Marshall Mathers, otherwise known as Eminem, has been making hit records and news headlines for more than 25 years now. If you have Eminem fans in your classroom or library who want to learn more about the life and history of the real Slim Shady, direct them to The World Almanac® for Kids, where they can read a middle-school-level biography of this legendary performer and many others, including Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and more. Students will find both brief bullet biographies and more than 700 book-length biographies of people who have made an impact on the world, from artists and entertainers to scientists and explorers to presidents and world leaders—perfect for reluctant readers and ideal for both reports and fun reading.
Here, we bring you highlights from The World Almanac® for Kids’ bullet biography of Eminem.
- American rapper whose hits include “Lose Yourself” and “The Monster.”
- Born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri.
- Is the only child of teenage parents Debbie (Nelson) Mathers and Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. When he was 18 months old, his father left home. He has not seen his father since then.
- Was bullied at school because he was small and quiet.
- After moving multiple times by the time he was 12, he and his mother settled in Warren, Michigan. He spent his teens in Detroit, and has lived in the Detroit area ever since.
- Has always loved to draw and, as a child, would create detailed drawings of superheroes.
- When he was 15, his mother had another child, Nathan (Nate). Eminem eventually became Nate’s legal guardian after their mother was unable to care for him.
- Released his first album, Infinite, as an underground rapper in 1996.
- Released his first major-record-label debut, The Slim Shady LP, in 1999. It earned him his first Grammy, for Best Rap Album.
- The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show also won Grammys for Best Rap Album.
- Starred in the 2002 film 8 Mile, with a script based in part on his life as a young rapper in Detroit.
- Won the Oscar for Best Original Song for the 8 Mile track, “Lose Yourself.” He became the first rap artist ever to win an Oscar.
- After releasing Encore in 2004 and touring the following year, he took a long break from recording while he worked on problems in his personal life.
- On May 15, 2009, he released Relapse, which did not receive as much attention and acclaim as past albums. It did, however, win a Grammy.
- The 2010 album Recovery was named the worldwide best-selling album of 2010. With this album, he won his 13th Grammy.
- Has had 10 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 Chart, and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
- Recorded as part of the rap group D12 and as part of the duo Bad Meets Evil with Royce da 5’9″.
- Owns his own record label, Shady Records, with manager Paul Rosenberg.
- Owns the radio channel Shade 45 on Sirius XM (satellite) Radio.
- Wears contact lenses because he’s near-sighted.
- Has a daughter, Hailie, with ex-wife Kim. Also has two adopted daughters, Whitney and Alaina.
- Released “Berzerk,” the first single off The Marshall Mathers LP II, in September 2013. The video and song are influenced by pioneering rappers the Beastie Boys, who worked with the song’s producer Rick Rubin and are among Eminem’s rap heroes.
- Won Best Editing at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards for “Rap God.”
- Won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with Rihanna for “The Monster” and Best Rap Album for The Marshall Mathers LP2 at the 2015 Grammys.
- His albums Revival (released December 2017), Kamikaze (released August 2018), and Music to Be Murdered By (released January 2020) each hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
- Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
- Released The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) in July 2024.
Want a more detailed look at Eminem? Log into The World Almanac® for Kids to read our book-length biography, plus the biographies of hundreds of other entertainers and history makers that are perfect for student research. (Not a subscriber? Take a FREE TRIAL today!)
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