Eminem's father left him when he was
only 6 months old. Marshall's mother, Debbie was suspected of
suffering from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (mental disease where a
parent visions their child sick and forces them to undergo unecessarry
medical treatment). Marshall was often left with his relatives. He
then becomes very close with his uncle, Ronnie, who was pratically the
same age as him. They were best friends, and spent all of their time
together. Eminem - "Ronnie was the only real family member I had,
that I was close to." At five, Marshall and Debbie move to East
Detroit, Michigan. He is beaten up constantly by neighborhood bullies
walking in the streets, and also as much in school.On winter recess,
Marshall's biggest bully, D'Angelo Baily, beats Marshall so severely
he fell into a coma for ten days. After that incident in 1984,
Marshall and Debbie moved back to Kansas City. He got back together
with Ronnie. Ronnie was a rap music fan and "beat boxes" for
Marshall and makes him rap tapes. In 1987, Debbie and Marshall move
back to Detroit. Even though Marshall didn't have Ronnie around, he
started rapping because he liked to do it, and that was all he had. He
would never rap front of Ronnie because he thought he sucked it. At
13, Marshall started writing his own lyrics and recording his own
raps. He then takes his initials which makes a name that he uses for
himself - M&M. Not long after this name change does he make it
unique, by changing it to Eminem. He starts hustling money at school
by battle rapping. He then attends Lincoln High School for the years
1986-1989. There he meets his high school sweatheart and future wife,
Kim Scott. He also forms his first rap group, Bassmint Productions. He
fails 9th grade three times. At 17, he drops out of school. He then
starts performing on open mic nights for a local radio station. He is
told that he is "pretty good" for a white guy. This is when
Marshall knew that he wanted to make rapping a career. In the summer
of 1992, Ronnie visits Marshall in Detroit. Eminem then tells Ronnie
about all his dreams to be a huge rap star. Ronnie tells Eminem that
he has given up rap for good. He tells him that he won't make it, and
that it is only a fantasy. Eminem still didn't want to give up. In
1992, Eminem begins rapping at the biggest hip hop club in Detroit,
Saint Andrews. The first time he got onto the stage, he was booed off.
Eminem didn't let that bother him, and returned every week to enter
rap compotitions. Eminem was soon invited to rap on the biggest hip
hop radio station in Detroit, WHYT. On Dec. 13, 1993, Debbie called
Marshal at a friend's house, and was crying. She told Marshall that
Ronnie is dead, and that he had committed suicide. Marshall then falls
into a deep depression. He then quits writing lyrics and rapping. He
stays in his room for hours listening to Ronnie's rap tapes, and
starts feeling that it was his fault that Ronnie commited suicide. (Eminem
now has a tattoo on his left upper part of the arm which says, Ronnie
RIP) In March of '95, Kim tells Marshall that she is pregnant. On
March 25, 1995, Hailie Jade is born. Haile was a wake up call for Em,
and that he must rap. Soon after creating a name for himself in the
underground rap circuit, a small production company wants him to
record an album. In the fall of 1996, he releases his debut album,
"Infinite." Infinite made no money along with getting zero
air play or radio time. Soon after this, Marshall, Kim, and Hailie
Jade are evicted from their apartment. Kim then leaves Marshall and
takes Haile Jade with her. They move in with her parents, and Eminem
is not welcome there at all. Kim's parents think of Marshall as a
total loser with no future whatsoever, and Marshall is not allowed to
see his daughter at all. In December of 1996, he suffers from an
overdose, but luckily survives. January 1997, Slim Shady is born. He
says that Slim Shady is his alter ego. Slim Shady is his very own
darker side. After 10 months of performing at underground clubs, he is
invited to the biggest hiphop event in the country. On October 24,
1997, he is invited to The 1997 Rap Olympics in Los Angeles. Battling
for first place and after 6 rounds he loses to Juice. He comes in
second place. Even though he didn't win, he was noticed by Dr. Dre.
Dre immediately took to liking Eminem and signs him to his label,
Aftermath Records. Within a week, Eminem gets to work on his new
album. On Feb. 23, 1999, The Slim Shady LP released. The album debuts
at number 2 on the Billboard charts. He wins Grammy Awards for it and
also the MTV awards: Best New Artist, Best Solo Hip Hop Act, and Best
Rap Performance. This album goes multi-platinum. In September of 1999,
Interscope Records gives Eminem his own record label... Shady Records.
Eminem and Kim get remarried, and buys a large home for all of them.
In April of 1999, Rolling Stone does a front page article on him where
he talks about his childhood. Soon he is in lawsuit with his mother
for 10 million dollars for the charge of defamation of character.
Debbie states that his childhood was not bad at all. The lawsuit is
still pending. In November of 1999, Eminem returns to the studios to
start his newest album which was released on May 23, 2000, The
Marshall Mathers LP.
