Eminem

born Oct. 17, 1972, St. Joseph, Mo., U.S.

American rapper, record producer, and actor, who was known as one of the most controversial and best-selling artists of the early 21st century.

Mathers had a turbulent childhood, marked by poverty and allegations of abuse. At age 14 he began rapping in clubs in Detroit, Mich., and, when unexcused absences kept him in the ninth grade for the third year, he quit school, determined to make it in hip-hop music. As Eminem, he made a name for himself in the hip-hop underground, but his first album, Infinite (1996), sold poorly, and he continued to work menial jobs.

When Eminem placed second in the freestyle category at the 1997 Rap Olympics in Los Angeles, he came to the attention of Dr. Dre, founding member of pioneering rappers N.W.A. and the head of Aftermath Entertainment. By this time Eminem had developed the persona of the inhibitionless Slim Shady, who gave voice to Eminem’s id in often vulgar and violent lyrics. With Dr. Dre as his producer and mentor, Eminem released The Slim Shady LP early in 1999. Benefiting from the inventive channel-surfing music video for the hit song My Name Is and the instant credibility of Dr. Dre’s involvement, the album went multiplatinum, and Eminem won two Grammy Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards.

Grounded in his life experience but seemingly reflecting a troubled psyche, Eminem’s songs outraged many, including the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which denounced him as a homophobic misogynist. His tumultuous relationship with his wife, Kim, was chronicled in songs in which he rapped about killing her. In 2000 Eminem was charged with assault when he allegedly pistol-whipped a man he saw kissing her; the couple divorced in 2001, and their relationship remained rocky (in 2006 the couple remarried and divorced again). His mother also sued him for defaming her in song and in interviews.

In 2000 Eminem released The Marshall Mathers LP—the fastest-selling album in the history of rap. The incredible success of the album brought more controversy. To silence critics, in 2001 Eminem performed a duet with openly gay musician Elton John at the Grammy Awards, where The Marshall Mathers LP was nominated for best album of the year. Later that year he recorded the album Devil’s Night with D12 (also known as the Dirty Dozen), a Detroit-based rapping sextet, and toured with the group. He also created his own record label, Shady Records. The D12 collective, 50 Cent, and other rappers signed to and released albums with the label.

When he finished touring in 2002, Eminem made his acting debut in the semiautobiographical 8 Mile. The gritty film was a critical and commercial success. The following year he won an Academy Award for Lose Yourself, a song featured in the movie. Eminem’s later works include The Eminem Show (2002) and Encore (2004). While both albums proved successful, neither brought Eminem the attention garnered by his previous two. In 2005 he issued a greatest-hits set—Curtain Call: The Hits—that topped the charts. Eminem then stepped out of the public eye, resurfacing briefly in 2006 to eulogize friend and D12 member Proof, who was killed outside a Detroit nightclub. In 2008 Eminem published the memoir The Way I Am, which included photos, drawings, and lyrics. In 2009 Eminem released Relapse, his first collection of new material in five years. While it featured solid production from Dr. Dre, the album met with middling reviews because of its over-the-top attempts to shock and its somewhat dated catalog of pop culture references.