Eminem

Eminem

Background information

Birth name Marshall Bruce Mathers III

Also known as Slim Shady

October 17, 1972 (1972-10-17) (age 37)

Born
Saint Joseph, Missouri, U.S.

Origin Warren, Michigan, U.S.

Genres Hip hop

Occupations Rapper, producer, actor, songwriter

Years active 1995 – present

Bassmint Productions
Mashin' Duck Records
Web Ent.
Labels
Interscope Records
Aftermath Ent.
Shady Records

Associated D12, Bad Meets Evil, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent,

acts Obie Trice, Akon

Website www.eminem.com
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972),[1] known by his primary stage
name Eminem, or by his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer
and actor. Eminem quickly gained popularity in 1999 with his major-label debut album
The Slim Shady LP, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. The following
album, The Marshall Mathers LP, became the fastest-selling hip hop album in history.[2]
It brought Eminem increased popularity, including his own record label, Shady
Records, and brought his group project D12 to mainstream recognition.
The Marshall Mathers LP and his third album, The Eminem Show, also won Grammy
Awards, and in 2002, he won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for a song in
the film 8 Mile, in which he also played the lead. Eminem then went on hiatus after
touring in 2005. He released his first album since 2004's Encore, titled Relapse, on May
15, 2009. Eminem has sold more than 75 million albums worldwide,[3] and in the United
States is the best selling music artist of the 2000s.[4] Eminem is also ranked in the 100
Greatest Artists of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine.[5] . He was also named the Best
Rapper Ever By Vibe Magazine.[6]

Contents
• 1 Musical career
○ 1.1 1972–1997: Early life, and Infinite
○ 1.2 1998–1999: The Slim Shady LP
○ 1.3 2000–2001: The Marshall Mathers LP
○ 1.4 2002–2003: The Eminem Show
○ 1.5 2004–2005: Encore
○ 1.6 2005–2008: Musical hiatus
○ 1.7 2008–2009: Relapse and Relapse 2
○ 1.8 Shady Records and D12
○ 1.9 Featurings and productions
• 2 Acting career
• 3 Memoir
• 4 Personal life
○ 4.1 Family
○ 4.2 Legal troubles
○ 4.3 Drug issues
○ 4.4 Conflict with Mariah Carey
• 5 Discography
○ 5.1 Studio albums
○ 5.2 Compilations
• 6 Filmography
• 7 Awards and nominations
• 8 See also
• 9 Business ventures
 • 10 References
• 11 Sources
• 12 External links

Musical career
1972–1997: Early life, and Infinite
Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, the son of Deborah
Mathers-Briggs (née Nelson) and Marshall Bruce Mathers, Jr.[7] Shortly after his birth,
his father abandoned his family. Until he was twelve, Mathers and his mother moved
between various cities and towns in Missouri (including St. Joseph, Savannah, Missouri
and Kansas City)[8] before moving to Warren, Michigan, a Detroit suburb. After
procuring a copy of the Beastie Boys album Licensed to Ill as a teenager, Mathers
became interested in hip hop, performing amateur raps at age fourteen under the
pseudonym "M&M" and joining the group called "Bassmint Productions" and released
their first EP called "Steppin' Onto The Scene". They later changed their name to "Soul
Intent" and around 1995 they released their first single called "Fuckin' Backstabber"
under the record label Mashin' Duck Records.[1] Although he was enrolled at Lincoln
High School in Warren, he frequently participated in freestyle battles at Osborn High
School across town,[9] gaining the approval of underground hip hop audiences.[1] After
repeating the ninth grade three times due to truancy,[10] he dropped out of high school at
age 17.[7]
Mathers was initially signed to FBT Productions in 1992, run by brothers Jeff and Mark
Bass. Mathers also held a minimum-wage job of cooking and dishwashing at the
restaurant Gilbert's Lodge at St. Clair Shores for some time.[11] In 1996, his debut album
Infinite, which was recorded at the Bassmint, a recording studio owned by the Bass
Brothers, was released under their independent label Web Entertainment.[12] Eminem
recalled "Obviously, I was young and influenced by other artists, and I got a lot of
feedback saying that I sounded like Nas and AZ. 'Infinite' was me trying to figure out
how I wanted my rap style to be, how I wanted to sound on the mic and present myself.
It was a growing stage. I felt like 'Infinite' was like a demo that just got pressed up."[13]
Subjects covered in Infinite included his struggles with raising his newborn daughter
Hailie Jade Scott while on limited funds and his strong desire to get rich.[14] Early in his
career, Eminem collaborated with fellow Detroit MC Royce da 5'9" under the stage
name Bad Meets Evil.[15] After the release of Infinite, Eminem's personal struggles and
abuse of drugs and alcohol culminated in his unsuccessful suicide attempt.[1]
With the release of The Slim Shady EP, Mathers was accused of imitating the style and
subject matter of underground rapper Cage.[16][17] While promoting the EP, Mathers
approached Insane Clown Posse member Joseph Bruce and handed him a flyer which
implied that the group would make an appearance at the EP's release party. Bruce
refused to appear because Mathers had not previously approached him for permission to
use the group's name in this way. Taking Bruce's response as a personal offense,
Mathers subsequently attacked the group in radio interviews.[18][19]
Jimmy Iovine, CEO of Interscope Records, requested a demo tape of Eminem's after
Eminem won second place at the 1997 Rap Olympics. Iovine played the tape for record
producer Dr. Dre, founder of Aftermath Entertainment. The two began recording tracks
for Eminem's upcoming major-label debut The Slim Shady LP, and Eminem made a
guest performance on the album Devil Without a Cause by Kid Rock.[1] Hip-hop
magazine The Source featured Eminem in its "Unsigned Hype" column in March 1998.
[20]

1998–1999: The Slim Shady LP

According to Billboard Magazine, at this point in his life Eminem had "realized his
musical ambitions were the only way to escape his unhappy life". After being signed to
Aftermath Entertainment/Interscope Records in 1998, Eminem released in 1999 his first
major studio album, The Slim Shady LP, heavily based on the production by Dr. Dre.
The album was, according to Billboard, "light years ahead of the material he had been
writing beforehand".[21] It went on to be one of the most popular albums of 1999, going
triple platinum by the end of the year.[22] With the album's popularity came controversy
surrounding many of the album's lyrics. In "'97 Bonnie and Clyde", he describes a trip
with his infant daughter, disposing of the body of his wife. Another song, "Guilty
Conscience", ends with his encouraging a man to murder his wife and her lover. "Guilty
Conscience" marked the beginning of the powerful friendship and musical bond that Dr.
Dre and Eminem would share. The two label-mates would later collaborate on a line of
hit songs, including "Forgot About Dre" and "What's the Difference" from Dr. Dre's
album 2001, "Bitch Please II" from The Marshall Mathers LP, "Say What You Say"
from The Eminem Show and "Encore/Curtains Down" from Encore. Dr. Dre would go
on to make at least one guest appearance on all of Eminem's studio albums under the
label Aftermath.[23]
2000–2001: The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP was released in May 2000. It went on to sell 1.76 million
copies in its first week, breaking the records set by Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle as the
fastest-selling hip hop album and Britney Spears' ...Baby One More Time as the fastest-
selling solo album in United States history.[citation needed] [2][24] The first single released from
the album, "The Real Slim Shady", was a success and created some controversy by
insulting celebrities and making dubious claims about them; he states, among other
things, that Christina Aguilera performed oral sex on Fred Durst and Carson Daly.[25] In
his second single, "The Way I Am", he reveals to his fans the pressures from his record
company to top "My Name Is" and sell more records. Although Eminem had parodied
shock rocker Marilyn Manson in the video "My Name Is", the artists are reportedly on
good terms. They performed a remix of the song "The Way I Am" together in concert.
[26]
In the third single, "Stan" (which samples Dido's "Thank You"), Eminem attempts to
deal with his new-found fame, taking on the persona of a deranged fan who kills
himself and his pregnant girlfriend, mirroring "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" on The Slim Shady
LP.[7] Q magazine named "Stan" the third-greatest rap song of all time,[27] and the song
came tenth in a similar survey conducted by Top40-Charts.com.[28] The song has since
become highly acclaimed and was ranked 290th in Rolling Stone magazine's "500
Greatest Songs of All Time" list.[29] In July 2000, Eminem became the first white person
to be featured on the cover of The Source magazine.[20]
Music tours that he participated in for 2001 included the Up In Smoke Tour with
rappers Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, and Ice Cube[30] and Family Values Tour with the
band Limp Bizkit.[31]

2002–2003: The Eminem Show

Eminem's third major album, The Eminem Show, was released in summer 2002 and
proved to be another hit for the rapper reaching number one on the charts and selling
well over 1 million copies in its first week of release.[22] It featured the single "Without
Me", an apparent sequel to "The Real Slim Shady", in which he makes derogatory
comments about boy bands, Limp Bizkit, Moby, and Lynne Cheney, among others. The
album reflected on the impact of his rise to fame, his relationship with his wife and
daughter, and his status in the hip-hop community. He also addresses the charges he
faced over assaulting a bouncer he saw kissing his wife in 2000. Stephen Thomas
Erlewine of Allmusic felt that while there was clear anger present on several tracks, this
album was considerably less inflammatory than The Marshall Mathers LP.[32] However,
L. Brent Bozell III, who previously criticized The Marshall Mathers LP for perceived
misogynistic lyrics in the album, noted The Eminem Show for its extensive use of
obscene language, giving Eminem the nickname "Eminef" for the bowdlerization of
motherfucker, an obscenity prevalent in the album.[33]
2004–2005: Encore
On December 8, 2003, the United States Secret Service admitted it was "looking into"
allegations that Eminem had threatened the President of the United States.[34] The lyrics
in question: "Fuck money/I don't rap for dead presidents/I'd rather see the president
dead/It's never been said, but I set precedents ...". The song in question, "We As
Americans", wound up on a bonus CD accompanying the album.[35]
The year 2004 saw the release of Eminem's fourth major album, Encore. The album was
another chart-topper, as it was driven by the single "Just Lose It", notable for being
disrespectful towards Michael Jackson. On October 12, 2004, a week after the release of
"Just Lose It", Eminem's first single off Encore, Michael Jackson called into the Los
Angeles-based Steve Harvey radio show to report his displeasure with the video, which
parodies Jackson's child molestation trial, plastic surgery, and an incident in which
Jackson's hair caught on fire while filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984. The lyrics to
"Just Lose It" refer to Jackson's legal troubles, however he does state in his song "... and
that's not a stab at Michael/That's just a metaphor/I'm just psycho...." Many of
Jackson's supporters and friends spoke out about the video, including Stevie Wonder,
who called the video "kicking a man while he's down" and "bullshit",[36] and Steve
Harvey who declared, "Eminem has lost his ghetto pass. We want the pass back."[36] In
the video, Eminem parodied Pee Wee Herman, MC Hammer, and a Blonde-Ambition-
touring Madonna.[37]
Regarding Jackson's protest, "Weird Al" Yankovic, who parodied the Eminem song
"Lose Yourself" on a track titled "Couch Potato" on his 2003 album Poodle Hat, told
the Chicago Sun-Times, "Last year, Eminem forced me to halt production on the video
for my "Lose Yourself" parody because he somehow thought that it would be harmful to
his image or career. So the irony of this situation with Michael is not lost on me."[38]
Black Entertainment Television was the first channel to stop airing the video. MTV,
however, announced it would continue airing the video. The Source, through its CEO
Raymond "Benzino" Scott, wanted not only the video to be pulled, but the song off the
album, and a public apology to Jackson from Eminem.[39] In 2007 Jackson and Sony
bought Famous Music LLC from Viacom. This deal gave him the rights to songs by
Eminem, Shakira and Beck, among others.[40] Despite the comedic theme of the lead
single, Encore had its fair share of serious subject matter, including the anti-war track
"Mosh". On October 25, 2004, a week before the 2004 U.S. Presidential election,
Eminem released the video for "Mosh" on the Internet.[41] The song featured a very
strong anti-Bush message, with lyrics such as "fuck Bush" and "this weapon of mass
destruction that we call our president".[42] The video features Eminem gathering up an
army of people, including rapper Lloyd Banks, presented as victims of the Bush
administration and leading them to the White House. However, once the army breaks in,
it is revealed that they are there to simply register to vote, and the video ends with the
words "VOTE Tuesday November 2" on the screen. After Bush won the election, the
video's ending was changed to Eminem and the protesters invading while Bush was
giving a speech.[43]
2005–2008: Musical hiatus
In 2005, some industry insiders speculated that Eminem was considering ending his
rapping career after six years and several multi-platinum albums. Speculation began in
early 2005 about a double-disc album to be released late that year, rumored to be titled
The Funeral.[44] The album manifested itself as a greatest hits album under the name
Curtain Call: The Hits, and was released on December 6, 2005 under Aftermath
Entertainment. In July 2005, the Detroit Free Press broke news of a potential final bow
for Eminem as a solo performer, quoting members of his inside circle who said that he
will begin to fully embrace the role of producer and label executive. On the same day of
the release of the compilation album, Eminem denied that he was retiring on Detroit-
based WKQI's "Mojo in the Morning" radio show, but implied that he would at least be
taking a break as an artist, saying "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 it 'Curtain
Call', because this could be the final thing. We don't know."[45]
In 2005, Eminem was a subject of Bernard Goldberg's book, 100 People Who Are
Screwing Up America; he ranked #58.[46] Goldberg cited a 2001 column by Bob Herbert
of The New York Times claiming, "In Eminem's world, all women are whores and he is
eager to rape and murder them."[47] The Eminem song "No One's Iller" from The Slim
Shady EP was used by Goldberg as an example of misogyny in his music.[48]
In summer 2005, Eminem embarked on his first U.S. concert run in three years, the
Anger Management 3 Tour, featuring 50 Cent, G-Unit, Lil' Jon, D12, Obie Trice, The
Alchemist, and others. In August 2005, Eminem canceled the European leg of the tour
and subsequently announced that he had entered drug rehabilitation for treatment for a
"dependency on sleep medication".[49]
2008–2009: Relapse and Relapse 2
In September 2007, Eminem called into New York radio station Hot 97 during a 50
Cent interview and said he was "in limbo" and "debating" about when and if he would
release another album. 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. I'm coming out of those personal things
[and] it feels good."[50]
Eminem made an appearance on his Sirius channel Shade 45 in September 2008 in
which he said, "Right now I'm kinda just concentrating on my own stuff, for right now
and just banging out tracks and producing a lot of stuff. You know, the more I keep
producing the better it seems like I get 'cause I just start knowing stuff."[51] It was around
this time that Interscope finally confirmed the existence of a new Eminem album,[52]
with Spring 2009 later being stated as the period span in which the album is due.[53] In
December 2008, he gave more details on the album, which he recently reported was
being titled Relapse. He said, "Me and Dre are back in the lab like the old days, man.
Dre will end up producing the majority of the tracks on 'Relapse'. We are up to our old
mischievous ways ... let's just leave it at that."[54]
On March 5, 2009, Eminem reported in a press release that he would be releasing two
new albums this year. Relapse, the first album, was released on May 19, while "We
Made You", the first official single and its music video, were released on April 7.[55]. On
October 3, 2009, Eminem appeared once again on Shade 45 with DJ Whoo Kid and
announced that Denaun Porter and Just Blaze were very busy working on Relapse 2 [56].
Shady Records and D12
As Eminem succeeded in multi-platinum record sales, Interscope granted him his own
record label. He and his manager Paul Rosenberg created Shady Records in late 2000.
He followed this by signing his own Detroit collective D12 and rapper Obie Trice to the
label. In 2002, Eminem signed 50 Cent through a joint venture between Shady and Dr.
Dre's Aftermath label. In 2003, Eminem and Dr. Dre signed Atlanta rapper Stat Quo to
the Shady/Aftermath roster. DJ Green Lantern, the former DJ for Eminem, was signed
to Shady Records until a dispute related to the 50 Cent and Jadakiss feud forced him to
depart from the label; he is no longer associated with Eminem. The Alchemist is now
officially Eminem's tour DJ. In 2005, Eminem signed another Atlanta rapper, Bobby
Creekwater, to his label along with West Coast rapper Cashis.[10]
On December 5, 2006, Shady Records released compilation album, Eminem Presents:
The Re-Up. It started out as a mixtape but Eminem found that the material was better
than expected and released it as a full album. It was meant to help launch the new artists
under the roster, like Stat Quo, Cashis and Bobby Creekwater.[57]
Around the time of recording Infinite, Eminem and rappers Proof and Kon Artis
gathered the group of rappers now collectively in the group D12, short for "Detroit
Twelve" or "Dirty Dozen", performing in the manner of the multi-man group Wu-Tang
Clan.[58] In 2001, Eminem brought his rap group, D12, to the popular music scene, and
the group's debut album Devil's Night came out that year.[59] The first single released off
of the album was "Shit on You", followed by "Purple Pills", an ode to recreational drug
use. For radio and television, the censored version "Pills" was heavily rewritten to
remove many of the song's references to drugs and sex and was renamed "Purple Hills".
While that single was a hit, the album's second single, "Fight Music", was not as
successful.[60]
After their debut, D12 took a three-year break from the studio, later regrouping to
release their second album, D12 World, in 2004, which featured the popular hit single
release "My Band".[59] In April 2006 D12 member Deshaun "Proof" Holton was killed in
a club brawl on 8 Mile Road in Detroit, Michigan, involving U.S. military veteran Keith
Bender Jr., who was killed by Proof. The eruption is suspected to have been due to an
argument over a game of pool. Proof was then allegedly shot by the bouncer Mario
Etheridge, Bender's cousin. He was taken by private vehicle to St. John Health's Conner
Creek Campus, an outpatient emergency treatment site, but pronounced dead on arrival.
Eminem and former Detroit Shady Records artist Obie Trice spoke at the funeral.[61]
D12 member Bizarre said that Eminem is not featured on his new album Blue Cheese &
Coney Island because "he's busy doing his thing".[62] In a December 2007 interview with
the website DefSounds.com, Bizarre confirmed that the group is working on its third
studio album, tentatively titled The Ambition, which he said was "halfway finished" at
the time of the interview. Producers include Dr. Dre, Eminem, Luis Resto, and Hi-Tek.
[63]

Featurings and productions

Although he typically collaborates with various rappers under Aftermath Entertainment
and Shady Records, such as Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, D12, Eminem has collaborated with
many other artists, including, Redman, Kid Rock, DMX, Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Method
Man, The Notorious B.I.G., Jadakiss, Fat Joe, Sticky Fingaz, T.I. and others. Eminem
rapped a verse in a live performance of Busta Rhymes' "Touch It" remix at the 2006
BET Music Awards on June 27, 2006. Eminem was featured on Akon's single "Smack
That" which appeared on Akon's album Konvicted.
Eminem is also an active rap producer. Besides being the executive producer of D12's
two albums, Devil's Night and D12 World, he has executive produced Obie Trice's
Cheers and Second Round's on Me as well as 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The
Massacre.[64] In addition, Eminem has produced and appeared on several songs by other
famous rappers, such as Jadakiss' "Welcome To D-Block", Jay-Z's "Renagade" and
"Moment of Clarity" Lloyd Banks' "On Fire", "Warrior Part 2", and "Hands Up", Tony
Yayo's "Drama Setter", Trick Trick's "Welcome 2 Detroit", and Xzibit's "My Name"
and "Don't Approach Me".[65] Most of The Eminem Show was produced by Eminem
himself, with co-production from longtime collaborator Jeff Bass.[66] He split the
production with Dr. Dre on Encore. In 2004, Eminem was the Executive Producer of
2Pac's posthumous album Loyal to the Game with 2Pac's mother Afeni Shakur.[67] He
produced the UK #1 single "Ghetto Gospel" which featured Elton John.[68] He has
produced "The Cross" off Nas's album God's Son.[69] On August 15, 2006, Obie Trice
released Second Round's on Me. Eminem produced 8 tracks on the album. He was
featured in the song "There They Go".[70] Eminem produced some tracks on the new
Trick Trick album, The Villain. He is also featured in "Who Want It".[71]

Acting career
Although he had a brief cameo in the 2001 film The Wash, Eminem made his official
Hollywood acting debut with the semi-autobiographical 8 Mile, released in November
2002. He has said the movie is not an account of his life, but a representation of
growing up in Detroit. He recorded several new songs for the soundtrack, including
"Lose Yourself", which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2003.
However, the song was not performed at the ceremony, due to Eminem's absence at the
ceremony. His collaborator, Luis Resto, who co-wrote the song, accepted the award.[72]
Eminem has participated in various voice acting roles. Some of these include the video
game 50 Cent: Bulletproof, where he voices an aging corrupt police officer that speaks
in Ebonics and guest spots on the Comedy Central television show Crank Yankers, and
a web cartoon called The Slim Shady Show, which has since been pulled off-line and is
instead sold on DVD.[73]
Eminem will star in the upcoming film, Have Gun – Will Travel, in which he will play a
bounty hunter known as "Paladin". He will also be involved in either the soundtrack or
scoring.[74] He was also in the running for the part of David Rice in 2008's film Jumper
after Tom Sturridge was dropped just 2 weeks before filming. Concerns over not having
a more prominent actor prompted the director, Doug Liman, to consider other actors for
the role. Hayden Christensen was eventually selected over Eminem.[75]
Memoir
On October 21, 2008, Eminem released a tell-all autobiography titled The Way I Am,
which details his struggles with poverty, drugs, fame, heartbreak and depression, along
with stories about his rise to fame and commentary on past controversies.[76]
Personal life
Family
Marshall Mathers has often been subject of much scrutiny as a rapper as well in his
personal life.[24] He was married twice to Kimberley Anne Scott, whom he met in high
school. They began their on-and-off relationship in 1989, getting married by 1999.
Their first divorce was in 2001.[77] In 2000, Scott attempted suicide and sued the rapper
for defamation after he depicted her violent death in his song "Kim".[77][78] They
remarried in 2006 but divorced again less than three months later, agreeing to share
custody of their daughter, Hailie Jade Scott (born December 25, 1995).[77][77][78][79] Hailie
Scott has often been referenced or featured on various songs of Eminem, such as "'97
Bonnie & Clyde", "Hailie's Song", "My Dad's Gone Crazy", "Mockingbird", "Forgot
About Dre", "Cleanin' Out My Closet", "When I'm Gone", "Deja vu", and "Beautiful".
Mathers adopted two other daughters: Alaina, the child of Kimberley Scott's sister,[77]
and Whitney, Eminem's step daughter.
Legal troubles
In 1999 Mathers' mother sued him for around US$10 million over alleged slander about
her in his lyrics regarding The Slim Shady LP; she won only about US$1,600 in
damages in 2001.[80]
Mathers was arrested on June 3, 2000 during an altercation at a car audio store in Royal
Oak, Michigan, with Douglas Dail, where he pulled out an unloaded gun and kept it
pointed at the ground.[81] The following day, in Warren, Michigan, he allegedly saw his
then wife, Kim, kiss bouncer John Guerrera in the parking lot of the Hot Rock Café so
he assaulted him.[77][78][81] He was given two years probation for both the episodes.[82]
In the summer of 2001, Mathers' legal troubles continued, as he was given probation on
weapons charges that stemmed from an argument with an employee of Psychopathic
Records, giving him a fine around $2,000 as well as several hours of community
service.[83]
in 2007 Eminem's music publishing company Eight Mile Style LLC together with
Martin Affiliated LLC filed suit against Apple, Inc and Aftermath Entertainment
claiming Aftermath did not have the appropriate authority to negotiate a deal with
Apple for digital downloads of 93 songs by rapper Eminem on Apple's iTunes service.
[84][85][86]
The case against Apple went to trial in late September 2009 and was settled a
few days later.[87]
Drug issues
His group-mate Proof from D12 stated that Mathers "sobered up" in 2002 from drug and
alcohol dependence.[88] However, he did turn to zolpidem sleeping pills for relief from
sleeping troubles. This caused Mathers to cancel the European leg of the Anger
Management Tour in August 2005 and eventually go into rehab for treatment for a
"dependency on sleep medication".[49][89] In a 2009 interview with British talk-show host
Jonathan Ross, Mathers admitted that at the height of his addiction, he considered
suicide, saying that "I just wasn't taking care of myself, at times I wanted to just give it
up."[90] He also confirmed that he is now sober, commenting that "[R]ap was my drug ...
Then I had to resort to other things to make me feel that. Now rap's getting me high
again."[90]
Conflict with Mariah Carey
Eminem has written several songs referring to a relationship with pop singer Mariah
Carey, although she denies the claim.[91] Songs Eminem has referenced her on include
"Superman", "Jimmy Crack Corn", "Bagpipes From Baghdad", and "The Warning".
While "Superman" was released in 2003, Carey released a song entitled "Clown" on her
Charmbracelet album, released around the same time, which makes similar references
in line with her 2009 hit "Obsessed".
Eminem's "Bagpipes From Baghdad" from his album Relapse may be his best known
Carey diss due to the controversy it caused. The song calls out Mariah and husband
Nick Cannon's relationship.[92] Cannon responded to Eminem by saying his career is
based on "racist bigotry", and that he would get revenge on Eminem, joking that he may
return to rapping.[93] Eminem later stated that the couple misinterpreted the track and it
was wishing the two the best.[92] Cannon also stated that there were no hard feelings, and
that he just had to express his feelings about the song.[94]
In 2009 Carey released "Obsessed" in which she sings about an obsessed man who
claims to be having a relationship with her.[95] Cannon claimed that the song was not an
insult directed at Eminem.[96] Eminem then released a track in late July 2009 titled "The
Warning" which was a direct insult at Mariah and Nick, and contained samples of a
voice which is either Carey's, or a very good voice actress (Eminem does not tell the
listener).[97]

Discography
Studio albums Compilations
• The Slim Shady LP (1999) • 8 Mile (2002)
• The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) • Curtain Call: The Hits (2005)
 • The Eminem Show (2002) • Eminem Presents: The Re-Up
• Encore (2004) (2006)
• Relapse (2009)
• Relapse 2 (2009)

Filmography
Year Film Role Notes

Da Hip Hop Witch

Himself
2000 Up in Smoke Tour

The Slim Shady Show Various

2001 The Wash Chris Uncredited

2002 8 Mile Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith, Academy

Jr. Award for
Best Original
Song
MTV Movie
Award for
Best Video
from a Film –
Lose Yourself
MTV Movie
Award for
Best Male
Performance
MTV Movie
Award for
Best
Breakthrough
Male
Performance
ASCAP
Award for
Most
Performed
Song from a
Motion
Picture –
Lose Yourself
Critics
Choice
Award for
Best Song –
Lose Yourself
Teen Choice
Award for
Choice Movie
Actor -
Drama/Action
Adventure
Teen Choice
Award for
Choice Movie
Breakout Star
- Male
BMI Film
Award for
Music
BMI Film
Award for
Most
Performed
Song from a
Film – Lose
Yourself
Nominated –
Golden Globe
for Best
Original Song
from a
Motion
Picture –
Lose Yourself
Nominated –
CFCA Award
for Most
Promising
Performer
Nominated –
Golden
Satellite for
Best Original
Song – Lose
Yourself
Nominated –
OFCS for
Best
Breakthrough
Performance
Nominated –
PFCS for
Best Original
Song – Lose
Yourself
Nominated –
Grammy for
 Best Song
Written for a
Motion
Picture,
Television or
Other Visual
Media – Lose
Yourself

2003 50 Cent: The New Breed Himself

TV guest
2004 Crank Yankers Billy Fletcher
role; voice

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Inducted

Himself
Ceremony Run-D.M.C.
2009

Funny People Himself Cameo[98]

Awards and nominations

Eminem has won many Grammy Awards, been praised for having "verbal energy", high
quality of lyricism and been ranked at number nine on MTV's list of The Greatest MCs
of All Time,[99][100] number 1 on the MTV's "Hottest MC of 2009"[101] and number 82 on
Rolling Stone's "The Immortals".[102] In 2008, the readers of Vibe Magazine voted him
"The Best Rapper Alive".[103] He was also named "Best Rapper Ever" taking down all
opponents very easily in a poll which was conducted by music fans on the Vibe website.
Ironically, "The Real Slim Shady", one of the songs from his first Grammy-winning
album, The Marshall Mathers LP, slammed the Grammy Awards in its second verse,
and stated the opinion that negative feelings about his material would keep him from
ever winning one.