Eminem

(1972– )

a US rap artist (real name Marshall Mathers III) who is well known for the strong opinions, strong language and violence in his songs and he is often criticized for this, but his albums Slim Shady 1999 and Marshall Mathers 2000 have been extremely successful. The film 8 Mile (2002), in which he plays the main character, is partly based on his life story.

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▪ 2001

      Hip-hop MC Eminem had a very full year in 2000. Along with releasing the fastest-selling album in the history of rap—The Marshall Mathers LP—he was sued by both his mother (for the second time) and his wife, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon (twice) and with assault, and filed for divorce. A white performer who had won acceptance in an art form dominated by African Americans, Eminem was revered by some critics, who praised his mastery of rhyme, but reviled by others, who accused him of misogyny and homophobia. Arguably, he had become pop music's most controversial figure.

      Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born in St. Joseph, Mo., in 1973. Within a year his father left the family. Living largely on welfare, Mathers, his mother, and his half-brother bounced back and forth between Kansas City, Mo., and Detroit and finally settled in Detroit's predominantly black east side. According to Mathers, he and his brother were abused by their mother. Perennially the “new kid,” he was frequently the victim of bullies at school. When unexcused absences kept him in the ninth grade for the third year, Mathers quit school, determined to make it in hip-hop music.

      At age 14 he had begun rapping in Detroit clubs and, as Eminem, made a name for himself in the hip-hop underground. His first album, Infinite (1996), sold poorly, however, and he continued working at menial jobs. When Eminem finished second in the freestyle category at the 1997 Rap Olympics in Los Angeles, he came to the attention of Dr. Dre, founding member of pioneering gangsta rappers N.W.A. and the head of Aftermath records. By this time Eminem had developed the persona of the inhibitionless Slim Shady, who gave voice to Eminem's id in often vulgar and violent lyrics. With Dr. Dre as his producer and mentor, Eminem released The Slim Shady LP early in 1999. Benefiting from the inventive channel-surfing video for the hit song “My Name Is” and the instant street credibility of Dr. Dre's involvement, the album went multiplatinum, and Eminem won two Grammy Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards.

      Grounded in his life experience but seemingly reflecting a troubled psyche, Eminem's songs outraged many, including gay and lesbian groups and the attorney general of Ontario, who in October 2000 sought to block Eminem's entrance into Canada because his songs “advocate . . . physical, graphic violence against women.” Still, supporters praised Eminem for “keeping it real,” and the performer asserted that young people understood the humour behind his vitriol. His tumultuous relationship with his wife, Kim, was chronicled in songs in which he rapped about killing her. In June 2000 Eminem was charged with assault when he allegedly pistol-whipped a man he saw kissing her. Soon after the incident she attempted suicide. Eminem later filed for divorce; Kim won custody of their daughter; and they settled the $10 million lawsuit she had brought against him. His mother also sued him for defaming her in song and interviews. Meanwhile, Eminem scaled the pop charts.

Jeff Wallenfeldt

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▪ American musician

byname of  Marshall Bruce Mathers III 

born Oct. 17, 1972, St. Joseph, Mo., U.S.

 

 American rapper, record producer, and actor, who was known as one of the most controversial and best-selling artists of the early 21st century.

      Mathers had a turbulent childhood, marked by poverty and allegations of abuse. At age 14 he began rapping in clubs in Detroit, Mich., and, when unexcused absences kept him in the ninth grade for the third year, he quit school, determined to make it in hip-hop music. As Eminem, he made a name for himself in the hip-hop underground, but his first album, Infinite (1996), sold poorly, and he continued to work menial jobs.

      When Eminem placed second in the freestyle category at the 1997 Rap Olympics in Los Angeles, he came to the attention of Dr. Dre, founding member of pioneering rappers N.W.A. and the head of Aftermath Entertainment. By this time Eminem had developed the persona of the inhibitionless Slim Shady, who gave voice to Eminem's id in often vulgar and violent lyrics. With Dr. Dre as his producer and mentor, Eminem released The Slim Shady LP early in 1999. Benefiting from the inventive channel-surfing music video for the hit song "My Name Is" and the instant credibility of Dr. Dre's involvement, the album went multiplatinum, and Eminem won two Grammy Awards (Grammy Award) and four MTV Video Music Awards.

      Grounded in his life experience but seemingly reflecting a troubled psyche, Eminem's songs outraged many, including the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which denounced him as a homophobic misogynist. His tumultuous relationship with his wife, Kim, was chronicled in songs in which he rapped about killing her. In 2000 Eminem was charged with assault when he allegedly pistol-whipped a man he saw kissing her; the couple divorced in 2001, and their relationship remained rocky (in 2006 the couple remarried and divorced again). His mother also sued him for defaming her in song and in interviews.

      In 2000 Eminem released The Marshall Mathers LP—the fastest-selling album in the history of rap. The incredible success of the album brought more controversy. To silence critics, in 2001 Eminem performed a duet with openly gay musician Elton John (John, Sir Elton) at the Grammy Awards, where The Marshall Mathers LP was nominated for best album of the year. Later that year he recorded the album Devil's Night with D12 (also known as the Dirty Dozen), a Detroit-based rapping sextet, and toured with the group. He also created his own record label, Shady Records. The D12 collective, 50 Cent, and other rappers signed to and released albums with the label.

      When he finished touring in 2002, Eminem made his acting debut in the semiautobiographical 8 Mile. The gritty film was a critical and commercial success. The following year he won an Academy Award for "Lose Yourself," a song featured in the movie. Eminem's later works include The Eminem Show (2002) and Encore (2004). While both albums proved successful, neither brought Eminem the attention garnered by his previous two. In 2005 he issued a greatest-hits set—Curtain Call: The Hits—that topped the charts. Eminem then stepped out of the public eye, resurfacing briefly in 2006 to eulogize friend and D12 member Proof, who was killed outside a Detroit nightclub. In 2008 Eminem published the memoir The Way I Am, which included photos, drawings, and lyrics.

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