Who would have thought that a blonde haired, blue-eyed white boy from Kansas City would become one of the most influential contemporary rappers? Eminem entered the rap game against all odds and immediately changed the stereotypical description of a successful rapper.
Born Marshall Mathers, Eminem came from very humble beginnings. Raised by a single mother, young Marshall's formative years were unsteady and restless. After relocating to countless trailer homes, the Mathers settled on the east side of Detroit where Marshall spent most of his time reading comics and watching television. In the mid 1980s, the once shy, introverted young boy became interested in the burgeoning rap scene by way of groups like 2 Live Crew, LL Cool J and NWA, Eminem discovered a new love and quickly began to open up in the form of rapping and rhyming. But being a white rapper emulating black rappers caused him to get into many fights while in school.
After repeating the ninth grade, Eminem dropped out and began to work on his rapping skills full time. He joined another aspiring rapper to form a group known as The Motor City Duo Soul Intent. By 1996 he made his solo debut releasing his first independent album titled "Infinite." Although the album was not a financial success, it did earn him positive publicity with write-ups in influential magazines including the Source (1997). Later that year, Eminem released his second effort, "Slim Shady EP," the name that he had given his sinister alter-ego. The popular hard-core tracks off his second release became an instant hit in the underground arena. Possessing a style of his of his own, Eminem entered and won the Wake Up Show's Freestyle Performer of The Year Award (1997) and ended the year as runner-up in Los Angeles' annual Rap Olympics.
Shortly after the Rap Olympics, Dr. Dre signed Eminem. The release of Slim Shady LP under Dr. Dre's Aftermath label (1999) proved that Dre' had a rising star on his hands. The album almost instantly went triple platinum. Eminem's gift for poetic verbal imagery coupled with his harsh, violent, edgy content caused much controversy. But people still could not get enough of him. As a matter of fact, it was this graphic nature and surreal humor that earned him the distinction as the first rapper to receive an MTV Music Award for Best New Artist (1999). Later that year, Eminem went on to snag two Grammy awards. One for Best Rap Solo Performance and another for Best Rap Album.
While 1999 proved that Eminem "had arrived", the new millenium solidified that he was "here to stay." Before recording his next album, Eminem appeared on Dr. Dre's 2001 album. His contributions earned both him and Dre a Grammy for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group (2000). Later, Eminem and Dre collaborated once again and released the "Marshall Mathers LP." The album sold close to two million copies its first week out, quickly making it the fastest selling rap album of all time and once again earning him a Grammy for Best Rap Album (2000) and another for Best Rap Solo Performance. The debut of "MM LP" established Eminem as the most successful rapper since 2 Pac and Snoop Doggy Dogg.
Eminem had earned the rap-respect that he had worked so hard for. But while his professional life was soaring his personal life was bailing. His high school sweetheart, whom he had married and had a beautiful daughter with, had filed for a divorce. Additionally, he had an assault charge pending and his mother, who had been the topic of many of his rap songs, filed a law suit against him claiming his comments caused her emotional distress and damaged her reputation. He also received much criticism from gay rights groups for the many gay-bashing raps/comments he made. But despite the controversy, people were still hungry for more Eminem.
In 2001, producer Brian Grazer, long looking for a dramatic film set in the world of hip-hop, convinced Eminem and his music producer Jimmy Iovine to team with him to develop "8 Mile," a fictionalized, loosely autobiographical film based on the young rapper's rise out of inner-city Detroit. After drafting a screenplay, Grazer recruited the acclaimed director Curtis Hanson to direct the film and actress Kim Basinger, who won an Oscar in her last collaboration with Hanson ("L.A. Confidential") to play the rapper's troubled mother, giving Eminem's screen debut an impressive pedigree. In the film Eminem plays Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith, Jr., a young man with a talent for hip-hop stuck in a dead-in factory job and living by his wits. He must not only leaern to transcend his rough roots, but to embrace them as well. After the filming of "8 Mile" (the name given to a dividing line that runs through Eminem's hometown of Detroit separating the blacks and whites/poor and rich) Eminem placed his focus back on music releasing his third album titled "The Eminem Show" (2002), which conicided with the release of his film. The film debut to largely positive reviews, and Eminem earned praise for bringing the same kind of tough, blunt intensity and depth that characterized his music to his acting.
Eminem has highly touted his close relationship with his daughter Hailie as the most important in his life, and he and works closely with emerging talent such as his group D12 on his recording label Shady Records, but this softer side is embellished with further bad boy behavior--such as public sniping at fellow artists such as Moby and Christina Aguillera. In 2005 the performer cancelled canceling his European tour, blaming "exhaustion," then days later entered treatment for dependency on sleep medication.