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During his career, Eminem managed to win 15 Grammy Awards, an Oscar for the soundtrack of Curtis Hanson’s 8 Mile, sell more than 220 million records (beating Kanye West), perform at the Super Bowl and make many friends and enemies. Today the iconic rapper turns 52 years old; On this occasion, we remember the story behind its success.
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“I say what I want to say and do what I want to do. There are no intermediate options. People will either love you for it or hate you.” – Eminem
CHILDHOOD IN THE GHETTO, BULLYING AND PROBLEMS IN THE FAMILY
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (Eminem’s real name) was born on October 17 in St. Joseph into a dysfunctional family. The father abandoned the family when the future musician was still a baby. Mom Deborah struggled to make ends meet and moved constantly from St. Joseph to Detroit in search of work and cheaper housing in areas surrounding the ghetto. Because of this, Eminem had to change schools all the time and face bullying: once he was beaten so brutally that he fell into a coma and could not walk for a while. This attitude was natural: a white guy in a predominantly black area trying to make hip-hop. At the time, rap was a closed community, one that (as it seemed then) no one would ever be allowed in except African Americans.
In the first songs, the musician said that his mother was a drug abuser and abused him and his half-brother Nate Mathers. In the song “Cleaning Out My Closet”, Eminem claimed that Deborah has Munchausen syndrome (a factitious disorder in which a person exaggerates or artificially induces the symptoms of an illness). This information was later confirmed by a social worker. At the age of 15, the rapper fell in love for the first time – Kim Scott became his girlfriend. The teen’s mother allowed her into the house, but after a while she kicked her out and Marshall went after her. The young artist then dropped out of school after studying for three years in the ninth grade due to poor academic performance.
Eminem as a child
Eminem with mom
FIRST SUCCESS, FRIENDSHIP WITH DR. DRE AND SLIM SHADY’S LOOK
In general, the musician was first introduced to hip-hop when his uncle Ronnie Mathers (by the way, he was only a few months older than his nephew) gave him Ice-T’s song “Reckless” from the hip-hop band low budget. skip the movie Breakin to listen to it. This is what inspired Eminem to write his own material. After leaving home, Marshall worked as a dishwasher and waiter, while simultaneously participating in rap battles. In 1996, he released his debut album “Infinite”, which sold poorly and the singles did not become hits. For this reason, the rapper thinks about leaving music, which does not bring him fame or money, he begins to consume drugs and even tries to commit suicide.
Eminem was helped out of his depression by his childhood friend, Proof, who invited him to be part of a group of 12 artists. However, there were only six. Then the musician found a way out and invited the participants to come up with an alter ego. Thus was born Slim Shady, who played a decisive role in Marshall’s career. This is a desperate and provocative hero who speaks openly about what he thinks: about drugs, murder, violence and hatred. In 1997, Eminem released the Slim Shady EP, which attracted the attention of producers, specifically Interscope Records founder and close friend Dr. Dre Jimmy Iovine. The young rapper spends a lot of time with Dre in the studio and records his first hit, the song “My Name Is.” It appears on Marshall’s second album, Slim Shady LP. The single sold several million copies, ranked second on the US Billboard 200 chart, and earned the artist two Grammy Awards.
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Frames from the video “My name is”
“EIGHT MILE”, “OSCAR” AND “THE EMINEM SHOW”
The musician understands that he does not want to constantly hide behind the Slim Shady mask and in 2000 he released his third album, Marshall Mathers LP. In it, the rapper talks about the man behind his provocative alter ego, and also about the problems he had to face. The release includes such iconic tracks as the narrative-driven “Stan,” a full-length confessional “The Way I Am,” and “Drug Ballad” about destructive addictions. It’s interesting that halfway through the album, Slim Shady bursts into the narrative and starts partying hard (which will later become a feature of many of the artist’s releases).
Another turning point in Eminem’s career was Curtis Hanson’s film 8 Mile, which was partially based on the musician’s biography. In 2002, he starred in the film and also recorded the soundtrack, which included the iconic “Lose Yourself.” The song earned Marshall an Oscar statuette and the title of the first rapper to receive an Academy Award. That same year, Eminem released the album “The Eminem Show”, which was warmly received by both the public and critics. It included the lyrical “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” about his relationship with his mother, and the sexy “Superman,” recorded with Dina Rae, and the urgent “Say Goodbye Hollywood” and “White America,” about fame and fashion. -hop industry.
Stills from the movie “8 Mile”
Frames from the video “Stan”
“ENCORE”, DEPRESSION AND DIVORCE
Eminem continues to work hard and two years later (in 2004) he releases the album “Encore”, which sold successfully, but was not as successful as the two previous releases. It was this album that included the hit “Mockingbird”, dedicated to his daughter and the difficult relationship with his wife (in 1999, the musician married the same Kim Scott, with whom he ran away from home at the age of 17). The couple lived together for ten years, during their marriage a daughter, Hayley, was born. Additionally, Marshall adopted Kim’s son from another man and her sister’s daughter, Alaina Scott, and in 2006 he became guardian to her half-brother Nathan Kane. If we talk about marriage with Kim, then it was a complex and codependent relationship: the lovers got together and then broke up, and once the rapper even beat Kimberly’s new boyfriend and received two years of probation. They decided to divorce in 2001 and in 2006 they tried to reunite, but it only lasted a few months.
Eminem and Haley
Eminem and Kimberly
Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 cents
kim and her daughter hailey
Eminem with Haley
“GOD OF RAP”, RECORDS AND MEATS
Marshall returned to the stage in 2009 and released the album “Relapse,” in which he spoke openly about addiction. Then he records the album “Recovery”, three years later – “The Marshall Mathers LP 2”, and a year later, without warning, he presents “Kamikaze”. But once again, neither release achieves the same success as Marshall’s previous efforts. One of the most memorable songs of the era was “Rap God”, which set a world record for the most words: Marshall spoke 1,560 words in 6 minutes and 4 seconds (i.e. 6.64 words per second). Also in the composition he admits that “he is no longer as good as before.”
Overall, Eminem changes the rules of hip-hop, introducing new rhyme schemes and complex sound wordplay. Marshall also constantly challenges social norms in the industry, refuses to demonstrate masculinity, suffers openly, and speaks about his experiences and past. Eminem’s style was largely influenced by his development in Detroit rap battles, in which it was necessary to humiliate his opponent. That’s why he became one of the most scandalous rappers in history, who managed to insult Will Smith, Elton John, Christina Aguilera and Machine Gun Kelly.
Eminem and Rihanna
Frames from the video “Rap God”
“MUSIC TO BE MURDERED” AND THE DEATH OF SLIM SHADY
In 2020, Marshall released the album “Music to Be Murdered By” with his signature fast rap, controversial statements, and criticism of the American political system. The title and cover of the release directly quote the 1958 album by director Alfred Hitchcock and composer Geoffrey Alexander. Two years later, Eminem became one of the headliners of the Super Bowl, dedicated to cult artists of the 2000s. Snoop Dogg, Dr. appeared on the same stage. Dre, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent. The performance was also memorable for the fact that Marshall (the only white performer on stage) took a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Super Bowl performance
In the summer of 2024, Eminem decides to make a provocative move, announcing the death of Slim Shady and releasing the album “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace)”. This pays off and, in the first week after its release, the album ranks first on the charts in the United States, the United Kingdom and 14 other countries. In anticipation of the release of his new work, Marshall is launching a promotional campaign. For example, an obituary appeared in the Detroit Free Press newspaper, illustrated with a photo of the rapper wearing a hockey goalie mask (one of Slim Shady’s signature accessories). The lyrics say: “In the end, the very things that seemed like mere song-making tools to him became the defining hallmark of his existence, and it could only end suddenly and horribly.” Throughout the album, Marshall communicates with critics and modern society, touches on the topic of what is allowed and prohibited and decides that Slim Shady for him is a symbol of the past and drug addiction. We can only guess if Eminem has really said goodbye to the provocative image or if it still awaits us in the future.
Cover of the album “Music to be murdered”
Cover of the album “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace)”
Frames from the video “Tobey”
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