Eminem (American Rapper) Biography

Eminem is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter, and actor. He is considered as one of the greatest and most influential artists of all time. The ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine has labeled him the ‘King of Hip Hop,’ and listed him in its list of the ‘100 Greatest Artists of All Time.’ He became passionate about rapping at the young age of fourteen and began attending local open-mic competitions with friends. As he grew up, he formed a group of rappers called ‘D12,’ which became quite popular among local music lovers. Soon, he caught the attention of famous record producer Dr. Dre, and with Dre’s assistance, he released successful albums like ‘The Slim Shady LP,’ and ‘The Marshall Mathers LP.’ His albums have all been roaring hits, making him one of the biggest sensations in the rap industry. Most of his songs are based on his personal struggles with his family members and his career. This is considered by many as the USP of his albums, making them close to his fans’ hearts. He has often run into trouble with the law. He is known for his explicit use of words, often sending out aggressive signals. Yet, this famous rap artiste has managed to win the hearts of critics and followers alike, bagging more than a dozen ‘Grammy Awards.’

Eminem Biography

Also Read: Eminem Net worth- American rapper!

Family, Wife & Relationships

• Eminem’s parents are Marshall Bruce Mathers II and Debbie Mathers Briggs. Eminem’s father’s name is Marshall Bruce Mathers II.
• Eminem’s mother’s name is Debbie Mathers Briggs.
• He hails from a Luxembourgish, Polish, German, Swiss, English, and Scottish cultural background. He was raised in a Christian household. His mother’s 73-hour gestation with him almost claimed her life. As they split up, Eminem’s parents performed in Ramada Inns anywhere across the Dakotas-Montana boundary as part of the group Daddy Warbucks. Bruce Jr., the dad of Eminem, moved to California following birthing Michael & Sarah, two further kids.
• Nathan “Nate” was the child of his mom, Debbie, in the future. Eminem’s mom and he traveled back and forth between Detroit & Missouri throughout his early years, seldom being in one place for longer than 1 year or 2 and mostly residing with relatives. They resided all around Missouri, notably Savannah & Kansas City.
• He also has three sibling. His two brother’s names are Nathan Kane Samara who is a rapper and Michael Mathers. His half-sister’s name is Sarah Mathers.
• His additional family consists of his maternal grandparents are – Betty Hixson (maternal grandma) and Robert Ray Nelson (maternal grandpa). His paternal grandparents are Rae Waverly Drowns (paternal grandma) and Marshall Bruce Mathers (paternal grandpa).
• Eminem’s relationship status is divorced. His most prominent relationship with Kim Scott. Eminem began dating Kim Scott, his high school lover. Kim aged 13 & Eminem was 15 when they first encountered them. They corresponded intermittently until getting married in 1995.
• A daughter called Hailie Jade Scott Mathers was born to the pair in December 1995.
• In 1999, they were hitched. However, the couple quickly ended the relationship in 2000, and it was finally formalized in August 2001. The sentence for driving while intoxicated is the cause. The pair were wedded once more in January 2006, but this union also didn’t last. They formally separated in April 2006. Alaina Marie Mathers & Whitney Mathers are two other kids that Eminem is the father of.
• Mariah Carey & artist Eminem began dating while on tour. As they dated both In and Out, they frequently broke up.

Eminem Wife

Childhood & Early Life

• Eminem was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III in St. Joseph, Missouri, to Marshall Bruce Mathers, Jr and his wife Deborah Rae “Debbie” Nelson, on October 17, 1972.
• Marshall’s parents were members of ‘Daddy Warbucks,’ a band that used to perform at a hotel named ‘Ramada Inns.’ His father, Bruce, and mother, Debbie, later separated, and went on to have different partners.
• Eminem has three half-siblings, Michael, Sarah, and Nate. Marshall lived with his mother, Debbie. They relocated to several cities, before settling down in Detroit, Michigan.
• He grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood, where he was often bullied by African-American youngsters. As a child he showed affinity toward comics and music, particularly rapping.
• He had a difficult childhood and he was never on good terms with his mother. He was, however, close to her half-brother, Ronnie. Marshall’s education suffered as a result of constant tiffs with Debbie, and he dropped out of ‘Lincoln High School,’ when he was seventeen.

Career

• When Marshall was only fourteen years old, he joined his friend Mike Ruby to practice rapping. The two friends called themselves ‘Manix’ and ‘M&M’, the latter becoming ‘Eminem’ in the future.
• Marshall also attended rap contests at the ‘Osborn High School,’ along with his friend DeShaun Dupree Holton, who later became famous as rapper Proof. The two rappers went to all such music contests at West 7 Mile, in Detroit. To excel in the art, Eminem practiced writing long words and phrases that rhymed with each other.
• He initially rapped with a group called the ‘New Jacks,’ but later moved to ‘Soul Intent,’ the band that brought out a song in 1995, featuring Eminem and Proof.
• The two friends later separated from ‘Soul Intent’ and formed their own group called ‘D12’ or ‘The Dirty Dozen,’ in 1996. This group included famous rappers Kon Artis and Bizarre. The group has produced several record-breaking singles like ‘Fight Music,’ ‘Shit on You,’ and ‘How Come.’
• In 1996, Eminem brought out his first album titled ‘Infinite.’ The album was recorded under the banner of ‘FBT Productions,’ and included songs that spoke about the struggles he faced after the birth of his daughter, at a time when he was financially unstable.
• His financial condition had worsened and by 1997, he was forced to live in his mother’s house with his family. During this time, to let go of the frustration building inside him, he created an anti-social alter-ego named ‘Slim Shady.’ He even recorded his first extended play by the same name in the same year.
• In 1997, he contested in the ‘Rap Olympics’ and secured second place. Dr. Dre, the owner of ‘Aftermath Entertainment,’ heard his ‘Slim Shady EP (Extended Play).’ He was highly impressed with Eminem and showed keen interest in working with the talented rapper.
• In February 1999, Dr. Dre helped Eminem release an album titled ‘The Slim Shady LP,’ which immediately catapulted him to fame. With hits like ‘My Name Is,’ ’97 Bonnie and Clyde,’ and ‘Guilty Conscience,’ it was one of the most successful albums of the year.
• The same year, he founded the record label ‘Shady Records’ along with his friend Paul Rosenberg.
• In May 2000, Eminem released an album titled ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’, an album that sold almost 2 million copies in the opening week itself. The album included the record-breaking hit ‘The Real Slim Shady’, which topped the charts despite outrageously insulting other artists.
• The other famous song, ‘Stan’, from the album ‘Marshall Mathers LP’, featuring English singer Dido, and her single ‘Thank You’, saw a slight shift from the artist’s usual style of rapping. It talks about an obsessed fan of rapper Slim Shady, who kills himself and his girlfriend who is pregnant, on being ignored by his idol.
• The same year, the famous rapper featured in ‘8 Mile’, a movie based loosely on his life, though the artiste claims otherwise.
• During 2001-2004, the famous rap artiste released popular albums like ‘The Eminem Show’, and ‘Encore’. The albums included hit singles like ‘Without Me’, ‘Superman’, ‘Mockingbird’, and ‘Just Lose It’. During this time he also assisted Dr. Dre on several songs including the Grammy-winning ‘Forgot About Dre’.
• Eminem collaborated with popular singer Elton John to sing at the ‘Grammy Awards’ ceremony in 2001. The organization called ‘Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’ (‘GLAAD’), displayed their resentment towards the decision since allegedly the rap artiste openly criticized homosexuality.
• The same year, he also went touring with famous rap artists like Xzibit, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre. In 2004, the artiste helped Afeni Shakur release a posthumous album of the latter’s son rapper 2Pac.
• In 2006, the rapper produced ‘The Re-Up’, an album of compiled songs, under the banner of his label ‘Shady Records’. The same year he appeared at the ‘BET Music Awards’, singing a song titled ‘Touch It’. He also sang for albums by Akon, 50 Cent, and Lil Wayne, with the most memorable song being ‘My Life’.
• Two years later, in 2008, the artiste published a book named ‘The Way I Am’, which spoke about his life and career. The autobiography also provides readers with the lyrics for songs like ‘The Real Slim Shady’, and ‘Stan’.
• From 2009-2010, the sensational rapper released the studio albums ‘Relapse’, and ‘Recovery’. ‘Relapse’ boasts of successful singles like ‘Beautiful’, and ‘We Made You’, while ‘Recovery’ was the most popular digital album ever.
• The album ‘Recovery’ includes songs like ‘Not Afraid’, ‘Love the Way You Lie’, featuring singer Rihanna, and ‘No Love’, along with fellow rapper Lil Wayne.
• In 2014 the rapper released an album named ‘SHADYXV’, which had hits like ‘Guts Over Fear’ and ‘Detroit Vs. Everybody’. The album featuring various top-notch artists became an instantaneous hit, selling 138,000 copies in the first week of release.
• A collection of ten discs titled ‘The VINYL LPS’, containing all albums produced by the famous rapper, was released in 2015. He released his ninth studio album named ‘Revival’ in December 2017. The album opened to a mixed reception but managed to top the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200. The following year, he put out his tenth studio album titled ‘Kamikaze.’ The reviews for the album were somewhere between positive and mixed. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and reached 225 million streams within a week. In 2020, he released his tenth album ‘Music to Be Murdered By’ which received positive reviews from critics. The album peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 and sold 279,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.
• The rap artiste has made guest appearances in several movies including ‘The Wash’, ‘Funny People’, and ‘The Interview’. He has also been featured in a TV show named ‘Entourage’.
• Eminem has also appeared in numerous concerts including the ‘BET Awards’, ‘The Home & Home Tour’ with singer Jay-Z, and ‘MTV Video Music Awards’, throughout his career.

Eminem’s Personal Life and Family

Marshall Bruce Mathers III met Kimberly Anne Scott in high school when he was standing on the table and rapping “I’m Bad”. Kimberly and her twin sister named “Dawn” ran away from their home and moved in with Eminem and his mother when he was 15 years old. In 1989, he started having an on-and-off relationship with Scott.

Both of them got married in 1999 but after 2 years they decide to part ways and the divorce got finalised in 2001. He told the media that he would not marry again after the divorce but in January 2006, he remarried Scott. In April 2006 he again filed for divorce and got joint custody of their daughter Hailie.

Later on, Eminem got custody of Dawn’s daughter. In 2002, there was a rumour that the rapper was romantically involved with Britanny Murphy ad Kim Basinger. However, Slim Shady denied the rumours about Basinger but accepted that he is in a relationship with Murphy. In 2013, he wrote a song named headlight and apologized and showed his loved towards his mother.

Eminem Songs

Collaborative Albums

• Devil’s Night (with D12) (2001)
• D12 World (2004)
• Hell: The Sequel (with Bad Meets Evil) (2011)

Eminem Controversies

• At the age of 20, Eminem spent time in jail after being charged with firing a paintball gun at a running car. The matter was dropped because the victim failed to appear in court.
• He was charged with ripping off the underground rapper “Cage” in terms of both style and lyrical content.
• He got into controversy because he insulted his Mother and others in his song “The genuine skinny shady.” He was sued for $10 million by his Mother, who only got $1600 in compensation.
• His song “Just lose it” and its accompanying music video attracted criticism for insulting Michael Jackson.
• After a fight with Douglas Dail in the audio store, he was jailed for showing the pistol.
• He was arrested the next day for attacking bouncer John Guerrera after he kissed his wife, Kim.
• Kim, Eminem’s wife, attempted suicide by cutting her wrists and then filed a harassment lawsuit against him.
• The Ontario Attorney General caused the M&M concert at Toronto’s Skydome to be postponed.
• “I don’t want anyone coming to Canada who will come here and encourage violence against women,” said General Jim Flaherty.
• DeAngelo Bailey, a sanitation worker, sued Eminem after claiming that the rapper had portrayed his image in “Brain Damage” in a destructive manner.
• He had been given a year’s probation for weapon charges in June 2001 when he got into a fight with a Psychopathic Records worker.
• For stealing his rhythm from the instrumental “Pulsion,” which they utilized for the song “Kill You,” Jacques Loussier sued Eminem and Dr Dre for $10 million. Later, the dispute was resolved.
• In 2007, Eminem’s firm, “Eight Mile Style,” filed a claim against Apple Inc. and Aftermath Entertainment, accusing them of striking an agreement to sell the rights to Eminem’s 93 songs on iTunes. Additionally, he filed a complaint against Aftermath, demanding 50% of the royalties from licensing Eminem’s songs to other businesses.
• In 2008, Hotstylz filed an $8 million claim against Eminem for exploiting their 25-second sample without giving them credit or payment.

Awards And Important Events:

Eminem has received many awards and accomplishments. Some of them are mentioned below.

• 15- Grammy Awards
• 8- American Music Awards
• 17- Billboard Award
• Academy Award as of this writing (for best song “Lose Yourself” – from the 8 Mile soundtrack).

Eminem Net worth

Eminem is a multi-platinum selling American rapper, producer and actor who has a net worth of $250 million.

In touring years Eminem is consistently one of the highest-paid entertainers in the world. In a given year, Eminem makes around $20 million a year. In years where he is actively touring to support an album, that number can easily approach $30-50 million. He has made millions off his own music and albums by artists under his label Shady Records. Between 2004 and 2019 alone, which doesn’t include his most successful album-selling days, he earned at least $280 million, pre-tax. His total career earnings to date likely approach $420 million.

Key Fact

• Has sold 220 million albums worldwide to date
• Is one of the 10 best-selling artists of all time
• Has earned over $400 million in his career
• Makes $10-20 million per year in a non-touring year
• Earns $50+ million in touring years
• First two albums sold nearly 50 million copies worldwide

As you can see, the above table does not include the peak record-selling years of Eminem’s career, 2000 to 2003, as data was not reported on back then. He sold more than 50 million records during those years and performed 88 solo concerts as part of the Anger Management Tour.

During those years Eminem earned at least $100 million personally from record sales, touring and merchandise. That brings his total career earnings as of this writing to $417.7 million, conservatively.

Real Estate

In 2000, Eminem spent $1.483 million on an 8,900 square-foot home in Clinton Township, Michigan. This has been his primary residence throughout the years.

In 2003, he spent $4.8 million on a 15,000 square foot house in Oakland County, Michigan. It was the home of the former CEO of Kmart. Visitors be warned, Eminem retrofitted the property into a virtual fortress complete with electric fences and guard booths that are manned 24 hours a day by armed security. Also, the entire neighborhood is gated and guarded by additional security. Interestingly, Eminem barely lived at this house. He listed it for sale in 2017 for $1.99 million, eventually finding a buyer for $1.9 million.

Conclusion

Eminem’s Legacy and Impact As we reflect on Eminem’s remarkable journey, it becomes clear that his influence extends far beyond the realm of music.

He is not merely a rapper but a cultural icon, whose words have resonated with millions around the world. From the gritty streets of Detroit to the glitzy stages of Hollywood, Eminem has defied the odds and rewritten the rules of the game, leaving an indelible mark on the world of entertainment.

With a net worth of $250 million and a career that spans over two decades, Eminem’s legacy is secure, his place in history assured. Yet, for all his accolades and achievements, perhaps the greatest testament to Eminem’s greatness lies in the hearts and minds of his fans, whose lives have been touched and transformed by his music.

As we look to the future, one thing remains certain: Eminem’s legacy will continue to inspire and uplift for generations to come.

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