Rolling Stone Magazine

Eminem (born Marshall Mathers) rapped his way out of an unstable childhood via MC battles in Detroit, to Los Angeles’ 1997 Rap Olympics and straight onto Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment label. There, Eminem’s major label debut, The Slim Shady LP, catapulted him into the mainstream. On that record and his follow-up magnum opus, The Marshall Mathers LP, he crafted an inimitable rap technique ripe with inventive wordplay and infectious hooks. In 2002, Eminem starred in the quasi-autobiographical film 8 Mile, which included the anthemic “Lose Yourself” – the first rap song to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Often controversial, Eminem has become more explicitly political as his career has progressed, covering domestic violence (“Stan”), white privilege (“White America”) and corrupt politicians (“Mosh”).