Eminem Biography
From LoveToKnow Music
The Eminem biography was loosely told in the semi-autobiographical movie 8 Mile, which was written by and starred the rap artist. He is considered to be one of the most talented MCs ever in hip hop and won the admiration of critics and fans alike. He is also known for his many feuds with fellow artists and for attracting criticism for his extreme lyrics.
Eminem Biography: The Early Years
Eminem was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri. His father left his mother, Deborah Mathers-Briggs, shortly after his birth. His early childhood involved frequently moving around in Missouri, until he and his mother settled in Warren, Michigan, just outside of Detroit.
After hearing a Beastie Boys album, Eminem began writing raps and started performing on Detroit's highly competitive battle rap scene at the age of 14. He formed a group with some friends from school called Soul Intent. They released a single in 1995.
Music began to take the place of school for the artist. He missed so many days during his first year of high school that he had to repeat the 9th grade. Eventually, at age 17, he dropped out of school and decided to focus on music full time.
During this time, Eminem's participation in the battle rap scene in Detroit grew. He faced a great deal of difficulty breaking into the scene as a white MC, but eventually gained a reputation for his lyrical abilities.
In 1996, Eminem recorded his debut release at Detroit's famed Bassment studios. The Bass Brothers, owners of the studio, released the debut, called Infinite, on their indie label Web Entertainment.
He followed Infinite with the release of The Slim Shady EP in 1997. He initially received a lot of criticism on the local scene for this EP when it was released as people believed he had copied the style of another indie rap artist, Cage. However, this is the EP that eventually landed Eminem a record deal. After winning 1997's Rap Olympics, Interscope Records' Jimmy Iovine requested a copy of The Slim Shady EP, which he then played for Dr. Dre. Eminem was signed to Dre's Aftermath Entertainment subsidiary of Interscope and began working with Eminem on his major label debut, The Slim Shady LP.
Eminem Biography: Major Label Success
In 1999, the release of The Slim Shady LP sent Eminem's career into overdrive. Before the end of the year, the album had already gone triple platinum. Part of the popularity of the album was driven by heavy news coverage of controversy over the lyrical content. On the album, Eminem raps about going to dispose of his wife's body with his daughter and urges a character in another song to murder his girlfriend and the person she is cheating with. The outrage over the lyrics seemed to help make Eminen a household name.
When the Marshall Mathers LP was released in May 2000, it sold 1.76 million copies in the first week. Eminem went after fellow artists and celebrities in his lyrics on this album, often parodying them in his videos. Christina Aguilera, Carson Daly, Fred Durst, Britney Spears and Marilyn Manson were all targets, as was his record label.
The Eminem Show was released in 2002 and sold 1 million copies in the first week. He continued to mock fellow artists and celebrity figures. The controversy of his lyrics continued as well. More of the same followed with his next album, Encore, which also went to number one on the Billboard charts.
In 2005, fans worried that Eminem was quitting music for good when he released a greatest hits collection called Curtain Call, and indeed he did take a hiatus until 2009, when he released Relapse.
Eminem Biography: Personal Life and Controversy
Eminem's relationship with high school girlfriend Kim Scott has been much publicized, especially since she has been the target of many of his most violent raps. The pair have married and divorced twice, all under the glare of the media spotlight.
His mother sued him for slander over some of the lyrics on The Slim Shady LP in 1999 but was awarded only $1,600 in damages.
Eminem has ongoing public feuds with Mariah Carey and her husband Nick Cannon. He admitted in a 2008 interview that he used to be a drug addict though he has since kicked the habit.
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