From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Eminem made an impact.
Eminem, also known as Marshall Mathers III, is a highly influential American rapper, songwriter, producer, and executive. Recognized as one of the greatest rappers ever, he is credited with popularizing hip-hop in Middle America and increasing the acceptance of white rappers. Though his early work generated controversy, Eminem became a voice for popular angst in lower-income America. He is known for his conscious rap, often featuring political criticism and social commentary, as well as his distinctive rap flow.
In 2010, "Love the Way You Lie" was the bestselling single in the United Kingdom, but did not reach number one, marking the first time this had happened in the UK since 1969.
In 1988, Eminem, using the stage name MC Double M, formed his first group, New Jacks, and made demo tape recordings with DJ Butter Fingers.
In 1989, New Jacks joined Bassmint Productions, setting the stage for future collaborations.
In 1992, Bassmint Productions changed their name to Soul Intent, and Eminem made his first music video appearance in "Do-Da-Dippity" by Champtown.
In 1995, Eminem was signed to Jeff and Mark Bass' F.B.T. Productions, marking a significant step in his career.
In 1995, Soul Intent, featuring Eminem and Proof, released a two-track single on cassette.
In 1996, Eminem and Proof teamed up with four other rappers to form The Dirty Dozen (D12).
In 1996, Eminem recorded and released his debut album 'Infinite' for Web Entertainment, which was a commercial failure.
In 1996, Eminem released his debut album, 'Infinite'. During this time, his style was inspired by Nas and AZ.
In 1997, D12 released 'The Underground E.P.', marking a significant step in the group's career.
In 1997, Eminem competed in the Rap Olympics, a nationwide battle rap competition, and placed second. After this, an Interscope Records intern requested a copy of the Slim Shady EP, which was then sent to Jimmy Iovine.
In 1997, Eminem developed the Slim Shady alter ego and recorded his debut EP, 'the Slim Shady EP', which was later released that winter.
In 1997, Eminem released the extended play 'Slim Shady EP'.
On March 9, 1998, Eminem signed with Aftermath and Interscope, marking a pivotal moment in his career.
In March 1998, hip-hop magazine The Source featured Eminem in its "Unsigned Hype" column.
In 1998, Eminem and Royce da 5'9" formed the duo Bad Meets Evil.
In 1998, Eminem appeared as an extra in the Korn music video for "Got the Life", during which he gave the band a demo tape.
In 1998, New York rapper Necro gave Eminem a CD with the beat to what eventually became the beat for the song "Black Helicopters" by rap group Non-Phixion.
In February 1999, Eminem released The Slim Shady LP, which became one of the year's most popular albums. It sparked controversy due to its lyrical content.
Following Eminem's success, Interscope offered him his own label. He and Paul Rosenberg founded Shady Records in late 1999.
From 1999 to 2000, Eminem recorded The Marshall Mathers LP, an album that would later break sales records.
In 1999, Eminem achieved mainstream popularity with 'The Slim Shady LP' after signing with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment.
In late 1999, Eminem started his own record label, Shady Records, with his manager Paul Rosenberg.
In May 2000, The Marshall Mathers LP was released, selling 1.76 million copies in its first week and breaking U.S. records.
In July 2000, Eminem was the first white artist to appear on the cover of The Source.
On November 21, 2000, Eminem published Angry Blonde, a non-fiction book featuring commentary on his songs and unpublished photographs.
Billboard named Eminem the "Artist of the Decade (2000–2009)".
Eminem was the bestselling music artist from 2000 to 2009 in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.
In 2000, Eminem joined the Up in Smoke Tour and the Family Values Tour. He also headlined the Anger Management Tour with Papa Roach, Ludacris, and Xzibit.
In 2000, Eminem released 'The Marshall Mathers LP', which sold over one million copies in a single week.
In 2000, Eminem released the song The Way I Am.
In 2001 D12's debut album, Devil's Night, was released.
In 2001, D12 released their first album 'Devil's Night'.
In 2001, Elton John said about his rehearsal with Eminem for the "Stan" duet at the Grammy Awards, that Eminem was amazing and a true poet of his time.
In 2001, Eminem had a small role in the film The Wash.
In 2001, Eminem performed with Elton John at the 43rd Grammy Awards ceremony. This performance was controversial due to Eminem's homophobic lyrics, leading to protests by GLAAD. Eminem was also the only guest artist on Jay-Z's album 'The Blueprint', producing and rapping on the song "Renegade".
In May 2002, Eminem released 'The Eminem Show', which achieved great success, reaching number one on the charts and selling over 1.332 million copies in its first full week. It examined Eminem's rise to fame and other aspects of his life.
In 2002, Eminem made his Hollywood debut in the semi-autobiographical film 8 Mile and recorded several new songs for the soundtrack.
In 2002, Eminem released 'The Eminem Show', which sold over one million copies in a single week and became the best-selling album worldwide in 2002 and the best-selling hip-hop album of all time.
In 2002, Eminem signed 50 Cent to Shady Records in a joint venture with Dr. Dre's Aftermath label.
In 2002, Eminem starred in the drama film '8 Mile' and received critical acclaim for his role. He also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Lose Yourself" from the movie's soundtrack, making him the first hip-hop act to win the award.
In 2002, Eminem won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile, making him the first rapper to receive the award.
In 2002, the BBC noted that the perception of Eminem as a "modern-day William Shakespeare" was comparable to the reception of Bob Dylan, citing intense academic scrutiny of his work and vivid portrayals of disenfranchised lives.
In 2010, Recovery joined 2002's The Eminem Show as the best selling album worldwide, giving Eminem two year-end number one albums.
In 2003, the diss track "Smack You", aimed at Ja Rule and Suge Knight, was recorded.
On October 25, 2004, Eminem released the music video for "Mosh" on the Internet, a week before the 2004 U.S. Presidential election. The video criticized President George W. Bush. Also in 2004, Eminem launched Shade 45, a satellite music channel, on Sirius radio.
Ahead of the 2004 United States presidential election, Eminem released the protest song "Mosh", which criticized then-President George W. Bush, although he did not endorse Democratic nominee John Kerry.
In 2004, D12 reunited for their second album, D12 World, which included the hit singles "My Band" and "How Come".
In 2004, Eminem promoted his station at the "Shady National Convention" in New York City, where Donald Trump endorsed him.
In 2004, Eminem released 'Encore' before taking a hiatus due to struggles with prescription drug addiction.
In 2004, Eminem was co-executive producer of 2Pac's posthumous album Loyal to the Game with Shakur's mother, Afeni.
On December 6, 2005, Eminem released the greatest hits album 'Curtain Call: The Hits' by Aftermath Entertainment, which sold nearly 441,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week. Eminem also hinted at taking a break from his career as an artist.
In 2005, Eminem signed another Atlanta rapper, Bobby Creekwater, and West Coast rapper Cashis to Shady Records.
On December 5, 2006, the compilation album Eminem Presents: The Re-Up was released on Shady Records. It was originally planned as a mixtape but evolved into an album to showcase Stat Quo, Cashis, and Bobby Creekwater.
In September 2007, Eminem spoke on WQHT radio station about being "in limbo" regarding releasing another album.
In September 2008, Eminem appeared on his Shade 45 Sirius channel, focusing on producing and improving his skills.
On October 21, 2008, Eminem's autobiography, The Way I Am, was published by Dutton Adult, featuring previously unpublished photos. The title is named after his 2000 song "The Way I Am".
In 2008 Eminem was considered for the lead role in the film Jumper.
On March 5, 2009, it was announced that Eminem would release two new albums that year: Relapse and Relapse: Refill.
Billboard named Eminem the "Artist of the Decade (2000–2009)".
Eminem recorded 'Recovery' from 2009 to 2010. The album would later be released in June 2010.
Eminem was the bestselling music artist from 2000 to 2009 in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.
In 2009 Eminem had cameo appearances in the film Funny People.
In 2009, Eminem returned to the music industry with the release of 'Relapse'.
In 2009, Interscope confirmed that Eminem would release a new album in spring.
On April 14, 2010, Eminem tweeted that he was changing the title of Relapse 2 to Recovery and confirmed this by tweeting "Recovery" with a link to his website.
As of November 21, 2010, Eminem's album, Recovery, had sold three million copies in the U.S.
In December 2010, "Space Bound" was announced as the fourth single from Recovery. The "Great Eminem Recovery" was number one on Billboard's Top 25 Music Moments of 2010.
From 2009 to 2010, Eminem recorded Recovery, which was released on June 18, 2010. It sold 741,000 copies in its first week in the U.S., topping the Billboard 200 chart. Recovery was Eminem's sixth consecutive U.S. number-one album.
In 2010 in an interview with Jonathan Ross, Eminem stated "You know, I love music so much. This is my passion, this is what I want to do. Not saying that I won't do a movie ever again, but this is me."
In 2010, Eminem again began collaborating with Royce da 5'9" on their first EP as Bad Meets Evil, the duo having originally formed in 1998.
In 2010, Eminem released 'Recovery', which was the best-selling album worldwide that year.
In March 2011, The Eminem Show and The Marshall Mathers LP were certified diamond by the RIAA, making Eminem the only rapper with two diamond-certified albums.
In March 2011, The Marshall Mathers LP was certified Diamond by the RIAA, having sold 21 million copies worldwide.
On April 8, 2011, Eminem was featured on Royce da 5'9"'s "Writer's Block".
On June 14, 2011, Bad Meets Evil (Eminem and Royce da 5'9") released their EP, Hell: The Sequel.
On August 14, 2013, Eminem's song "Survival", featuring Liz Rodrigues and produced by DJ Khalil, premiered in the multi-player trailer for the video game Call of Duty: Ghosts. A press release indicated that the first single from Eminem's eighth album was forthcoming.
In 2013 Eminem was considered for the lead role in the film Elysium.
In 2013, Eminem received the Global Icon Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards ceremony.
In 2013, Eminem released 'The Marshall Mathers LP 2', which debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart.
In 2013, Eminem released the song "Headlights", in which he reiterated his love for his mother and apologized for some of the lyrics in his earlier songs, including "Cleanin' Out My Closet".
In 2014 Eminem had cameo appearances in the film The Interview.
In 2014, Spotify named Eminem the most-streamed music artist ever.
On March 12, 2015, The Official Eminem Box Set, a career-spanning, 10-disc vinyl box set, was released, including seven of Eminem's eight studio albums (excluding Infinite), the 8 Mile soundtrack, the compilation Eminem Presents: The Re-Up and the greatest hits collection Curtain Call: The Hits.
In June 2015, it was revealed that Eminem would serve as the executive producer and music supervisor on the TV series Motor City whose premise was based upon the 2002 film Narc.
On July 1, 2015, Eminem was the first interview of Zane Lowe in Beats 1. The interview streamed online on the Beats 1 radio.
On October 19, 2016, Eminem released a new song called "Campaign Speech", a political hip-hop song, and announced he was working on a new album.
On November 17, 2016, Eminem released a remastered version of 'Infinite' on his YouTube VEVO channel.
On November 22, 2016, Eminem released a trailer for a 10-minute short documentary called Partners in Rhyme: The True Story of Infinite.
During the 2016 United States presidential election, Eminem returned to overt political expression with the release of "Campaign Speech", a freestyle attacking Republican candidate Donald Trump.
In February 2017, Eminem appeared on "No Favors", a track from Big Sean's album I Decided. Eminem's lyrics, which included derogatory remarks about Donald Trump and Ann Coulter, sparked controversy.
Beginning in late October 2017, Eminem and Paul Rosenberg teased what fans speculated to be the title of Eminem's next album, Revival, through advertisements for a fake medication of the same name.
On December 15, 2017, Eminem's album Revival was released as scheduled, despite an online leak two days prior. The album received mixed to negative reviews.
In 2017 Mom's Spaghetti was previously a pop-up in Detroit.
In 2017, Eminem participated in the BET Hip Hop Awards cypher, delivering a freestyle called "The Storm", criticizing Donald Trump and his administration. He stated that Trump supporters could not be his fans.
In 2017, Eminem performed the anti-Trump freestyle "The Storm" at the BET Hip Hop Awards, supporting NFL player Colin Kaepernick and the national anthem protests, and declaring that any of his fans who supported Trump were no longer welcome.
In 2017, Eminem released 'Revival', which debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart.
In 2020, Eminem's song "Darkness" referenced the 2017 Las Vegas shooting.
On January 5, 2018, Eminem released the second single from the album Revival, "River", featuring Ed Sheeran.
On August 31, 2018, Eminem released his tenth studio album and first surprise album, Kamikaze, just eight months after Revival. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
On October 15, 2018, Eminem performed "Venom" live from the 103rd floor of the Empire State Building on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as promotion for the album Kamikaze.
On December 1, 2018, Eminem released an 11-minute freestyle titled "Kick Off" on his YouTube channel.
In 2018 Mom's Spaghetti was previously a pop-up at Coachella.
In 2018, Eminem released 'Kamikaze', which debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart.
On February 23, 2019, to mark the 20th anniversary of The Slim Shady LP, Eminem released a re-issue including acapellas, instrumentals, and radio edits of tracks from the album.
On January 17, 2020, Eminem released another surprise album, Music to Be Murdered By. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making Eminem the first artist to have ten consecutive albums debut at number one in the United States.
On February 9, 2020, Eminem performed "Lose Yourself" at the 92nd Academy Awards.
On March 9, 2020, the music video for "Godzilla" was released via Lyrical Lemonade's YouTube channel.
On March 11, 2020, Eminem's album Music to Be Murdered By was certified Gold by the RIAA.
On July 9, 2020, Kid Cudi's daughter, Vada, announced that he would release a song with Eminem titled "The Adventures of Moon Man & Slim Shady" the following Friday.
On December 18, 2020, Eminem released a deluxe edition of Music to Be Murdered By titled Music to Be Murdered By – Side B, without prior announcement, featuring a bonus disc with sixteen new tracks.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Eminem donated a pair of Air Jordan 4 Retro Eminem Carhartt shoes for raffle to raise money for COVID-19 relief and donated spaghetti meals to healthcare workers at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, referencing his song "Lose Yourself".
In 2020, Eminem released 'Music to Be Murdered By', which debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart.
On September 29, 2021, Eminem and Union Joints opened a spaghetti restaurant called Mom's Spaghetti in Detroit, referencing the lyrics from his song "Lose Yourself".
On September 30, 2021, Eminem was featured alongside Polo G and Mozzy on Skylar Grey's song "Last One Standing" for the soundtrack of the film Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
On October 30, 2021, Eminem performed with LL Cool J at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.
On February 13, 2022, Eminem performed at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige.
On June 24, 2022, Eminem and Snoop Dogg released the song "From the D 2 the LBC" and publicly reconciled.
On July 11, 2022, Eminem announced his second greatest hits album, Curtain Call 2, which covers albums from Relapse through Music to Be Murdered By, collaborations, and soundtrack songs.
On August 5, 2022, Eminem released Curtain Call 2, including his two precedent singles and the unreleased track "Is This Love ('09)" featuring 50 Cent.
At the 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Eminem named over 100 hip-hop artists who contributed to his development as an artist.
In 2022, Eminem delivered explicitly Christian lyrics on the remix of Kanye West and DJ Khaled's "Use This Gospel", thanking Jesus and rapping about salvation, which topped the Billboard Christian Songs chart.
In July 2023, Eminem's Shady Records signed rapper Ez Mil in a joint deal with Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.
On August 4, 2023, Ez Mil released the song "Realest", featuring Eminem. In the track, Eminem responds to comments from Melle Mel and The Game.
In 2023, Eminem announced the launch of a "Mom's Spaghetti" jarred pasta sauce.
In 2023, Eminem sent a cease and desist letter to Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, requesting that he stop performing "Lose Yourself" at campaign events.
During an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on March 19, 2024, Dr. Dre stated that Eminem intended to release a new album that year.
On May 31, 2024, Eminem released "Houdini" as the lead single for the upcoming album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). The song topped charts globally.
On June 28, 2024, Eminem posted a teaser for "Tobey", the second single from his album, featuring Big Sean and BabyTron.
On July 12, 2024, Eminem's concept album was released through Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. It became his eleventh number-one album on the Billboard 200, ending Taylor Swift's chart run, but received mixed reviews.
On August 31, 2024, LL Cool J released the single "Murdergram Deux", which featured Eminem, marking their first collaboration.
During the 2024 United States presidential election, Eminem publicly endorsed Kamala Harris. In October 2024, he appeared at a rally in Detroit, emphasizing voter turnout in Michigan and supporting Harris's stance on civil liberties and freedom of expression.
In December 2024, Eminem was featured on the track "Gunz N Smoke" from Snoop Dogg's album Missionary, alongside 50 Cent.
In 2024, Eminem released 'The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)', which debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart.
In June 2025, Eminem's collaboration with JID, titled "Animals (Pt. I)", was released.
In July 2025, Eminem announced the release of the documentary film Stans, focusing on his career and his fans. It was set for global release in theaters August 7-10 and accompanied by the soundtrack album Stans: The Official Soundtrack, which was set to release August 26.
In November 2025, Eminem collaborated with IO Interactive for an appearance as himself and Slim Shady in a time-limited mission in Hitman: World of Assassination, based on The Death of Slim Shady album.
In 2025 Eminem had cameo appearances in the film Happy Gilmore 2.
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