EM!NEM

Marshall Bruce Mathers III, AKA Eminem, AKA Slim Shady is a popular white rapper from Detroit.

Mathers had a troubled childhood, raised by his mother who emotionally and physically abused him. He was often kicked out of his own house for nights, he had failed 9th grade 3 times, and he could never get a decent paying job, and had apparently tried suicide a few times. You know, the usual stuff.

During this period, Eminem discovered a love of rap and would practice it as often as he could. His early raps were heavily influenced by the popular gangsta rap of the day, and being white, he was often mocked for even trying.

His first studio album was released in 1996. The album, called Infinite, was not a success; underground rappers and critics alike felt it was a bad imitation of the likes of Nas or Jay-Z.

Angry, poor, and with a new baby daughter to feed, Eminem made another EP a few years later – The Slim Shady EP.

This album was remarkably different for his previous style and a new thing to rap in general. The album focused on the Alter Ego of Eminem, “Slim Shady”. The lyrics were dark and gruesome, but took a twistedly funny approach to subjects such as rape, murder, the occult, drugs, and suicide. The album gained Eminem significant attention in the world of underground hip hop, and eventually got him signed to Dr. Dre’s record label.

Still angry and depressed, Eminem’s first true studio album came out in the winter of 1999. The Slim Shady LP was even darker and demented than his EP, and became a world wide hit. Admit it, even your mom knows the chorus to “My Name Is”.

The album also caused up riots with parents and Media Watchdogs alike. The homophobic and brutal lyrics started a wave of moral panic, which Eminem pretty much used as an excuse to continue writing such songs.

Marshall’s second mainstream album was called the Marshall Mathers LP, and showed the world a more vulnerable and depressed artist trying to deal with his new found super stardom. The albums lyrics were more somber, focusing on subjects such as Marshall’s childhood, his fame, and his abusive lifestyle. Considered Eminem’s magnum opus, the record was another massive hit – but managed to attract even more controversy than its predecessor.

Eminem’s third studio album, The Eminem Show, was less inflammatory and ill than his previous albums. This one was more of an introspect tour of the world of fame and isolation the rapper had built himself. Many of the tracks showed a maturing Mathers, with sadder and more sincere lyrics. Some even interpret it as an apology to everyone he had offended.

The more laid back style didn’t stop it from becoming another hit for the young artist, and like his previous albums, it made it on The Rolling Stones Greatest Albums Of All Time list.

During the summer of 2004, Eminem released his 4th studio album, named Encore. Critics sung their usual praise, but many fans felt the album was a disappointment – Eminem’s famous tongue-twister lyrics were dumbed down to much simpler mumbles, the beats felt less creative and worked on, and much of the songs seemed an excuse to fit in as many fart jokes as humanly possible. Another commercial hit for Marshall, but many fans shove it right intoSeasonal Rot territory,

Eminem has also appeared in a semi-autobiographical movie 8 Mile, which has launched him into an side career of acting.

After a five-year period of laying low and battling a drug addiction (and winning), he released his sixth album, Relapse, in Spring 2009. Fans are glad to see him back.