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Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17 1972), better known as Eminem, is an American Grammy and Academy Award Winning rapper, record producer, and actor from Detroit, Michigan.
He has sold over 70 million albums worldwide.He was discovered by pioneer gangsta rapper and producer Dr. Dre, who signed him to his Aftermath Entertainment label.
Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney has praised Mathers for his "verbal energy" and for arousing popular interest in poetry and lyrics. Eminem is infamous for the controversy surrounding many of his lyrics. With the enormous success of his highly acclaimed album The Marshall Mathers LP and its subsequent nomination for four Grammy awards including Album of the Year, critics such as GLAAD denounced his lyrics as homophobic and misogynist, while others protested that it promoted violence.
Biography
Early career
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, and raised in Detroit, at the age of 25 was interested in hip hop from a young age. Eminem began performing as early as 13, later gaining some local attention with the group Soul Intent in 1995. In 1997, he released an independent underground album named Infinite. 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 Royce da 5'9" 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 Proof's death.
Success
At Aftermath/Interscope, Mathers released The Slim Shady LP, which went on to be one of the most popular albums of 1999, going triple platinum 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 "Forgot About Dre" and "What's the Difference" from Dr. Dre's album 2001.
The Marshall Mathers LP was released in May 2000. Breaking the sophomore curse, it quickly sold two million copies. It was Eminem's fastest selling album to date. . The first single released from the album,The Real Slim Shady, 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 To Tell the Truth). It also created some buzz by insulting celebrities and making dubious claims about them; he implies, among other things, that Christina Aguilera performed oral sex on Fred Durst (of Limp Bizkit) and Carson Daly (of MTV's Total Request Live). In his second single, "The Way I Am", 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 Marilyn Manson and shootings such as Columbine High School as absurd, instead blaming the parents. In the third single, "Stan" (which samples Dido's "Thank You"), 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, The Eminem Show, 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 "Without Me", an apparent sequel to "The Real Slim Shady", in which he makes derogatory comments about boy bands, Limp Bizkit, Moby, and Lynne Cheney, 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 bouncer 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, Encore. The album was another chart-topper for the rapper, driven by the single "Just Lose It", notable for its lampooning of Michael Jackson. Despite the comedic theme of the lead single, Encore also had its fair share of serious subject matter, including the anti-war track "Mosh". By the end of 2005 Mathers was back with a new single, "When I'm Gone", recorded for the greatest-hits set Curtain Call: The Hits. Eminem often said that one of his most influential rappers in his career was Tupac Shakur, during an interview for the Tupac: Resurrection documentary.
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 D12) and "Under the Influence". The song "I'm Shady" (The Slim Shady LP, 1999) includes the explanatory line "well, I do take pills (ecstasy, acid, or prescription drugs), don't do speed / don't do crack, don't do coke / I do smoke weed / don't do smack / I do do 'shrooms, do drink beer / I just wanna make a few things clear". Other tracks, such as "Just Don't Give a Fuck", 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". However, he did turn to Zolpidem sleeping pills 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 Lil' Jon, 50 Cent and G-Unit, D12, Obie Trice, The Alchemist, and others. In August 2005, Mathers canceled the European leg of the tour and subsequently announced that he had entered drug rehabilitation for treatment for a "dependency on sleep medication".
Remarriage and second divorce
Mathers remarried Kim Mathers on January 14, 2006 in Michigan. His best man was longtime friend and D12 member Proof, 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 G-Unit. 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 Macomb County office, citing "a breakdown in the marriage relationship" (which, in Michigan, is the only reason one can give for cause of divorce). On April 5, 2006, the news was leaked to the Detroit Free Press and MTV's Total Request Live. In addition, Mathers was romantically linked with "The best selling female artist of the 1990s" Mariah Carey. She denies they ever officially dated. Mathers states that they dated for 6 or 7 months and "she was too diva".
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. The album manifested itself under the name Curtain Call, and was released on December 6, 2005 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.
Mathers announced via MTV News that he does not plan on retiring soon, though he is planning on taking a break to produce music. 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 Redman album Red Gone Wild.
At "Anger Management" in Madison Square Garden 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 alter ego 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*"
On December 6, 2005, the day of Curtain Call'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."
Eminem has had some activity since the release of Curtain Call. Eminem also rapped a verse in a live performance of Busta Rhymes' "Touch It" remix at the 2006 BET Music Awards on June 27, 2006.
On August 15, 2006, Obie Trice released Second Round's on Me. Eminem produced 8 tracks on the album. He was also featured in the song "There They Go".
Eminem is featured in a new Akon single "Smack That" which appeared on Akon's new album Konvicted. 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". On November 19, "Smack That" topped the Official UK Singles Chart and claimed Eminem his 7th UK Number One Single. In December 2006, it was nominated for "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. Producer Swizz Beatz has also said in an interview that he has sent some new tracks to Eminem.
Eminem will be featured on Redman's new Album Red Gone Wild on a song called "Off The Wall".
Eminem was set to appear on Tech N9ne's 2006 album Everready: The Religion on track entitled "My World" along with Tech and Brotha Lynch Hung, but it has been said that the passing of Proof prevented Eminem from contributing his verse.
On December 5, 2006, Eminem released an album compilation entitled The Re-Up which features artists from the Shady Records roster. The first single released was "You Don't Know" which features 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and new artist Ca$his. 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 Shady Records label. Elton John has praised Eminem on many occasions claiming he is amongst legendary music stars such as Mick Jagger and Jimi Hendrix.
Controversies
See main article: Eminem controversies
Other works and ventures
Eminem as an actor
Mathers made his Hollywood acting debut with the semi-autobiographical 8 Mile, 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 "Lose Yourself", which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song; it was not performed at the ceremony, reportedly because ABC wanted him to perform an edited version.
Mathers voiced a character in 50 Cent: Bulletproof, who is an semi-aging corrupt police officer that speaks in ebonics.
Mathers has also done some voice acting, both on Crank Yankers 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 Have Gun - Will Travel in which he will play a bounty hunter called Paladin. He will also be involved in either the soundtrack or scoring.
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 Aftermath Entertainment. 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 D12 and rapper Obie Trice were signed to the Shady Records label. In 2003, Mathers and Dr. Dre signed on Atlanta rapper Stat Quo to the Shady/Aftermath roster. DJ Green Lantern, the former deejay 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. The Alchemist is now officially Mathers' tour deejay. In 2005, Mathers officially signed another Atlanta rapper known as Bobby Creekwater to his label along with west coast rapper Ca$his. In the Anger Management Tour of 2003 The Alchemist 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 producer of rap records. Besides being the executive producer of D12's two albums, Devil's Night and D12 World, he has also executive produced Obie Trice's Cheers and Second Round's on Me as well as 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre. In addition, Mathers has produced and appeared on several songs by other famous rappers, such as Jadakiss' "Welcome To D-Block", Jay-Z's "Renagade" and "Moment of Clarity" Lloyd Banks' "Warrior Part 2", and "Hands Up", Tony Yayo'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 Jeff Bass. He also split the production with Dr. Dre on Encore. In 2004, Mathers was the Executive Producer of 2Pac's posthumous album Loyal to the Game with 2Pac's mother Afeni Shakur. He produced the UK #1 single "Ghetto Gospel" which featured Elton John. 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 Nas's album God's Son.
See also: List of songs Produced by EminemEminem in D12
Main article: D12In 2001, Mathers brought his rap group, D12, 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 "Purple Pills" (radio named "Purple Hills"), an ode to recreational drug use (although this was preceded in the UK by a song called "Shit on You", 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, "Fight Music", 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, D12 World, 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 Bizarre 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 Proof. The news has since been released that the album, Natural Born Killers, will be released June 12, 2007.
Death of Proof
Main article: Proof (rapper)On April 11, 2006, Proof was killed by a fatal gunshot wound to the head at approximately 4:30am EDT (08:30 UTC) at the CCC Club on 8 Mile Road in Detroit, Michigan after fatally shooting U.S. military veteran Keith Bender, Jr.
Proof was buried on April 20, 2006 in The Fellowship Chapel, Detroit to a full house of 2,000 with thousands mourning outside. Mathers and Obie Trice both read eulogies 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
For more details and an extensive discography, see Eminem discography.
- The Slim Shady LP (February 23, 1999)
- The Marshall Mathers LP (May 23, 2000)
- The Eminem Show (May 28, 2002)
- Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture 8 Mile (October 29, 2002)
- Encore (November 12, 2004)
- Curtain Call: The Hits (December 6, 2005)
- Eminem Presents: The Re-Up (December 5, 2006)
- Eminem's fifth studio album (November 2007)
Videography
- 2000: Up in Smoke Tour
- 2001: E
- 2002: The Slim Shady Show
- 2002: All Access Europe
- 2005: Anger Management Tour
Filmography
- 2000: Da Hip Hop Witch (Cameo-Performance)
- 2001: The Wash (Chris)
- 2002: 8 Mile (Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith)
- 2008: Have Gun — Will Travel (Paladin)
Trivia
Eminem's height is 6'1" according to police records, but many people say that he is only 5'8".
- The Song "Stan" from the album "The Marshall Mathers LP" was ranked 290th in Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 Greatest Songs Of All Time".
- 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.
- 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, and came in 10th in a similar survey conducted by Top40-Charts.com.
- When Dr. Dre first heard his tape, he thought Eminem was black.
- 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: Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Kool G. Rap, Masta Ace, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Dr. Dre, all of N.W.A., KRS-One, Treach from Naughty by Nature, Nas, 2Pac, Biggie, Jay-Z. Thank you, 'cause I learned from all of you. Thank you."
- In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Eminem #82 on their list of The Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Awards and nominations
- 2003 - Best Original song, for "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile
- 2003 - Best Original Song in a Motion Picture for "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile
- 2000 - Best rap solo performance for "My Name Is" from The Slim Shady LP
- 2000 - Best rap album for The Slim Shady LP
- 2001 - Best rap solo performance for "The Real Slim Shady" from The Marshall Mathers LP
- 2001 - Best rap performance by a duo or group (with Dr. Dre) for "Forgot About Dre" from Dr Dre 2001
- 2001 - Best rap album for The Marshall Mathers LP
- 2003 - Best short form music video, for "Without Me" from The Eminem Show (directed by Joseph Kahn)
- 2003 - Best rap album for The Eminem Show
- 2004 - Best male rap solo performance for "Lose Yourself" from the 8 Mile O.S.T.
- 2004 - Best rap song for "Lose Yourself" from the 8 Mile O.S.T.
Grammy Awards (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 - Best rap performance by a duo or group for "Encore/Curtains Down" (featuring Dr. Dre & 50 Cent) from Encore
- 2006 - Best rap album for Encore
- 2007 - Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Smack That" (Akon featuring Eminem) from Konvicted
- 2007 - Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Shake That" (featuring Nate Dogg) from Curtain Call: The Hits
- 2001 - Best Selling Album (Foreign or Domestic) for The Marshall Mathers LP
- 2003 - International Album of the Year for The Eminem Show
- 2002 - Best male performance, for 8 Mile
- 2002 - Best breakthrough male performance, for 8 Mile
- 1999 - Best new artist for "My Name Is" from The Slim Shady LP
- 2000 - Best video for "The Real Slim Shady" from The Marshall Mathers LP
- 2000 - Best male video for "The Real Slim Shady" from The Marshall Mathers LP
- 2000 - Best rap video (with Dr. Dre) for "Forgot About Dre" from Dr Dre 2001
- 2002 - Best video for "Without Me", from The Eminem Show
- 2002 - Best male video, for "Without Me", from The Eminem Show
- 2002 - Best rap video for "Without Me", from The Eminem Show
- 2002 - Best direction, for "Without Me", from The Eminem Show
- 2003 - Best video from a film, 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
- 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
- "Eminem". MTV.tv.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accesdate=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3033614.stm
- "GLAAD: Eminem's Hate Lyrics". GLAAD.
- http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0872608.html
- http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5923810/eminem_bounces_britney_from_top_spot
- http://www.mtv.com/bands/t/tupac/news_feature_102703/
- http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1452709/03012002/eminem.jhtml
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/theshallowend/200508/s1441976.htm
- http://www.chocolatemagazinefuck.co.uk/news.php?article=342
- http://www.exposay.com/eminem-says-he-dated-mariah-carey-for-six-months/v/5827/
- http://www.1strowseats.com/blog/?p=32
- http://www.freep.com/entertainment/music/encore15e_20050715.htm
- http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1506087/20050721/eminem.jhtml
- http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-People-Eminem.html
- http://www.teenmusic.com/d.asp?r=135889&c=1020
- http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.4371/title.swizz-beatz-talks-work-with-eminem-2pac
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4423941.stm
- http://news.usti.net/home/news/cn/?/living.tv/1/wed/bd/Uus-eminem.R_Ti_GuD.html
- http://www.ballerstatus.net/news/read/id/91991464/
- http://www.hhnlive.com/news/more/998
- http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs
- http://www.nyrock.com/worldbeat/02_2001/021601.asp
- http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/q150lists.htm
- http://top40-charts.com/features/top100_greatest_hiphop2.php
- http://www.dr-dre.com/info/interview_vh1_nuthin_but_an_m_thing.php
- http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/artist/artist.cgi?ARTISTID=650621
- "Eminem". Elton John. Rolling Stone Issue 946. Rolling Stone.
- "The Immortals: The First Fifty". Rolling Stone Issue 946. Rolling Stone.
See also
External links
- Official Eminem website
- Official Aftermath Records website
- Official Shady Records website
- Eminem at IMDb
- Eminem in WikiMusicGuide
- Official Myspace Page
- Profile in MP3.com
- Eminem Fansite
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