|
When “Slim Shady”, aka Eminem, aka Marshall Mathers, came on the scene in 1999; no one
knew hip hop music was about to be changed forever. Who was this white boy and what did he think he was doing?!
It did not take long for us all to recognize Eminem was legit, the boy could rap!
Eminem fever swept the world and it seemed Eminem was everywhere, his songs
were always on the radio and he quickly amassed a cult-like following.
Females had his posters on their walls and males tried to copy his swagger. Slim Shady had arrived and
hip hop music was now being listened to by an even broader audience. White folks who had never heard
hip hop music were now checkin’ it out.
Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, was born on October 17, 1972. He was abandoned
by his pops when he was eighteen months old, and raised by his mom. They lived in poverty. They moved
around quite a bit before finally settling down in Warren, Michigan, a suburb of the motor city, Detroit.
Eminem got turned on to hip hop music after getting a Beastie Boys record, License to Ill.
He started putting his own lil’ raps together when he was fourteen years old. Eminem would
participate in free-style battles when he was in high school. He was not a great student; he skipped school
a lot and had poor grades. He had to repeat the ninth grade twice! Eminem dropped out of
Lincoln High School in Warren, Michigan when he was seventeen.
Hip hop music was a sort of release for Eminem. He did not have an easy life growing up.
He later struggled with drugs and tried to take his own life. He knew if he was going to make it, it would
be through his music. By the time Slim Shady was released, Eminem had been through some
stuff in his life.
When he hooked up with Dr. Dre, his career blew up. Eminem has had thirteen number one
singles worldwide, eleven Grammy’s and in 2000, he became the first white guy to be featured on the
cover of The Source magazine. Always controversial, Eminem helps keep hip hop music interesting!
|
