Eminem

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Eminem

Eminem performing live at the DJ Hero Party in Los Angeles

Background information
Birth name Marshall Bruce Mathers III
Also known as Slim Shady
October 17, 1972 (age 37), Saint Joseph,
Born
Missouri, United States
Origin Detroit, Michigan, US
Genres Hip hop
Occupations Rapper, record producer, actor, songwriter
Years active 1995–present
Mashin' Duck, Web, Interscope, Aftermath,
Labels
Shady
Associated Dr. Dre, D12, Royce da 5'9", The
acts Alchemist, 50 Cent, Obie Trice
Website http://www.eminem.com
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972),[1] better known by his stage name
Eminem (often styled "EMINƎM"), is an American rapper, record producer, actor and
singer. Eminem quickly gained popularity in 1999 with his major-label debut album, The
Slim Shady LP, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. The following album,
The Marshall Mathers LP, became the fastest-selling solo album in the United States
history.[2] It brought Eminem increased popularity, including his own record label, Shady
Records, and brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition.

The Marshall Mathers LP and his third album, The Eminem Show, also won Grammy
Awards, making Eminem the first artist to win Best Rap Album for three consecutive
LPs. He then won the award again in 2010 for his album Relapse, giving him a total of 11
Grammys in his career. In 2002, he won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for
"Lose Yourself" from the film, 8 Mile, in which he also played the lead. "Lose Yourself"
would go on to become the longest running No. 1 hip-hop single.[3] Eminem then went on
hiatus after touring in 2005. He released his first album since 2004's Encore, titled
Relapse, on May 15, 2009. Eminem is the best-selling artist of the decade on the US
Nielsen SoundScan,[4] and has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide to date,
making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world.[5]

Eminem was ranked 82nd on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of
All-Time.[6] He was also named the Best Rapper Ever by Vibe magazine.[7] Including his
work with D12, Eminem has achieved nine No. 1 albums on the Billboard Top 200, 7
solo and 2 with D12.[citation needed] Eminem has had 12 number one singles worldwide. In
December 2009 Eminem was named the Artist of the Decade by Billboard magazine.[8]
His albums The Eminem Show, The Marshall Mathers LP, and Encore (in order) ranked
as the 3rd,[9] 7th,[9] and 40th[10] best album of the 2000-2009 decade by Billboard
magazine. According to Billboard, Eminem has two of his albums among the top five
highest selling albums of the 2000s. In the UK, Eminem has sold over 12.5 million
records.[11]

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Early life
• 2 Musical career
o 2.1 1992–1998: Early career and Infinite
o 2.2 1998–1999: The Slim Shady LP
o 2.3 2000–2001: The Marshall Mathers LP
o 2.4 2002–2003: The Eminem Show
o 2.5 2004–2005: Encore
o 2.6 2005–2008: Musical hiatus
o 2.7 2008–2009: Relapse and Relapse: Refill
o 2.8 2009–2010: Recovery
• 3 Other ventures
 o 3.1 Shady Records and D12
o 3.2 Acting career
o 3.3 Memoir
• 4 Artistry
o 4.1 Influences and rapping technique
o 4.2 Featurings and productions
• 5 Personal life
o 5.1 Family
o 5.2 Legal troubles
o 5.3 Drug issues
o 5.4 Conflict with Mariah Carey
• 6 Discography
o 6.1 Number-one singles
• 7 Filmography
• 8 Awards and nominations
• 9 Business ventures
• 10 See also
• 11 References
o 11.1 Literature

• 12 External links

Early life
Eminem was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III in Saint Joseph, Missouri, as the son of
Deborah Nelson Mathers-Briggs and Marshall Bruce Mathers, Jr.[12] He is of Scottish,[13]
English, German, Swiss, and Polish ancestry.[14] He was raised as an only child by his
poverty-stricken mother, as his father had left the family before his son's second birthday
and never again came into contact with them. By the age of 12, Mathers and his mother
had moved between various cities and towns in Missouri (including Saint Joseph,
Savannah, and Kansas City)[15] before they settled in Warren, Michigan, a suburb of
Detroit.

After procuring a copy of the Beastie Boys album Licensed to Ill as a teenager, Mathers
became interested in hip hop, performing amateur raps at age 14 under the pseudonym
"M&M" and joining the group called "Bassmint Productions" and released their first EP,
Steppin' Onto The Scene. They later changed their name to "Soul Intent" and around 1995
they released their first single called "Fuckin' Backstabber" under the record label
Mashin' Duck Records.[1] Although he was enrolled at Lincoln High School in Warren, he
frequently participated in freestyle battles at Osborn High School across town,[16] gaining
the approval of underground hip hop audiences.[1] After repeating the ninth grade twice
due to truancy and near-failing grades,[17] he dropped out of high school at age 17.[12]
In 1991, Mathers' uncle, Ronald "Ronnie" Polkinghorn, committed suicide. Mathers was
very close to Polkinghorn, and was devastated at his death; today, he sports a tattoo
reading "Ronnie R.I.P." on his upper left arm.[18]

Musical career
1992–1998: Early career and Infinite

See also: Infinite (Eminem album)

Mathers was initially signed to FBT Productions in 1992, run by brothers Jeff and Mark
Bass. Mathers also held a minimum-wage job of cooking and dishwashing at the
restaurant Gilbert's Lodge at St. Clair Shores for some time.[19] In 1996, his debut album
Infinite, which was recorded at the Bassmint, a recording studio owned by the Bass
Brothers, was released under their independent label Web Entertainment.[20] Eminem
recalled, "Obviously, I was young and influenced by other artists, and I got a lot of
feedback saying that I sounded like Nas and AZ. 'Infinite' was me trying to figure out
how I wanted my rap style to be, how I wanted to sound on the mic and present myself. It
was a growing stage. I felt like 'Infinite' was like a demo that just got pressed up."[21]
Subjects covered in Infinite included his struggles with raising his newborn daughter
Hailie Jade Scott while on limited funds and his strong desire to get rich.[22] Early in his
career, Eminem collaborated with fellow Detroit MC Royce da 5'9" under the stage name
Bad Meets Evil.[23] After the release of Infinite, Eminem's personal struggles and abuse of
drugs and alcohol culminated in an unsuccessful suicide attempt.[1]

With the release of The Slim Shady EP, Mathers was accused of imitating the style and
subject matter of underground rapper Cage.[24][25]

Jimmy Iovine, CEO of Interscope Records, requested a demo tape of Eminem's after
Eminem won second place at the 1997 Rap Olympics. Eminem had also won Wake Up
Show's Freestyle Performer Of The Year award helping him acquire a record deal[26].
Iovine played the tape for record producer Dr. Dre, founder of Aftermath Entertainment.
The two began recording tracks for Eminem's upcoming major-label debut The Slim
Shady LP, and Eminem made a guest performance on the album Devil Without a Cause
by Kid Rock.[1] Hip-hop magazine The Source featured Eminem in its "Unsigned Hype"
column in March 1998.[27]

1998–1999: The Slim Shady LP

Main article: The Slim Shady LP

According to Billboard Magazine, at this point in his life Eminem had "realized his
musical ambitions were the only way to escape his unhappy life". After being signed to
Aftermath Entertainment/Interscope Records in 1998, Eminem released his first major
studio album, The Slim Shady LP, heavily based on the production by Dr. Dre, one year
later in 1999. Billboard praised the album as "light years ahead of the material he had
been writing beforehand".[28] It went on to be one of the most popular albums of 1999,
going triple platinum by the end of the year.[29] 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 his wife's body. Another song,
"Guilty Conscience", ends with his encouraging a man to murder his wife and her lover.
"Guilty Conscience" marked the beginning of the 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, "Bitch Please II" from The Marshall Mathers LP, "Say What You Say" from
The Eminem Show, "Encore/Curtains Down" from Encore and "Old Time's Sake" and
"Crack a Bottle" from Relapse. Dr. Dre would go on to make at least one guest
appearance on all of Eminem's studio albums under the label Aftermath.[30] The album
has now been certified 4 times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of
America (RIAA).

2000–2001: The Marshall Mathers LP

Main article: The Marshall Mathers LP

The Marshall Mathers LP was released in May 2000. It went on to sell 1.76 million
copies in its first week, breaking the records set by Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle as the
fastest-selling hip hop album and Britney Spears' ...Baby One More Time as the fastest-
selling solo album in United States history.[2][31] The first single released from the album,
"The Real Slim Shady", was a success and created some controversy by insulting
celebrities and making dubious claims about them; he states, among other things, that
Christina Aguilera performed oral sex on Fred Durst and Carson Daly.[32] 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. Although Eminem had parodied shock rocker
Marilyn Manson in the video "My Name Is", the artists are reportedly on good terms.
They performed a remix of the song "The Way I Am" together in concert.[33] In the third
single, "Stan" (which samples Dido's "Thank You"), Eminem attempts to deal with his
new-found fame, taking on the persona of a deranged fan who kills himself and his
pregnant girlfriend, mirroring "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" on The Slim Shady LP.[12] In the
music video of "Stan", Eminem was shown writing with his left hand, ending the fan
debate over his dominant hand. Q magazine named "Stan" the third-greatest rap song of
all time,[34] and the song came tenth in a similar survey conducted by Top40-Charts.com.
[35]
The song has since become highly acclaimed and was ranked 290th in Rolling Stone
magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.[36] In July 2000, Eminem became the
first white person to be featured on the cover of The Source magazine.[27] This album has
been certified 9x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)

Eminem performed with Elton John at the 43rd Grammy Awards ceremony in 2001;[37]
the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), an organization that
perceived Eminem's lyrics to be homophobic, condemned the openly gay John's decision
to perform with Eminem.[38] Entertainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-
of" list, saying, "It was the hug heard 'round the world. Eminem, under fire for
homophobic lyrics, shared the stage with a gay icon for a performance of "Stan" that
would have been memorable in any context."[39] On February 21, the day of the
ceremony, GLAAD held a protest outside the Staples Center, the venue where the
Grammy ceremony was held.[40] Music tours that he participated in for 2001 included the
Up In Smoke Tour with rappers Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, and Ice Cube[41] and
Family Values Tour with the band Limp Bizkit.[42]

2002–2003: The Eminem Show

Main article: The Eminem Show

Eminem's third major album, The Eminem Show, was released in summer 2002 and
proved to be another hit for the rapper reaching number one on the charts and selling well
over 1 million copies in its first week of release.[29] It featured the single "Without Me", in
which he makes derogatory comments about boy bands, Limp Bizkit, Moby, and Lynne
Cheney, among others. The Eminem Show has been certified 8x platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). 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. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic felt that while there was
clear anger present on several tracks, this album was considerably less inflammatory than
The Marshall Mathers LP.[43] However, L. Brent Bozell III, who previously criticized
The Marshall Mathers LP for perceived misogynistic lyrics in the album, noted The
Eminem Show for its extensive use of obscene language, giving Eminem the nickname
"Eminef" for the bowdlerization of motherfucker, an obscenity prevalent in the album.[44]

2004–2005: Encore

Main article: Encore (Eminem album)

The Media Research Center, which was founded by a conservative activist and is funded
by conservative foundations, claims that on December 8, 2003, the United States Secret
Service admitted it was "looking into" allegations that Eminem had threatened the
President of the United States.[45] The lyrics in question: "Fuck money/I don't rap for dead
presidents/I'd rather see the president dead/It's never been said, but I set precedents ..."
The song in question, "We As Americans", wound up on a bonus CD accompanying the
album.[46]

In 2004, Eminem released his fourth major album, Encore. It sold over 700,000 copies in
its first week of release. Now being certified 4x platinum by the Recording Industry
Association of America (RIAA). The album was another chart-topper, as it was driven by
the single "Just Lose It", notable for being disrespectful towards Michael Jackson. On
October 12, 2004, a week after the release of "Just Lose It", Eminem's first single off
Encore, Michael Jackson called into the Los Angeles-based Steve Harvey radio show to
report his displeasure with the video, which parodies Jackson's child molestation trial,
plastic surgery, and an incident in which Jackson's hair caught on fire while filming a
Pepsi commercial in 1984. The lyrics to "Just Lose It" refer to Jackson's legal troubles,
however he does state in his song "... and that's not a stab at Michael/That's just a
metaphor/I'm just psycho...." Many of Jackson's supporters and friends spoke out about
the video, including Stevie Wonder, who called the video "kicking a man while he's
down" and "bullshit",[47] and Steve Harvey, who declared, "Eminem has lost his ghetto
pass. We want the pass back."[47] In the video, Eminem parodied Pee Wee Herman, MC
Hammer, and "Blond Ambition"-era Madonna.[48]

Regarding Jackson's protest, "Weird Al" Yankovic, who parodied the Eminem song
"Lose Yourself" on a track titled "Couch Potato" on his 2003 album Poodle Hat, told the
Chicago Sun-Times, "Last year, Eminem forced me to halt production on the video for
my "Lose Yourself" parody because he somehow thought that it would be harmful to his
image or career. So the irony of this situation with Michael is not lost on me."[49] Black
Entertainment Television was the first channel to stop airing the video. MTV, however,
announced it would continue airing the video. The Source, through its CEO Raymond
"Benzino" Scott, wanted not only the video to be pulled, but the song off the album, and a
public apology to Jackson from Eminem.[50] In 2007 Jackson and Sony bought Famous
Music LLC from Viacom. This deal gave him the rights to songs by Eminem, Shakira
and Beck, among others.[51]

Despite the comedic theme of the lead single, Encore had its fair share of serious subject
matter, including the anti-war track "Mosh". On October 25, 2004, a week before the
2004 US Presidential election, Eminem released the video for "Mosh" on the Internet.[52]
The song featured a very strong anti-Bush message, with lyrics such as "fuck Bush" and
"this weapon of mass destruction that we call our president".[53] The video features
Eminem gathering up an army of people, including rapper Lloyd Banks, presented as
victims of the Bush administration and leading them to the White House. However, once
the army breaks in, it is revealed that they are there to simply register to vote, and the
video ends with the words "VOTE Tuesday November 2" on the screen. After Bush was
re-elected, the video's ending was changed to Eminem and the protesters invading while
Bush was giving a speech.[54]

2005–2008: Musical hiatus

Eminem performing live on the Anger Management Tour in August 2005

In 2005, some industry insiders speculated that Eminem 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.[55] The album manifested itself as a greatest hits album under the name
Curtain Call: The Hits, and was released on December 6, 2005 under Aftermath
Entertainment. It is now certified 2x platnium in the U.S. In July 2005, the Detroit Free
Press broke news of a potential final bow for Eminem 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. On the same day of the release of the compilation album,
Eminem denied that he was retiring on Detroit-based WKQI's "Mojo in the Morning"
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."[56]

In 2005, Eminem was a subject of Bernard Goldberg's book, 100 People Who Are
Screwing Up America; he ranked No. 58.[57] Goldberg cited a 2001 column by Bob
Herbert of The New York Times claiming, "In Eminem's world, all women are whores and
he is eager to rape and murder them."[58] Goldberg cited Eminem's song "No One's Iller"
from The Slim Shady EP as an example of misogyny in his music.[59] In summer 2005,
Eminem embarked on his first US concert run in three years, the Anger Management 3
Tour, featuring 50 Cent, G-Unit, Lil' Jon, D12, Obie Trice, The Alchemist, and others. In
August 2005, Eminem canceled the European leg of the tour and subsequently announced
that he had entered drug rehabilitation for treatment for a "dependency on sleep
medication".[60]

2008–2009: Relapse and Relapse: Refill

Main article: Relapse (album)

In September 2007, Eminem called into New York radio station Hot 97 during a 50 Cent
interview and said he was "in limbo" and "debating" about when and if he would release
another album. He said, "I'm always working – I'm always in the studio. It feels good
right now, the energy of the label. For a while, I didn't want to go back to the studio ... I
went through some personal things. I'm coming out of those personal things [and] it feels
good."[61]

Eminem made an appearance on his Sirius channel Shade 45 in September 2008 in which
he said, "Right now I'm kinda just concentrating on my own stuff, for right now and just
banging out tracks and producing a lot of stuff. You know, the more I keep producing the
better it seems like I get 'cause I just start knowing stuff."[62] It was around this time that
Interscope finally confirmed the existence of a new Eminem album,[63] with Spring 2009
later being stated as the period span in which the album is due.[64] In December 2008, he
gave more details on the album, which he recently reported was being titled Relapse. He
said, "Me and Dre are back in the lab like the old days, man. Dre will end up producing
the majority of the tracks on 'Relapse'. We are up to our old mischievous ways ... let's just
leave it at that."[65]

On March 5, 2009, Eminem reported in a press release that he would be releasing two
new albums that year. Relapse, the first album, was released on May 19, while "We Made
You", the first official single and its music video, were released on April 7.[66] While
Relapse didn't manage to sell as well as Eminem's previous efforts, it was still a
commercial success that received some critical acclaim, while also re-establishing his
presence in the hip hop world. Relapse was named one of the top albums of 2009.
Relapse has sold more than five million copies worldwide. During the 2009 MTV Movie
Awards, Sacha Baron Cohen descended upon the audience wearing an angel's costume
and landed on top of Eminem with his buttocks facing towards Eminem's face, resulting
in Eminem storming out of the awards ceremony in disgust. Three days later, Eminem
admitted it was a staged act that they had planned together.[67] On October 30, Eminem
performed at the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans as a headliner in his first full
performance in 2009.[68] The performance included several songs from Relapse, as well as
many of Eminem's older hits and an appearance by D12. On November 19, Eminem
announced on his website that Relapse: Refill would be released on December 21. The
album was a re-release of the Relapse album with seven bonus tracks, including
"Forever" and "Taking My Ball". In a statement he described the forthcoming CD:

I want to deliver more material for the fans this year like I originally
“ planned ... Hopefully these tracks on The Refill will tide the fans over
until we put out Relapse 2 next year ... I got back in with Dre and then a
few more producers, including Just Blaze, and went in a completely
different direction which made me start from scratch. The new tracks
started to sound very different than the tracks I originally intended to be
on Relapse 2, but I still want the other stuff to be heard. ”
2009–2010: Recovery
Main article: Recovery (Eminem album)

On April 13, 2010, Eminem tweeted, "There is no Relapse 2", to his followers. When he
tweeted this, people started to believe that he was not releasing an album at all, but it
simply meant that the album title would be changed to Recovery. He confirmed this by
tweeting, "RECOVERY", with a link to his website. Eminem said, "I had originally
planned for Relapse 2 to come out last year. But as I kept recording and working with
new producers, the idea of a sequel to Relapse started to make less and less sense to me,
and I wanted to make a completely new album. The music on Recovery came out very
different from Relapse, and I think it deserves its own title." His seventh studio album,
Recovery, was released on June 21.[69] In the US, Recovery sold 741,000 in its first week
to land atop the Billboard 200.[70][71] The first single, "Not Afraid", was released on April
29, and debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, followed by a second single,
"Love the Way You Lie," which reached number 2.[72] Eminem appeared at the 2010 BET
Awards,[73] performing "Airplanes Part II" with B.o.B and "Not Afraid". He also
performed at the Activison E3 concert.

Other ventures
Shady Records and D12

Main articles: Shady Records and D12

As Eminem succeeded in multi-platinum record sales, Interscope granted him his own
record label. He and his manager Paul Rosenberg created Shady Records in late 1999. He
followed this by signing his own Detroit collective D12 and rapper Obie Trice to the
label. In 2002, Eminem signed 50 Cent through a joint venture between Shady and Dr.
Dre's Aftermath label. In 2003, Eminem and Dr. Dre signed Atlanta rapper Stat Quo to
the Shady/Aftermath roster. DJ Green Lantern, the former DJ for Eminem, was signed to
Shady Records until a dispute related to the 50 Cent and Jadakiss feud forced him to
depart from the label; he is no longer associated with Eminem. The Alchemist is now
officially Eminem's tour DJ. In 2005, Eminem signed another Atlanta rapper, Bobby
Creekwater, to his label along with West Coast rapper Cashis.[17]

On December 5, 2006, Shady Records released compilation album, Eminem Presents:

The Re-Up. It started out as a mixtape but Eminem found that the material was better than
expected and released it as a full album. It was meant to help launch the new artists under
the roster, like Stat Quo, Cashis and Bobby Creekwater.[74] Around the time of recording
Infinite, Eminem and rappers Proof and Kon Artis gathered the group of rappers now
collectively in the group D12, short for "Detroit Twelve" or "Dirty Dozen", performing in
the manner of the multi-man group Wu-Tang Clan.[75] In 2001, Eminem brought his rap
group, D12, to the popular music scene, and the group's debut album Devil's Night came
out that year.[76] The first single released off of the album was "Shit on You", followed by
"Purple Pills", an ode to recreational drug use. For radio and television, the censored
version "Pills" was heavily rewritten to remove many of the song's references to drugs
and sex and was renamed "Purple Hills". While that single was a hit, the album's second
single, "Fight Music", was not as successful.[77]

After their debut, D12 took a three-year break from the studio, later regrouping to release
their second album, D12 World, in 2004, which featured the popular hit single release
"My Band".[76] In April 2006 D12 member (and Eminem's childhood friend) Deshaun
"Proof" Holton was killed in a club brawl on 8 Mile Road in Detroit, Michigan, with US
military veteran Keith Bender Jr., who also died in the fray. The eruption is suspected to
have been due to an argument over a game of pool. Proof was then allegedly shot by the
bouncer Mario Etheridge, Bender's cousin. He was taken by private vehicle to St. John
Health's Conner Creek Campus, an outpatient emergency treatment site, but pronounced
dead on arrival. Eminem and former Detroit Shady Records artist Obie Trice spoke at the
funeral.[78] D12 member Bizarre said that Eminem is not featured on his new album Blue
Cheese & Coney Island because "he's busy doing his thing".[79]

Acting career

Although he had a brief cameo in the 2001 film, The Wash, Eminem made his official
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 in 2003. However, the
song was not performed at the ceremony, due to Eminem's absence at the ceremony. His
collaborator, Luis Resto, who co-wrote the song, accepted the award.[80]

Eminem has participated in various voice acting roles. Some of these include the video
game 50 Cent: Bulletproof, where he voices an aging corrupt police officer who speaks in
Ebonics and guest spots on the Comedy Central television show Crank Yankers, and a
web cartoon called The Slim Shady Show, which has since been pulled off-line and is
instead sold on DVD.[81] He will be involved in either the soundtrack or scoring.[82] He
was also in the running for the part of David Rice in 2008's film Jumper after Tom
Sturridge was dropped just two weeks before filming. Concerns over not having a more
prominent actor prompted the director, Doug Liman, to consider other actors for the role.
He eventually selected Hayden Christensen over Eminem.[83] He also had a cameo
appearance in the 2009 movie Funny People, in which he is involved in an argument with
Ray Romano.

It was reported on November 8, 2009, that Eminem will star in the upcoming 3D horror
anthology, Shady Talez, directed by John Davis. A four-issue comic book series based on
the film is also expected to be published sometime in 2010.[84]

Eminem will appear alongside Christina Aguilera on the Entourage Season 7 finale. He
will play himself.[85]

Memoir
On October 21, 2008, Eminem released a tell-all autobiography entitled The Way I Am,
which details his struggles with poverty, drugs, fame, heartbreak and depression, along
with stories about his rise to fame and commentary on past controversies. This book also
contains some of the original lyric sheets from songs such as "Stan" and "The Real Slim
Shady."[86]

Artistry
Influences and rapping technique

Eminem has named several MCs who influenced his rapping style – these include Esham,
[87]
Kool G Rap,[88] Masta Ace,[89] Big Daddy Kane,[88] Newcleus,[89] Ice-T,[89] Mantronix,[89]
Melle Mel (specifically the track "The Message"),[89] LL Cool J,[89] The Beastie Boys,[89]
Run-DMC,[89] Rakim,[89] and Boogie Down Productions.[89]

In the book How to Rap, Guerilla Black notes that Eminem studied other MCs to create
his rapping technique – “Eminem listened to everything and that’s what made him one of
the greats”.[90] In the same book, Eminem is praised for various aspects of his rapping
technique by numerous other MCs – these techniques include: his varied and humorous
subject matter,[91] connecting with his audience,[92] carrying a concept over a series of
albums,[93] complex rhyme schemes,[94] his ability to bend words so that they rhyme,[95] his
use of multisyllabic rhymes,[88] fitting many rhymes in each bar,[96] complex rhythms,[97]
clear enunciation,[98] use of melody,[99] and syncopation.[100] He is also known to write the
majority of his lyrics down on paper, as documented in his book The Way I Am, as well
as taking a few days or a week to craft lyrics,[101] being a “workaholic”,[102] and “stacking”
vocals.[103]

Featurings and productions

See also: Eminem production discography and Eminem discography#Guest appearances

Although he typically collaborates with various rappers under Aftermath Entertainment

and Shady Records, such as Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, D12, Eminem has collaborated with many
other artists, including, Redman, Kid Rock, DMX, Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Method Man,
Jadakiss, Fat Joe, Sticky Fingaz, T.I. and others. Eminem rapped a verse in a live
performance of Busta Rhymes' "Touch It" remix at the 2006 BET Music Awards on June
27, 2006. Eminem was featured on Akon's single "Smack That" which appeared on
Akon's album Konvicted.

Eminem is also an active rap producer. Besides being the executive producer of D12's
two albums, Devil's Night and D12 World, he has 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.[104] In addition, Eminem 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' "On Fire", "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".[105] Most of The Eminem Show was produced by Eminem himself,
with co-production from longtime collaborator Jeff Bass.[106] He split the production with
Dr. Dre on Encore. In 2004, Eminem was the Executive Producer of 2Pac's posthumous
album Loyal to the Game with 2Pac's mother Afeni Shakur.[107] He produced the UK No.
1 single "Ghetto Gospel" which featured Elton John.[108] He has produced "The Cross" off
Nas's album God's Son.[109] On August 15, 2006, Obie Trice released Second Round's on
Me. Eminem produced 8 tracks on the album. He was featured in the song "There They
Go".[110] Eminem produced some tracks on the new Trick Trick album, The Villain. He is
also featured in "Who Want It".[111]

With regards to the productions on his own records, Eminem is seen as having an unusual
style in that rather than write to beats he typically starts with an idea of how he wants his
song to be structured based on the lyric and then creates music according to that.[112] A
notable exception to this was the song "Stan", which came from an idea and scratch track
produced by Mark the 45 King.[112]

Personal life
Family

Mathers has often been subject of much scrutiny as a rapper as well in his personal life.[31]
He was married twice to Kimberley Anne Scott, whom he met in high school. They
began their on-and-off relationship in 1989, getting married by 1999. Their first divorce
was in 2001.[113] In 2000, Scott attempted suicide and sued Eminem for defamation after
he depicted her violent death in his song "Kim".[113][114] They remarried in January 2006
but their second divorce was finalized in December of the same year, agreeing to share
custody of their daughter, Hailie Jade Scott (born December 25, 1995).[113][114][115] Hailie
Scott has often been referenced or featured on various Eminem songs, such as "'97
Bonnie & Clyde", "Hailie's Song", "My Dad's Gone Crazy", "Mockingbird", "Forgot
About Dre", "Cleanin' Out My Closet", "When I'm Gone", "Deja Vu", "Beautiful", "Sing
For The Moment", "Airplanes Part II", and "Going Through Changes". In early 2010,
Eminem responded publicly to tabloid reports of his pending reunion with Kim with a
firm denial.[116]

Eminem adopted two other daughters: Alaina "Lainey" Mathers, the child of Kimberley
Scott's sister,[113] who has been referenced by name in some Eminem songs including
"Mockingbird" and "Airplanes Part II"; and Whitney, Scott's child from a previous
relationship. He is also the legal guardian of his younger half-brother, Nathan.

Legal troubles

In 1999, Mathers' mother sued him for around US$10 million over alleged slander about
her in his lyrics regarding The Slim Shady LP; she won only about US$1,600 in damages
in 2001.[117]
Mathers was arrested on June 3, 2000 during an altercation at a car audio store in Royal
Oak, Michigan, with Douglas Dail, where he pulled out an unloaded gun and kept it
pointed at the ground.[118] The following day, in Warren, Michigan, he allegedly saw his
then wife, Kim, kiss bouncer John Guerrera in the parking lot of the Hot Rock Café, and
he assaulted him.[113][114][118] He was given two years probation for both episodes.[119]

In the summer of 2001, Mathers was sentenced to probation on weapons charges that
stemmed from an argument with an employee of Psychopathic Records, giving him a fine
around $2,000 as well as several hours of community service.[120]

In 2007, his music publishing company, Eight Mile Style LLC, together with Martin
Affiliated LLC, filed suit against Apple, Inc and Aftermath Entertainment claiming
Aftermath did not have the appropriate authority to negotiate a deal with Apple for digital
downloads of 93 Eminem songs on Apple's iTunes service.[121][122][123] The case against
Apple went to trial in late September 2009 and was settled a few days later.[124]

Drug issues

Eminem has spoken openly about his addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs,
including Vicodin, Ambien, Valium and Methadone.[125] His group-mate Proof from D12
stated that Mathers "sobered up" in 2002 from drug and alcohol dependence.[126]
However, he did turn to zolpidem sleeping pills for relief from sleeping troubles. This
caused Mathers to cancel the European leg of the Anger Management Tour in August
2005 and eventually go into rehab for treatment for a "dependency on sleep medication".
[60][127]
In a 2009 interview with British talk-show host Jonathan Ross, Mathers admitted
that at the height of his addiction, he considered suicide, saying that "I just wasn't taking
care of myself, at times I wanted to just give it up."[128] He also confirmed that he is now
sober, commenting that "[R]ap was my drug ... Then I had to resort to other things to
make me feel that. Now rap's getting me high again."[128]

Conflict with Mariah Carey

Eminem has written several songs referring to a relationship with pop singer Mariah
Carey, although she denies the claim.[129] She says that they hung out but nothing sexual
or intimate occurred. Eminem has referenced her on many songs that include
"Superman", "Jimmy Crack Corn", "Bagpipes From Baghdad", and "The Warning".
While "Superman" was released in 2003, Carey released a song entitled "Clown" on her
Charmbracelet album, released around the same time, which makes similar references in
line with her 2009 hit "Obsessed".

Eminem's "Bagpipes From Baghdad" from his album Relapse may be his most well
known reference to Carey due to the controversy it caused. The song disparages Mariah
and husband Nick Cannon's relationship.[130] Cannon responded to Eminem by saying his
career is based on "racist bigotry", and that he would get revenge on Eminem, joking that
he may return to rapping.[131] Eminem later stated that the couple misinterpreted the track
and it was wishing the two the best.[130] Cannon also stated that there were no hard
feelings, and that he just had to express his feelings about the song.[132]

In 2009, Carey released "Obsessed" in which she sings about an obsessed man who
claims to be having a relationship with her.[133] Cannon claimed that the song was not an
insult directed at Eminem.[134] However Eminem responded in late July 2009 by releasing
a track titled "The Warning". It contained samples of voice mail recordings which
Eminem claimed were left by Mariah Carey when the two were together.[135] Eminem also
hinted that he had other evidence of their relationship in his possession. Neither Carey
nor Cannon have responded to the content of the song.

Discography
Main articles: Eminem discography and Eminem production discography
Studio albums

• Infinite (1996)
• The Slim Shady LP (1999)
• The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
• The Eminem Show (2002)
• Encore (2004)
• Relapse (2009)
• Recovery (2010)

Compilations

• 8 Mile (2002)
• The Singles (2003)
• Curtain Call: The Hits (2005)
• Eminem Presents: The Re-Up (2006)

Collaborations

• The Underground EP (1996) – with

D12
• Devil's Night (2001) – with D12
• D12 World (2004) – with D12

EP's

• The Slim Shady EP (1997)

• Straight from the Lab (2003)

Number-one singles
The following singles reached number one in the United States, Australia, Austria,
Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom. For
a full singles discography, see Eminem singles discography.
Peak Positions
Year Song Album
US AUS AUT GER IRE ITA NZ SWE SWI UK
"The
The
Real Slim 4 11 6 7 1 4 15 3 2 1
Marshall
2000 Shady"
Mathers
"Stan" 51 1 1 1 1 1 14 3 1 1 LP
(feat. Dido)
The
"Without
2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 Eminem
Me"
2002 Show
"Lose
1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 Mile
Yourself"
"My D12
Band" 6 1 1 9 2 2 1 9 3 2
World
2004 (with D12)
"Just
6 1 4 2 2 2 1 12 1 1
Lose It"
"Like Encore
Toy 34 4 8 8 3 8 2 14 3 1
Soldiers"
2005
"When Curtain
I'm 8 1 7 6 5 — 2 5 7 4 Call: The
Gone" Hits
"Smack
2006 That" 2 2 9 5 1 30 1 3 3 1 Konvicted
(with
Akon)
"Crack a
Bottle"
(feat. Dr. 1 18 41 — 6 34 6 9 3 3
Dre and 50
2009 Cent) Relapse
"We
Made 9 1 9 9 1 32 1 11 4 4
You"
"Not
2010 1 4 19 11 3 3 8 5 2 5 Recovery
Afraid"
Total Number-
3 7 4 2 6 2 6 2 4 7
one hits

Filmography
Year Film Role Notes
Da Hip Hop Witch
Himself
2000 Up in Smoke Tour
The Slim Shady Show Various
2001 The Wash Chris Uncredited
2002 8 Mile Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Academy
Smith, Jr. Award for
Best Original
Song
MTV Movie
Award for
Best Video
from a Film –
Lose Yourself
MTV Movie
Award for
Best Male
Performance
MTV Movie
Award for
Best
Breakthrough
Male
Performance
ASCAP
Award for
Most
Performed
Song from a
Motion
Picture – Lose
Yourself
Critics Choice
Award for
Best Song –
Lose Yourself
Teen Choice
Award for
Choice Movie
Actor –
Drama/Action
Adventure
Teen Choice
Award for
Choice Movie
Breakout Star
– Male
BMI Film
Award for
Music
BMI Film
Award for
Most
Performed
Song from a
Film – Lose
Yourself
Nominated –
Golden Globe
for Best
Original Song
from a Motion
Picture – Lose
Yourself
Nominated –
CFCA Award
for Most
Promising
Performer
Nominated –
Golden
Satellite for
Best Original
Song – Lose
Yourself
Nominated –
OFCS for
Best
Breakthrough
Performance
Nominated –
PFCS for Best
Original Song
– Lose
Yourself
Nominated –
Grammy for
Best Song
Written for a
Motion
Picture,
Television or
 Other Visual
Media – Lose
Yourself
2003 50 Cent: The New Breed Himself
TV guest role;
2004 Crank Yankers Billy Fletcher
voice
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Inducted Run-
Himself
Ceremony D.M.C.
Funny People Himself Cameo[136]
2009 Short film;
Played during
Eminem, Where Have You Been? Himself
MTV Movie
Awards 2009
Shady Talez Main role
2010 The Fighter
Entourage Himself TV guest spot

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Eminem

Eminem has eleven Grammy Awards. He has been praised for having "verbal energy",
high quality of lyricism and has been ranked at number nine on MTV's list of The
Greatest MCs of All Time,[137][138] In 2003 he was listed as number thirteen on MTV's 22
Greatest Voices in Music[139] and number 82 on Rolling Stone's "The Immortals".[140] In
2008, the readers of Vibe Magazine voted him "The Best Rapper Alive".[141] He was also
named "Best Rapper Ever" taking down all opponents very easily in a poll which was
conducted by music fans on the Vibe website.

Ironically, "The Real Slim Shady", one of the songs from his first Grammy-winning
album, The Marshall Mathers LP, slammed the Grammy Awards in its second verse, and
stated the opinion that negative feelings about his material would keep him from ever
winning one.

Business ventures
• Shady Records
• Shade 45 Sirius
• Shady Ltd. Clothing
• Shady Games
• Eight Mile Style LLC