Marshall Bruce Mathers III, most commonly known by his stage name Eminem found his love for rap at the age of only four years old. For Mathers, starting a career was be extremely difficult for the rapper, because of his lack of funds for studio time and coaching as he grew up consistently in doubt of where he’d be living in a week’s time. After being discovered by major producer Dr. Dre, Eminem found himself quickly at the top of the rap list but when problems at home became overwhelming, his career took a sudden turn for the worst rising from troubles at home.
Eminem was born October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri to his single mother Deborah, Mathers, who’s income was unstable. His father abandoned the family when Eminem was only an infant and would go on to disregard any attempts his son made to reconnect with him. Mather’s mother found it difficult to hold a job for more than months at a time and as a result, the two frequently moved around causing young Marshal to change schools two or three times a year. In addition to this, Eminem claimed to have been frequently be abused both mentally and physically by Deborah.The young artist found an escape through rap, and thus a career was born and his struggle for making ends meat ended.
Eminem’s lifestyle caused great difficulty to successfully graduate from the school system as he dropped out at 17, but this had not taken his passion for language and rap away from him, those of which lead him to a successful career. He started to take rap seriously at age fourteen studying the dictionary while constantly making rhymes, but also used his lyrics as a getaway from his childhood. Mather’s initially made an appearance starring in ‘underground rap battles’ in Detroit. After one year he became so respectedthat Dr. Dre himself recognized Eminem’s first album,The Slim Shady EP.Dr. Dre’s ears remained close in on Eminem, especially when runner-up for the 1997 Rap Olympics MC Battle. It was there that he was so impressed that Dre invited Mathersto ,(Interscope Studios).The outcome arising from the deal was a new album, the The Slim Shady LP quickly going triple platinum. Eminem’s career continued to flourish as he would produce multiple successful albums up until 2004 such as The Marshall Mathers LP, Encoreand Devils Night.
Subsequently recording millions of dollars worth of albums, Marshal Mathers consumed by personal anguish from his involvement in a turbulent relationship, accompanied by the dispute over his and from divorcee Kim Mathers, daughterHailie, the rapper found himself slipping away from his work. He was quickly involved with alcoholism, addicted to sleeping pills and prescription painkillers in 2005. Although there have been documented to be more dangerous addictions killing celebrities, such as Kurt Cobain’s heroin addictions, the pills and alcohol would go to severelyeffect his career.
Eminem and his management team planned a European tour that had to be cancelled due to his hospitalization from sleeping pills, “Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem, is in the hospital under doctors’ care. He’s being treated for dependency on sleep medication,” a statement to made by Eminem’s management team (Sophie Kirkham, 2).At the peak of his addiction, Eminem was taking up to twenty pills a day. The European Anger Management tour, expected to last from September 1 to 17, 2005, was called off and returned 10 million Euros. In 2007 the rapper weighed up to 230 pounds and was a only a near two hours away from death; “Had I got to the hospital about two hours later, I would have died. My organs were shutting down. My liver, kidneys, everything,” he says. “They didn’t think I was gonna make it. My bottom was gonna be death,” said Eminem (ChrisanneGrise, 1).
Merely on the brink of death, resurgence of a career can be extremely difficult, thus rumors started to circulate the artist would stop performing and producing new material but proved a few years away from the spotlight would not keep him from doing what he loves.It was his fatherhood that motivated him to become dedicated to his sobreity, “Looking at my kids and realizing I need to be here for this,” said Eminem (ChrisanneGrise, 2).After a detox that kept him up all night for three weeks, Mathers started the process of recovery. The damage was so sever the rapper needed to regain simple motor controls and talking skills. In 2010 Eminem returned to rapping, producing the album Recoverythat sold over 3.9 million copies followed by six other successful albums.The artist continues to rap and keep in touch with his biological daughter as well as two other adopted children.
Eminem grew up facing difficult circumstances throughout his childhood such as moving schools up to two or three times a year, facing the physical and mental abuse of his mother, and growing up without a father. The artist was not given the ideal circumstances to have a successful future. Through rap he found an escape from his past, recording numerous successful albums, and becoming one of the most respected rappers to date. His determination to conquer his drug addiction was the direct result of his desire for his joint custody of his daughterHailie along with the love for his children in general, and his love for rap.
Bibliography
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Kirkham S. (2005, August). Eminem Admits He is Hooked On Sleeping Pills. The Guardian.
(Schuster, S).,(Serpick E.). (2001). Eminem.Rolling Stone.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/eminem-the-fall-and-rise-of-a-superstar-1544787.html
