Intro--
Eminem is an American rapper that hails from Detroit, Michigan (birthplace Saint Joseph, Missouri). He is recognized worldwide, and is known for his signature song "Lose Yourself". He is also often associated with he term "GOAT", which stands for "Greatest Of All Time". A considerable amount of people would argue that he does not deserve the title, but then again the art form is all opinions. Welcome to the OFFICIAL Eminem thread, brought to you, by yours truly, Blu.
Biography--
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (Eminem's real name) was born on October 17, 1972 in Saint Joseph, Missouri. He had a rough childhood growing up: his father left him at a young age, his mother abused drugs, and constant moving through various cities (Savannah and Kansas City), which finally led to his ultimate home in Warren, Michigan, and finally during Eminem's teen years, they settled in Detroit.
However, through these problems Eminem found light. His uncle Ronnie bought him a copy of the Beastie Boy's Licensed to Ill when Eminem was 9 years old. When Eminem was 14, he formed the pseudonym "M&M" (a play on his real name, Marshall Mathers), and joined a group called Bassmint Productions. Since he was more interested in hip-hop, and fed up with school, he eventually dropped out at 17.
"I'm infinite/You heard of Hell well I was sent from it" Eminem rapped on his first solo release, Infinite. The album contained subject matter pertaining to his troubled life, but also found optimism in most tracks. Despite this, the album was considered a flop. This built a rage in Eminem's heart, and he ultimately ended up trying to commit suicide. Fortunately, that was a flop too. Even though he had survived, the rage pent up inside was still there. He then formed the crazy, psychotic, alter-ego "Slim Shady".
"My English teacher wanted to have sex in junior high/The only problem was, my English teacher was a guy" Eminem rapped on his debut studio album, The Slim Shady LP. It went on to be one of the most popular albums of 1999, and went triple platinum by the end of the year. Unfortunately for Eminem, controversy came afloat. "Guilty Conscience", a song featuring his mentor Dr. Dre, ended up with Eminem & Dre convincing a man to shoot his wife and her lover. Along with this, Eminem was also accused of imitating rapper Cage. On "Role Model" he spits: "I bought Cage's tape/Opened it/And dubbed over it".
"Cuz I am, whatever you say I am!" Success, also comes with troubles. Eminem was furious of the constant harassment he received from fans, critics, and the media. And so, The Marshall Mathers LP was born. The album featured much more personal ("The Way I Am"), and much more deeper tracks ("Stan"), than it's predecessor The Slim Shady LP. This beautifully crafted gem also led to a series of allegations calling Eminem a homophobe, and misogynist. Of course, to squash the rumors, he decided to perform his trademark song "Stan" with Elton John live at the Grammy's. Then of course, we find ourselves at the demented, yet horrifically beautiful track: "Kim". ("So long, bitch you did me so wrong/I don't wanna go on/Living in this world, without you" Eminem spits over a haunting beat. The melancholy piano, accompanied by a hard hitting drum beat, adds extra tension to the already troubled story.
"Let's do the math; if I was black, I would've sold half" Eminem admits on The Eminem Show, his third studio album release. The album featured a much more lighter tone than it's predecessors (excluding Infinite). Surprisingly, there were no songs about killing his ex-wife, or about killing anyone. Instead, Eminem was now featuring his own daughter on songs ("My Dad's Gone Crazy"). However, that didn't mean Slim Shady was gone, on "Without Me" he kept at his old celebrity-bashing ways; dissing Moby, dissing his mom, Chris Kirkpatrick, and (a small shot) Limp Bizkit. He raps beautifully over a great beat, incredible rhyme schemes, and an enjoyable delivery: the perfect Slim Shady song. Now, we discuss the deeper subject matter: a song aimed at his mother Debbie, and how their turbulent relationship had caused Eminem to write such a piece. ("I'm sorry mama/I never meant to hurt you/I never meant to make you cry/But tonight, I'm cleaning out my closet") The chorus sends chills down your spine, the guitar riffs while he spits these lines tugs on your heart, and the admiring lyrics adds to a perfect masterpiece... or does it?
"Snap back to reality/Oh, there goes gravity!" The same year The Eminem Show was released (2002), Eminem had become a movie star, releasing his hit movie 8 Mile. The movie received generally positive reviews, and was favored by critics alike. Eminem was no longer the bad guy, now, he was a worldwide sensation. Eminem was at his greatest, at the top of his career. The movie's lead single "Lose Yourself" helped boost his status as a superstar. ("You only get one shot/Do not miss your chance to blow!") The song became a modernized version of Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger", containing an inspiring message to fight for your dreams and never give up. Incredible beat, amazing guitar riff, and a beautiful message can only mean one thing: masterpiece.
It was all going good, Eminem ended up signing 50 Cent (a rather successful rap act) to his label, and he was rightfully given his title as "GOAT". Unfortunately, when 2004 came swinging around, Eminem's luxury came to a screeching halt. Eminem planned on releasing his fourth album Encore, but due to internet leaks, he ended up releasing an album that was -- mediocre. The unthinkable had happened. Eminem's crown and throne were removed, the Greatest certainly wouldn't be rapping about "big weenie's". The album did offer some okay tracks: ("Like Toy Soldiers"), ("Mockingbird"). With each album Eminem released, he earned a Grammy. This album however, lost to Kanye West's Late Registration for the "Best Rap Album" award. This sent Eminem to a low, but the year that followed.. sent him to Hell.
On April 11 2006, Eminem's best friend and hype man Proof, was shot dead. This led Eminem to the worst period of his life, he had hit a rock. He started doing a lot more drugs than he originally had, and ate constantly. His schedule consisted of eating McDonald's and sleeping. Then, it happened. Eminem was found unconscious in his bathroom, and was quickly rushed to the hospital. He later woke up, and decided to finally fix his life for good.
"I'm just so, fucking depressed" Eminem, after taking a five year hiatus from making music, had finally returned. He returned with Relapse, an album that focused more on a serial killer persona Eminem had concocted. Even though it was considered his "comeback" album, critics and fans alike didn't like the album overall. "Beautiful" is one of the songs (the other being "Deja Vu") where we see Eminem at a personal level. No raping, killing, or hurting women, just straight-up honesty. He sends others a positive message, telling them to not care what others think, they're still beautiful; a lesson Eminem himself had to learn to overcome his demons. The optimism he created, was led to good hands.
"I'M NOT AFRAID!" Eminem screamed at the top of his lungs, telling all that he doesn't give a fuck. The Greatest of All Time had finally returned, and this was truly his epic comeback. 2010 marked the release of Recovery, an album that proved that Eminem is truly one of the gifted MC's of today. ("It's time to exercise these demons/These motherfuckers are doing jumping jacks now!"), a plethora of well done punchlines, some incredible lyricism, and entertaining subject matter placed Recovery as the #1 album of 2010.
When 2011 rolled around, Eminem had reunited with fellow rapper Royce Da 5'9. The two formed Bad Meets Evil, and they eventually released "Hell: The Sequel", an EP that features the duo spitting some very impressive bars as if it was 1999 all over again. Eminem had then signed Slaughterhouse (a group composed of Royce, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, and Crooked I), and Yelawolf to Shady Records. During the BET Cyper they performed the "Shady 2.0" cypher, a rebuild of the original team. As of now, Eminem is once again on his throne.
(I'LL KEEP THIS UPDATED)
(MODS, ADMINS, FIX OR ADD ANYTHING I MISSED)
What an example!
