Eminem

Early years in Detroit

Eminem was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri. From around the age of twelve he lived in a working-class neighborhood in Detroit, and at seventeen he dropped out of Lincoln High School. In 1988 he formed a group called New Jacks with DJ Butterfingers, and in 1992 he joined Soul Intent, the Detroit crew built around producer Manix and DJ Butterfingers that also included his longtime friend Proof. Soul Intent’s 1995 cassette single “F#@!in’ Backstabber,” issued on Mashin’ Duck Records, is described on Discogs as the first professionally printed Eminem release.

Infinite and the Slim Shady EP

His debut album, Infinite, was released on November 12, 1996, through Web Entertainment. It was recorded in the Bass Brothers’ basement studio, with most of the production by Mr. Porter, and sold poorly. The same year he and Proof formed D12. In 1997 he released the Slim Shady EP and placed second in the Rap Olympics battle competition. The EP reached Interscope Records, and on March 9, 1998, he signed with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope.

Major-label breakthrough

The Slim Shady LP, released on February 23, 1999, debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. Late that year he founded Shady Records. The Marshall Mathers LP followed on May 23, 2000; it debuted at number one, sold 1.76 million copies in its first week in the United States, won Best Rap Album and was later certified Diamond by the RIAA.

8 Mile and legacy

In 2002 he starred in the film 8 Mile. Its song “Lose Yourself” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the first rap song to do so. His early Detroit collaborators remain part of the story: Proof died on April 11, 2006, and Soul Intent founders Manix and DJ Butterfingers produced and cut the first records he appeared on.