Published by carnage3

Discovered in 1999 by Dr Dre, the rapper Eminem still wows the crowds with his controversial lyrics. Moreover, much to the disappointment of his detractors, his first foray into film, '8 Mile', was a great success.

Born in Kansas City, Marshall Bruce Mathers III was brought up by his mother in Detroit in a trailer park, surrounded by hip-hop culture. He was writing his own raps by the age of 12, which drew attention from local producers and he soon found himself rapping in several (unsuccessful) groups.

He recorded his first solo album, 'Infinite', in 1996 and tried his luck in the Los Angeles rap Olympics, winning second place with his demo album. In 1998, 'The Slim Shady EP' came out, which successfully launched him into the mainstream. 'My Name Is', another single taken from the 'Slim Shady LP', shot to the top of the charts and a year later he was contacted by Dr Dre and signed to his label, Dre Aftermath. 'The Marshall Mathers LP' came out shortly afterwards to great success, with the single 'Stan', his duet with Dido, taking the number one spot in several countries.

2002 saw another album, 'The Eminem Show', from which the single 'Without Me' was a major hit. With Dre behind him, he made the film '8 Mile', inspired by his difficult upbringing and recorded the hugely successful soundtrack. 2004 saw an even more political stance from the artist, with 'Mosh' as a vehicle for his anti-Bush views prior to the US election.