An urban phenomenon that changed the face of popular music, hip hop has certainly stood the test of time, gaining in popularity while other musical genres have faded away. Of all the emcees to play this special brand of urban music, perhaps the most popular was Eminem. In 1999, Eminem released the Slim Shady LP which automatically catapulted him from his status as a rap star to massive popularity in the mainstream pop world. This, in turn, caused even greater acceptance of hip hop as a musical genre that was here to stay.
Eminem’s lyrics, which cover topics such as poverty and single parenthood, reflect a rough upbringing. Before he had the world singing along to "My Name Is …," he was Marshall Mathers, a poor kid growing up in Warren, Michigan. As a child, he and his mother moved constantly, staying at relatives' homes in places as disparate as Warren and Kansas City, Missouri. As a result, Marshall found it difficult to make friends, and he retreated into his comic books and television. When Mathers was 12, his mother finally settled down on the east side of Detroit. There, he attended Lincoln Junior High School and Osbourne High School, hanging out with friends and listening to artists like LL Cool J and the 2 Live Crew. He competed against other rappers at his high school, and quickly gained a reputation as a gifted rhymer. But his penchant for skipping school led him to fail the ninth grade.
After dropping out of high school, Mathers held down several odd jobs, while continuing to work on his music. He rapped in several groups such as Basement Productions, the New Jacks, and Sole Intent, before deciding to go solo. In 1998, Eminem put out The Slim Shady EP, which contained the original version of "Just Don't Give A …". A copy of the album made its way into the hands of Dr. Dre, the legendary creator of The Chronic and N.W.A., and then president of Aftermath Entertainment. Dr. Dre quickly signed Eminem to his label. The Slim Shady LP debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Album Chart and Eminem became a national phenomena.
Today, the rapper retains his large fan base. They revel in all things Eminem, including his favorite drink (Mountain Dew), favorite food (Taco Bell), favorite actor (Denzel Washington) and favorite comic (Chris Rock). Eminem voted for the first time in the 2004 election. He never indicated for whom, but we suspect it wasn’t for a candidate, but for the hip hop music he loved.
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