In a few short months, Eminem has gone
from being one of the most heralded emcees in independent hip-hop to one of
the most provocative, controversial rappers in contemporary pop music. The
overnight success of his debut album, The Slim Shady LP, literally rocked
the rap world, making him one of the biggest music success stories of 1999.
But Eminem is more than the latest rap artist to blow up. He's spent the
last several years paying his dues, and his lyrics, which cover topics such
as poverty and single parenthood, reflect a rough upbringing. His unlikely
acceptance by the pop mainstream has made some wonder how his popularity
will affect the future of hip-hop music.
Before he had the world singing along to "My Name Is �," he was Marshall Mathers, a poor kid growing up in Warren, Mich. "It's like the
real, stereotypical, trailer park, white trash," Eminem told Rap Pages
earlier this year. As a child, he and his mother moved constantly, staying
at relatives' homes in places as disparate as Warren and Kansas City, Mo.
As a result, Marshall found it difficult to make friends, and he retreated
into his comic books and television. "I didn't really start opening up
until eighth grade, going into ninth," he said.
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 battled against other rappers at his high school,
and quickly gained a reputation as a nimble rhymer. But his penchant for
skipping school led him to fail the ninth grade. After dropping out of high
school, he held down several odd jobs, while continuing to work on his
craft. "I tried to go back to school five years ago," he said,
"but I couldn't do it. I just wanted to rap and be a star one
day."
Mathers rapped in several groups such as Basement Productions, the New
Jacks, and Sole Intent, before deciding to go solo. In 1997, he released an
album, Infinite, through a local company called FBT Productions; it was met
with derision from the local hip-hop community. "I was getting a lot
of feedback saying I sounded like Nas or Jay-Z," he admitted. Despite
the criticism, Eminem continued to promote himself through shows and
appearances at radio stations and freestyle competitions across the nation.
His perseverance garnered him a notice in the Source's influential
"Unsigned Hype" column. Later that year, he won the 1997 Wake Up
Show Freestyle Performer of the Year from L.A. DJs Sway and Tech, and
earned second place in Rap Sheet magazine's "Rap Olympics," an
annual freestyle rap competition.
In 1998, Eminem put out The Slim Shady EP, which contained the original
version of "Just Don't Give A �"
"Slim Shady is the evil side of me, the sarcastic, foul-mouthed side of me," he said during
an interview with the Source. The EP made him an underground star, and
Eminem was invited to appear on underground MC Shabaam Sahdeeq's "Five
Star Generals" single, Kid Rock's Devil Without a Cause, and other rap
releases. At the end of the year, Eminem put out a popular 12-inch, "Nuttin'
to Do/ Scary Movies," with fellow Detroit rapper Royce the 5'9".
Meanwhile, a copy of The Slim Shady EP made its way into the hands of Dr.
Dre, the legendary creator of The Chronic and N.W.A., and current president
of Aftermath Entertainment. Dr. Dre quickly signed Eminem to his label, and
the two began preparing The Slim Shady EP for a full-fledged release,
adding songs like "My Name Is �" and
"Guity Conscience." Early in 1999, Eminem
made the world take notice with his charismatic video for "My Name Is �" parodying everyone from Marilyn
Manson to the President of the United States. Shortly afterward, The Slim
Shady LP debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Album Chart. Its sensationalistic depiction of rampant
drug use, rape, sex, and violence horrified some; equally disturbing was
Eminem's various four-letter-word insults directed at his mother and songs
like "'97 Bonnie and Clyde," where Eminem fantasized about
killing the mother of his child.
In defense, Eminem claimed that he was just speaking his mind. "I do feel
like I'm coming from a standpoint where people don't realize there are a
lot of poor white people," he explained in the Source. "Rap music
kept my mind off all the bulls--t I had to go through." His cynical
take on life struck a chord with millions of rap fans, and drove The Slim
Shady LP to double-platinum-plus sales. He began to tour, including a solo
jaunt with the Beatnuts and Mixmaster Mike.
While most in the hip-hop community greeted Eminem with open arms, others
took a more cautious approach, wondering why rock stations across the
country who never played rap music added "My Name Is �" to their playlists. Was it
because Eminem was the first "legitimate" white rapper to gain widespread popularity?
"I'm white in a music started by black people. I'm not ignorant to the
culture and I'm not trying to take anything away from the culture," he
said in his defense. "But no one has a choice where they grew up or
what color they are. If you're a rich kid or a ghetto kid you have no
control over your circumstance. The only control you have is to get out of
your situation or stay in it."
Throughout the year, Eminem has continued to record for other artists,
making appearances on Sway and Tech's This or That compilation, DJ Spinna's
Heavy Beats Vol. 1, Missy Elliott's Da Real World, the Soundbombing 2
compilation, and Dr. Dre's highly anticipated sequel to The Chronic,
Chronic 2001: No Seeds. And in June and July of 1999, the rapper took to
the road with the Warped tour, filling in for Cypress Hill, who decided to
forgo the tour in favor of recording its next album.
After wrapping up his touring commitments, Eminem plans to take a short
break before returning to the studio to record the follow up to The Slim
Shady LP. In the meantime, he can bask in the glow of his many awards. Not
only is he up for Best New Artist in the Source's Hip-Hop Music Awards, he
also garnered four MTV Video Music Awards � "My Name Is �" nabbed nods for Best Male Video, Best New Artist, and Best
Director, and "Guilty Conscience" earned him a Breakthrough Video
nomination.
- Mosi Reeves, Wall Of Sound
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