Eminem facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eminem
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Eminem in 2021
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Marshall Bruce Mathers III
October 17, 1972 St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S.
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| Years active | 1988–present |
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Works
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Kimberly Anne Scott
(m. 1999; div. 2001)
(m. 2006; div. 2006) |
| Children | 3 |
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| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip-hop |
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Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, producer, and actor. He became famous in 1999 with his album The Slim Shady LP. This album won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.
His next album, The Marshall Mathers LP, became the fastest-selling solo album in U.S. history. These albums made him known worldwide. They also helped make his record label, Shady Records, and his group D12 famous. Eminem is one of the best-selling music artists ever. He has sold over 220 million records around the world. In 2022, he joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Marshall Mathers was born on October 17, 1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri. He was raised by his mother in poverty. His father left the family when Marshall was very young. Marshall and his mother moved many times. They lived in different towns in Missouri before settling in Warren, Michigan, near Detroit.
Marshall had a difficult childhood. Their house was often robbed. He was also bullied at school because he was short. When he was a teenager, he became interested in hip-hop. He got a copy of the album Licensed to Ill by the Beastie Boys.
At 14, he started rapping under the name "M&M". He later joined a group called Bassmint Productions. They released an EP (Extended Play) called Steppin' onto the Scene. After this, Marshall changed his stage name to "Soul Intent". He released his first single in 1995.
Even though most hip-hop artists in his area were African-American, Marshall was accepted by the underground hip-hop community. He often took part in freestyle rap battles in Detroit. He dropped out of high school at 17 after repeating ninth grade three times. However, he later earned his GED. In 1991, his uncle, Ronnie Polkingharn, passed away. Marshall was very close to him and was deeply affected. He has a tattoo on his left arm that says "Ronnie RIP" to remember him.
Eminem's Music Career
Early Career and Infinite
A local rapper named Champtown was one of Marshall's first mentors. Champtown gave him his first chance to record in a studio in 1992. Before rapping, Marshall worked minimum wage jobs, like at a restaurant and a pizza place.
In 1992, Mathers signed with FBT Productions. In 1996, he released his first album, Infinite. It was recorded at Bassmint, a studio owned by the Bass Brothers. Eminem later said that Infinite helped him find his own rap style. The album talked about his challenges raising his newborn daughter, Hailie Jade Mathers, with little money.
Early in his career, Eminem also formed a hip-hop duo called Bad Meets Evil with Royce da 5'9". In 1997, Eminem came in second at the Rap Olympics. This led to Jimmy Iovine, director of Interscope Records, asking for his demo. Iovine then played the demo for famous hip-hop producer Dr. Dre. Dr. Dre liked Eminem's music, and they started recording songs for his next album.
The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem signed with Aftermath and Interscope in 1998. His first major studio album, The Slim Shady LP, came out in February 1999. Billboard magazine praised the album. It became very popular in 1999 and sold millions of copies in the United States.
The Marshall Mathers LP was released in May 2000. This album sold over 1.78 million copies in the U.S. in its first week. This broke records for both hip-hop albums and first-week sales. The album's third and most popular song, "Stan", was ranked among the 500 Best Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone Magazine. In July 2000, Eminem became the first white artist to be on the cover of The Source Magazine. The album has sold over 10 million copies, earning a "diamond" certification.
In 2001, Eminem performed with Elton John at the 43rd Grammy Awards. He also joined the Up In The Smoke Tour with artists like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. He also toured with the band Limp Bizkit on the Family Values Tour.
The Eminem Show and Encore
Eminem's third major album, The Eminem Show, was released in summer 2002. It was another huge success. The album reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold over a million copies in its first week. The first single, "Without Me", made fun of other artists and public figures. Other popular songs from the album included "Cleanin' Out My Closet" and "Sing for the Moment". The album has sold over 8 million copies. It talks about his journey to fame, his family life, and his place in hip-hop. This album is one of Eminem's two albums to sell over 10 million copies.
Encore came out in 2004. It also topped the music charts. The song "Just Lose It" made fun of pop singer Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson and his fans were not happy about the video. Some people wanted the video removed and an apology from Eminem. The music video also made fun of other famous people like Pee-Wee Herman and Madonna.
Even with the funny first single, Encore also had serious songs like "Mosh". In October 2004, before the U.S. presidential election, Eminem released the music video for "Mosh" online. The song had a strong message against President George W. Bush. The video showed Eminem gathering people who felt like victims of the Bush administration. They marched towards the White House. However, it was revealed they were there to vote. The video ended with "Vote Tuesday November 2!" on the screen. After the election, Eminem changed the video to show people protesting during a presidential speech. In 2004, he also started his own satellite music channel, Shade 45, on Sirius XM radio.
Taking a Break and New Albums
In 2005, many thought Eminem might stop making music. A greatest hits album called Curtain Call: The Hits was released in December 2005. It sold nearly 441,000 copies in its first week in the U.S. This was Eminem's fourth album in a row to be number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Eminem denied he was retiring but said he would take a break. He said, "I'm at a point in my life right now where I feel like I don't know where my career is going. This is the reason that we called the new CD Curtain Call, because this could be the final thing. We don't know."
In 2006, Eminem released Eminem Presents: The Re-Up. This album helped promote his new record label, Shady Records. He also planned a tour called Anger Management Tour with artists like 50 Cent. However, the European part of the tour was canceled.
Relapse and Recovery
In September 2007, Eminem talked about his music. He said, "I'm always working. I'm always in the studio. It feels good right now, the energy of the label. For a while, I didn't want to go back to the studio... I went through some personal things. Now I'm coming out of those personal things and it feels good."
In September 2008, Eminem appeared on his radio station, Shade 45. He said he was focusing on his own music and getting better at producing. In December 2008, he announced his new album, Relapse, would be released in spring 2009. Most of the songs would be produced by Dr. Dre.
On March 5, 2009, Eminem said he would release two albums that year. The first single, "We Made You", came out in April. Relapse was released on May 19. It received good reviews for his return to hip-hop. On November 19, he announced Relapse: Refill, a new version of Relapse with seven extra songs.
On April 14, 2010, Eminem announced there would be no Relapse 2. Instead, he changed the title to Recovery. He explained that the new music felt very different from Relapse and deserved its own name.
Recovery was released on June 18, 2010. It sold 741,000 copies in its first week in the U.S. and topped the Billboard 200 chart. It was also number one in many other countries. Recovery was the best-selling album worldwide in 2010, selling over 3.4 million copies. Its first single, "Not Afraid", came out on April 29. It was followed by "Love the Way You Lie".
The Marshall Mathers LP 2 to Present
On May 24, 2012, Eminem announced he was working on his eighth studio album. During the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, it was announced the album would be called The Marshall Mathers LP 2. It was released on November 5 with 16 songs.
On November 3, Eminem was named the first YouTube Music Awards Artist of the Year. He also became the first artist to receive two "digital diamond" certifications. This means his songs "Not Afraid" and "Love the Way You Lie" each sold and streamed over 10 million copies. At the 2015 Grammy Awards, he won Best Rap Album for The Marshall Mathers LP 2. He also won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with Rihanna for their song "The Monster".
In February 2017, Eminem was featured on "No Favors" from Big Sean's album I Decided. Since then, Eminem has released several more albums: "Revival" (2017), "Kamikaze" (2018), and "Music to be Murdered By" (2020).
On March 19, 2024, Dr. Dre announced that Eminem planned to release a new album that year. On April 25, Eminem appeared at the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit. His twelfth studio album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), was released on July 12, 2024.
Personal Life
Eminem has one biological daughter named Hailie Jade Scott Mathers. She was born on Christmas Day 1995 in Detroit, Michigan. He married her mother, Kimberly Anne Scott, in 1999. They divorced in 2001. He remarried Kim in January 2006 but divorced again three months later. He is also the legal guardian of Alaina, his ex-wife's twin sister's daughter, and Whitney, his ex-wife's daughter from another relationship. Eminem has rapped about his daughters in many of his songs.
In July 2012, he became the first artist to reach 60 million likes on Facebook. Eminem is a big fan of the NFL. He supports the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys. He is also a fan of the Detroit Pistons basketball team.
Interests
Eminem is an enthusiastic comic book collector. His collection includes Amazing Fantasy #15, which is the comic book that first introduced Spider-Man. This comic is worth over $1 million. A former executive from Shady Records described his collection as "otherworldly," meaning it's incredibly impressive.
Achievements and Honors
Eminem is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has sold over 220 million records worldwide. He has had thirteen albums reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Nine of these were solo albums, two were with D12, and one was with Bad Meets Evil.
He was the best-selling music artist in the U.S. from 2000 to 2009. He was also the best-selling male music artist in the U.S. in the 2010s. He has sold 47.4 million albums and 107.5 million singles in the U.S. Many of his albums and songs, like The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show, and "Lose Yourself", have been certified "Diamond" or higher. This means they have sold over 10 million copies.
Eminem's music videos on his YouTube Vevo page have over ten billion views. In 2014, Spotify named him the most-streamed music artist ever.
Eminem has won many awards, including 15 Grammy Awards, eight American Music Awards, and 17 Billboard Music Awards. Billboard magazine named him the "Artist of the Decade (2000–2009)". In 2013, he received the Global Icon Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
His role in the movie 8 Mile led him to win the 2002 Academy Award for Best Original Song for his song "Lose Yourself". He wrote this song with Jeff Bass and Luis Resto. This made him the first rapper to win an Academy Award. He also won MTV Movie & TV Awards for Best Actor and Best Breakthrough Performance for the movie.
Eminem has been included in many lists of great artists. Rolling Stone magazine put him on their lists of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time. MTV ranked him 9th on their list of the Greatest MCs of All Time. In 2015, Billboard placed Eminem third on their list of "The 10 Best Rappers of All Time". In 2008, Vibe readers voted Eminem the Best Rapper Alive.
In 2022, Eminem was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Discography
Studio albums
- Infinite (1996)
- The Slim Shady LP (1999)
- The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
- The Eminem Show (2002)
- Encore (2004)
- Relapse (2009)
- Recovery (2010)
- The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013)
- Revival (2017)
- Kamikaze (2018)
- Music to Be Murdered By (2020)
- The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) (2024)
Collaborative albums
- Devil's Night (with D12) (2001)
- D12 World (with D12) (2004)
- Hell: The Sequel (with Bad Meets Evil) (2011)
Concert Tours
As a headliner
- The Slim Shady LP Tour (1999)
- The Recovery Tour (2010–2013)
- Rapture Tour (2014)
- Revival Tour (2018)
- Rapture 2019 (2019)
As a co-headliner
- Up in Smoke Tour (with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and others) (2000)
- Anger Management Tour (with Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach) (2002–2005)
- The Home & Home Tour (with Jay-Z) (2010)
- The Monster Tour (with Rihanna) (2014)
Written Works
| Title | Year | Pages |
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| Angry Blonde | 2000 | 148 |
| The Way I Am | 2008 | 208 |
Images for kids
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Eminem lived near 8 Mile Road in Detroit.
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Eminem and Proof performing in 1999
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Eminem on the Anger Management Tour in 2003
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Proof's (left) death in 2006 was one of the factors that caused Eminem to take a break from music.
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Eminem performing with D12 in May 2009
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Eminem performing at Lollapalooza 2011
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Eminem performing at the Concert for Valor in Washington, D.C. in 2014
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Eminem performing in 2018
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See also
In Spanish: Eminem para niños
