Eminem
Marshall Mathers, Eminem, Slim Shady. Which ever name you prefer to call him, it’s one man who possesses some incomparable lyrical rhyming abilities and linguistic talent. He battled his way through the underground hip hop scene of rough-edged Detroit, earning respect and recognition in an African-American dominated industry, continuously proving himself as a force to be reckoned with. After being heard by legendary Dr. Dre, Eminem would find himself on his way to hip hop fame, never turning back to his poverty-stricken upbringing.
The Slim Shady LP, released in 1999 would be the first of his works with Aftermath Entertainment, and would make him a permanent icon around the world. He instantly sparked controversy and fury with the media, politicians, and parents with his uncensored, “offensive” lyrics that ridiculed his mother and ex wife and allegedly promoted foul behavior. Parents wanted bans on sites their kids’ could download music off of and record stores. Court cases would ensue, media would defame him, but it didn’t put a dent in his popularity or success.
He would go on to release The Marshall Mathers LP in 2000, and The Eminem Show in 2002, giving the world a taste of all three aliases. In 2004 he would release Encore, which disappointed fans and critics as his then-not-publicized addiction to sleeping pills and pharmaceuticals was wearing on his career. Relapse in 2009 would be critically acclaimed and win several awards, but many saw the end of the Eminem they once knew, as his raps would lack that intelligent lyrical flow that brought him to stardom.
Album Cover of Recovery
After facing his drug problems publicly and coming clean, he released Recovery during the summer of this year. Right away fans celebrated hits like Not Afraid and No Love. It’s a dark album about his struggles and turmoils he’s faced over the last few years, but the ingenuity is omnipresent. His most recent track, a collaboration with pop star Rihanna, Love the Way You Lie is currently number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
At the age of 37 he has risen to the top as not only an artist who started with nothing, but a successful entrepreneur and businessman. He’s won 11 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award (8 Mile), and countless others from MTV to the Brit Awards. Around the world his is respected and revered as one of the greatest hip hop artists of all time.
Here is the music video for the song Love the Way You Lie by Eminem featuring Rihanna:
Tags: 8 Mile, Aftermath Entertainment, Detroit underground, Dr Dre, Eminem, Hip Hop, Marshall Mathers, Slim Shady