Eminem Biography
Eminem (real name Marshall Bruce Mathers III) is an American rapper, music producer, and songwriter. He's one of the best-selling music artists of all time, has won fifteen Grammy Awards, and took home an Oscar for Best Song for "8 Mile," the film he starred in.
Early Life
Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born on October 17, 1972, in the small town of St. Joseph, Missouri. His parents, Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. and Deborah Rae (Nelson) Mathers-Briggs, were musicians who performed at Ramada hotel restaurants. They married when Deborah was 15, and she soon gave birth to her son.





Early Career Pursuits
Marshall discovered rap through his uncle Ronnie Polkingharn, who was just a few months older and became his first musical mentor. "My uncle was really my best friend," Eminem said with gratitude.
At 14, the teenager formed his first rap duo with friend Mike Ruby and created the pseudonym "M&M" (from his initials), which later evolved into "Eminem."
Adolescence
Marshall struggled in school, especially in his later years - not from lack of ability, but because he had zero interest in academics. All he cared about was rap. After failing 9th grade three times at Lincoln High School, he dropped out for good at 17.
The teenager's mother Deborah constantly fought with him. From an early age, Marshall worked to help support the family, yet she still frequently kicked him out of the house. She had a troubled personality that one social worker described as "extreme suspicion bordering on paranoia." Still, in 1987, she took in her son's runaway friend Kimberly Scott, who would later become Eminem's wife.

Because of this disorder, his perfectly healthy 9-year-old brother Nathan spent an entire year hospitalized. Eventually, to end this abuse and get his mother proper help, Marshall had to testify against her in court and then raise his brother himself. His troubled childhood and teenage struggles became the driving force behind Eminem's creativity.
Musical career
In 1995, Eminem made his professional debut as a member of the group "New Jacks", and then, when it disbanded, in the group "Soul Intent", where his friend Proof and DJ Butterfingers also participated.

In this new headspace, he recorded "Slim Shady EP" in spring 1997. The album was finished but sat without any promotion, so Eminem headed to the "Rap Olympics" - an annual national rap battle competition held in Los Angeles. In this massive competition, he placed second, catching the attention of organizers.
Dr. Dre later recalled:
Eminem was stunned by this turn of fate, as Dr. Dre had been one of his idols for many years: "I didn't want to act like a fanboy or kiss up to him too much... I was just a regular white guy from Detroit, and before meeting Dr. Dre, I'd never been around any stars". In one of his later interviews, the artist admitted that if it hadn't been for Dr. Dre's life-changing support and his sudden rise in popularity, he would have been ready to give up and leave music to build a career in some other, less creative field: his daughter was only a year old, and his family desperately needed a stable income.In all my time in the music industry, I've never come across anything worthwhile on demo recordings or discs. But when Jimmy put this on, I immediately said: Find him, right now». Colleagues tried to reason with the producer and warned him against working with a white, i.e., «unreal» rapper, to which he responded: «I don't care if he's purple. If he raps well, I'll be with him.






While the album was well-received by fans and achieved major success, critics were more reserved. "Eminem had the chance to bring new quality to his music. What he's presenting now is still powerful, but very narrow in form," some noted. Others noted that "... the album leaves an aftertaste of joyless fatigue - too prominent to signal the artist's return to his previous form."We've holed up in the studio with Dre, just like old times. Dre is going to produce most of the tracks on Relapse. We're having fun again... That's the plan.
Despite the mixed reception, the album still garnered positive reviews and earned the artist yet another Grammy award. By year's end, the second part, "Relapse: Refill", dropped, featuring both familiar tracks and entirely new material, including the track "Forever", performed alongside rappers Drake, Kanye West, and Lil Wayne.


In 2014, Eminem's label "Shady Records" released the double compilation "Shady XV." The first disc is packed with fresh tracks from Eminem himself, as well as groups he has been involved with and his friends: "Slaughterhouse," "Yelawolf," "D12," "Bad Meets Evil," and others. The second disc compiled the best hits from the label's 15-year history, featuring artists such as Obie Trice, 50 Cent, Bobby Creekwater, Ca$his, and Stat Quo. Between 2015 and 2017, Eminem dropped several hits: "Campaign Speech," "Kill For You," and others.Eminem's performance was noted for its vigor — more aggressive and yet fully conscious — surpassing all his previous works over many years. «The rhymes here... this album has more rhymes than many rappers find throughout their entire careers.
In 2017, Eminem was working on his new album "Revival" — his first solo release since "The Marshall Mathers LP 2" in 2013. Earlier that year, he dropped a video where he passionately slammed US President Donald Trump in a rap verse.
The summer of 2018 reached its peak with Eminem dropping his explosive tenth studio album, "Kamikaze," packed with 13 brand-new tracks. One of them, the last one, was included in the soundtrack for the movie "Venom" with Tom Hardy. The rap legend went after everyone: mumble rappers, critics who trashed his previous album, Donald Trump, the band Die Antwoord (their vocalist Yolandi Visser had mocked his name in one of their tracks), and his former band D12.
While working on his own material, he helped singer Nicki Minaj record her album "Queen." Around the same time, Eminem broke his own speed record, spitting 123 syllables in just 12 seconds. On Nicki's track "Majesty," he rapped even faster than on his own "Rap God."

Film Appearances
Eminem made his movie debut with a small role in the comedy "The Wash" (2001), starring alongside Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. The film, however, didn't make much of an impact, with critics slamming it as amateurish and unfunny.
In 2008, Eminem published his autobiography, "The Way I Am," and established his own charity, "The Marshall Mathers Foundation," to provide assistance to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Eminem's Personal Life
Marshall and his high-school sweetheart, Kimberly Anne Scott, started dating in 1989, beginning an on-and-off romance that would span years. Their daughter, Hailie Jade Scott, was born on December 25, 1995.
The couple officially tied the knot in 1999, only to divorce in 2001. In one interview from that time, Eminem declared, "I would sooner have a baby through my penis than get married again."

During his off-and-on relationship with Kim, Eminem had brief flings with several women, including former Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell, his "8 Mile" co-star Brittany Murphy, porn star Brittany Andrews, and singer Mariah Carey, amongst others.
After his final divorce, he repeatedly said he has no interest in romantic relationships because he can't fully trust anyone. Marshall worries that women might have hidden motives, might not be completely honest with him, and might not stay faithful. In 2008, he briefly dated Tracy McNew, an employee at Shady Records, but nothing is known about his subsequent relationships.

Eminem Now
In 2021, Eminem joined the cast of the film "Black Mafia Family," produced by rapper 50 Cent. Eminem was cast as Rick, a drug dealer tricked by federal agents and later imprisoned.
In November 2022, Eminem was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He joked, "Maybe I shouldn't be here - after all, I'm a rapper, and this is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," just before performing duets with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler (Sing for the Moment) and Ed Sheeran (Stan).