Mathers LP'' was named as the third greatest rap song of all time in a list compiled by Q Magazine,<ref>http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/q150lists.htm</ref> and came in 10th in a similar survey conducted by Top40-Charts.com.<ref>http://top40-charts.com/features/top100_greatest_hiphop2.php</ref>
*When Dr. Dre first heard his tape, he thought Eminem was black.<ref>http://www.dr-dre.com/info/interview_vh1_nuthin_but_an_m_thing.php</ref>
*In acceptance of his Grammy for Best Rap Album (for The Eminem Show) in 2003, he credited his rap influences, saying, "I made me a little list of MCs that I wanted to name off that inspired me to, to bring me where I am today - cause honestly, I wouldn't be here without them. So the list goes like this, and it's not in this order, but the list is this: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], all of ], ], Treach from ], ], ], ], ]. Thank you, 'cause I learned from all of you. Thank you."<ref>http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/artist/artist.cgi?ARTISTID=650621</ref>
*In 2004, ] ranked <ref>{{cite web| title = Eminem| work = Elton John. Rolling Stone Issue 946| publisher = Rolling Stone| url = http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7249916/82_eminem}}</ref> #82 on their list of .<ref>{{cite web| title = The Immortals: The First Fifty| work = Rolling Stone Issue 946| publisher = Rolling Stone| url =http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5939214/the_immortals_the_first_fifty}}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==
''']'''
*2003 - ], for "Lose Yourself" from ''8 Mile''

''']'''
*2003 - Best Original Song in a Motion Picture for "Lose Yourself" from ''8 Mile''

''']s'''
*2000 - ] for "]" from '']''
*2000 - ] for ''The Slim Shady LP''
*2001 - ] for "]" from '']''
*2001 - ] (with Dr. Dre) for "Forgot About Dre" from '']''
*2001 - ] for ''The Marshall Mathers LP''
*2003 - ], for "]" from ''The Eminem Show'' (directed by ])
*2003 - Best rap album for ''The Eminem Show''
*2004 - ] for "Lose Yourself" from the '']''
*2004 - ] for "Lose Yourself" from the ''8 Mile O.S.T.''

''']s (Nominations)'''
*2000 - Best New Artist
*2001 - Album of the Year for ''The Marshall Mathers LP''
*2003 - Album of the Year for ''The Eminem Show''
*2006 - Best rap song for "Mockingbird" from ''Encore''
*2006 - Best butt for a male Rapper from the music video "Lose Yourself". (Lost to 50 Cents Candy Shop)
*2006 - ] for "Encore/Curtains Down" (featuring Dr. Dre & 50 Cent) from ''Encore''
*2006 - Best rap album for ''Encore''
*2007 - ] for "]" (Akon featuring Eminem) from ''Konvicted''
*2007 - ] for "]" (featuring Nate Dogg) from ''Curtain Call: The Hits''

''']s'''
*2001 - ] for ''The Marshall Mathers LP''
*2003 - ] for ''The Eminem Show''

''']'''
*2002 - Best male performance, for ''8 Mile''
*2002 - Best breakthrough male performance, for ''8 Mile''

''']s'''
*1999 - ] for "My Name Is" from ''The Slim Shady LP''
*2000 - ] for "The Real Slim Shady" from ''The Marshall Mathers LP''
*2000 - ] for "The Real Slim Shady" from ''The Marshall Mathers LP''
*2000 - ] (with Dr. Dre) for "Forgot About Dre" from ''Dr Dre 2001''
*2002 - ] for "Without Me", from ''The Eminem Show''
*2002 - Best male video, for "Without Me", from ''The Eminem Show''
*2002 - ] for "Without Me", from ''The Eminem Show''
*2002 - ], for "Without Me", from ''The Eminem Show''
*2003 - ], for "Lose Yourself" from the ''8 Mile O.S.T.''

''']'''
*1999 - Best hip-hop act
*2000 - Best hip-hop act
*2000 - Best album, for ''The Marshall Mathers LP''
*2001 - Best hip-hop act
*2002 - Best male act
*2002 - Best hip-hop act
*2002 - Best album, for ''The Eminem Show''
*2003 - Best hip-hop act

''']s'''
*2003 - Favorite pop/rock male artist
*2003 - Favorite pop/rock album, for ''The Eminem Show''
*2003 - Favorite hip-hop/R&B male artist
*2003 - Favorite hip-hop/R&B album, for ''The Eminem Show''
*2005 - Favorite hip-hop/R&B male artist
*2006 - Favorite hip-hop/R&B male artist

==References==
<div class=references-small><references/></div>

==See also==
*]
*]

==External links==
*
*
*
*{{imdb name | id=0004896| name=Eminem}}
*
*

===News===
*
*

{{Eminem}}

{{Persondata
|NAME=Eminem
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Mathers, Marshall Bruce III
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=American rapper
|DATE OF BIRTH=], ]
|PLACE OF BIRTH=], ]
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}

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Revision as of 02:48, 16 March 2007