From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Eminem made an impact.
Eminem, or Marshall Mathers III, is a highly influential American rapper, songwriter, and producer. He is celebrated for popularizing hip-hop in Middle America and challenging racial barriers in the music industry. His controversial work in the late 90s and early 2000s made him a polarizing figure, yet he is seen as a voice for the American underclass. Eminem is known for his conscious lyrics, addressing political criticism and social commentary, and his exceptional rap flow.
In 1988, Eminem, using the stage name MC Double M, formed his first group, New Jacks, and created a self-titled demo tape with DJ Butter Fingers.
In 1989, New Jacks joined Bassmint Productions.
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 signed to Jeff and Mark Bass' F.B.T. Productions.
In 1995, Soul Intent released a self-titled EP featuring Proof.
In 1996, Eminem and Proof teamed up with four other rappers to form The Dirty Dozen (D12).
In 1996, Eminem recorded his debut album Infinite for Web Entertainment, which was a commercial failure upon release.
In 1996, Eminem released his debut album, Infinite.
In 1997, D12 released The Underground E.P.
In 1997, Eminem competed in the 1997 Rap Olympics, where he placed second. After the competition, Dean Geistlinger gave a copy of The Slim Shady EP to Jimmy Iovine who then played it for Dr. Dre.
In 1997, Eminem developed his Slim Shady alter ego and recorded the Slim Shady EP, released that winter by Web Entertainment.
In 1997, Eminem released the extended play Slim Shady EP.
On March 9, 1998, Eminem signed to Aftermath and Interscope.
In March 1998, Eminem was featured in hip-hop magazine The Source in its "Unsigned Hype" column.
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 met Eminem and gave him a CD with the beat to what eventually became the beat for the song "Black Helicopters" by rap group Non-Phixion.
In 1998, the duo Bad Meets Evil was formed by Eminem and Royce da 5'9". In 2010, Eminem again began collaborating with Royce da 5'9" on their first EP as Bad Meets Evil.
In February 1999, Eminem released The Slim Shady LP, which became one of the year's most popular albums. The album was accompanied by controversy over its lyrics.
After releasing The Slim Shady LP, Eminem started his own record label, Shady Records, in late 1999, with manager Paul Rosenberg.
Eminem recorded The Marshall Mathers LP from 1999 to 2000.
In 1999, Eminem achieved mainstream popularity with The Slim Shady LP after signing with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment.
In 1999, Eminem hinted in his single "My Name Is" that he avoided the use of drugs after experiencing his mother's history of drug abuse.
In late 1999, following his multiplatinum record sales, Interscope offered Eminem his own label, leading him and Paul Rosenberg to found Shady Records.
In May 2000, Eminem released The Marshall Mathers LP, which sold 1.76 million copies in its first week, breaking US 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 previously unpublished photographs.
In 2000, Eminem participated in the Up in Smoke Tour and the Family Values Tour. He also headlined the Anger Management Tour alongside Papa Roach, Ludacris, and Xzibit, marking a significant presence in the music scene.
In 2000, Eminem released The Marshall Mathers LP, which became a worldwide success, selling over one million copies in a single week.
The autobiography published in 2008 is named after his 2000 song "The Way I Am".
In 2001 D12's debut album, Devil's Night, was released.
In 2001, Elton John rehearsed with Eminem for the "Stan" duet at the Grammy Awards and expressed feeling goosebumps, comparing him to Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin.
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 lyrics being considered homophobic by GLAAD, who condemned John's decision to perform with him. The performance was also the source of significant media attention. Eminem was also the only guest artist to appear on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint.
In May 2002, The Eminem Show was released. The album reached number one on the charts and sold over 1.332 million copies in its first full week. The album examines Eminem's rise to fame, his relationships, and his status in the hip-hop community, and was the bestselling album of 2002.
In 2002, Eminem made his Hollywood debut in the semi-autobiographical film 8 Mile.
In 2002, Eminem released The Eminem Show, which became a worldwide success, selling over one million copies in a single week and becoming the best-selling album worldwide of 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 film 8 Mile and received critical acclaim. His song "Lose Yourself" from the soundtrack won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, making him the first hip-hop act to ever win the award.
In 2002, Eminem won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Lose Yourself" from the film 8 Mile, becoming the first hip-hop artist to receive the award.
In 2010, Eminem's album Recovery joined 2002's bestseller The Eminem Show, marking two worldwide year-end number-one albums for the artist.
In 2003, "Weird Al" Yankovic created "Couch Potato" as a parody of Eminem's song "Lose Yourself". Eminem initially halted the video production, leading to irony when Michael Jackson protested Eminem's "Just Lose It" video in 2004.
In 2003, Eminem won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Lose Yourself" from the 8 Mile soundtrack.
On October 25, 2004, a week before the U.S. Presidential election, Eminem released the music video for "Mosh" online. The video depicted Eminem leading a group of Bush-administration victims to register to vote and was altered post-election to show them invading the White House.
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 co-executive produced 2Pac's posthumous album, Loyal to the Game, with Afeni Shakur.
In 2004, Eminem promoted his radio station at the "Shady National Convention" in New York City, where Donald Trump endorsed him.
In 2004, Eminem released Encore and subsequently took a hiatus due to struggles with prescription drug addiction.
On December 6, 2005, Curtain Call: The Hits, a greatest hits album, was released by Aftermath Entertainment. It sold nearly 441,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week, marking Eminem's fourth consecutive number-one album on the Billboard Hot 200.
In 2005, Eminem signed 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, intended to introduce Stat Quo, Cashis and Bobby Creekwater.
In September 2007, Eminem expressed uncertainty about releasing another album in an interview with New York radio station WQHT.
In 2007, Michael Jackson and Sony acquired Famous Music from Viacom, granting Jackson the rights to songs by Eminem and other artists.
In September 2008, Eminem mentioned on his Shade 45 Sirius channel that he was focusing on producing tracks to improve his skills.
On October 21, 2008, Eminem's autobiography The Way I Am was published by Dutton Adult, featuring never before published photos.
In 2008, Eminem was considered for the lead role in the film Jumper.
On March 5, 2009, it was announced via press release that Eminem would release two new albums that year, with Relapse being the first.
From 2009 to 2010, Eminem recorded his album Recovery.
In 2009, Eminem expressed support for Barack Obama in an interview.
In 2009, Eminem had a cameo appearance 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 the spring, signaling his return to the music scene.
On April 14, 2010, Eminem announced that he changed the title of his new album to "Recovery", dispelling rumors of "Relapse 2".
In June 2010, Eminem and Jay-Z announced The Home & Home Tour, performing together in Detroit and New York City. Due to high demand, additional shows were added.
By November 21, 2010, Eminem's album Recovery had sold three million copies in the U.S. and became the bestselling album worldwide in 2010.
In December 2010, Billboard recognized the "Great Eminem Recovery" as number one on its Top 25 Music Moments of 2010. It was also announced that "Space Bound" would be the fourth single from Recovery.
In 2010, Eminem and Royce da 5'9" began collaborating on their first EP as Bad Meets Evil, a duo formed in 1998.
In 2010, Eminem released Recovery, which became the best-selling album worldwide of 2010.
In 2010, Eminem released Recovery. It quickly topped charts, selling 741,000 copies in the U.S. during its first week and becoming his sixth consecutive U.S. number-one album, marking a significant success.
In a 2010 interview with Jonathan Ross, Eminem stated that music is his passion and primary focus, but did not rule out future movie roles.
In March 2011, The Eminem Show and The Marshall Mathers LP were certified diamond by the RIAA. This made Eminem the only rapper with two diamond-certified albums.
In March 2011, The Marshall Mathers LP was certified Diamond by the RIAA and 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, Eminem and Royce da 5'9" released their first EP as Bad Meets Evil, titled Hell: The Sequel.
On August 14, 2013, Eminem's song "Survival", featuring Liz Rodrigues and produced by DJ Khalil, premiered in the trailer for the video game Call of Duty: Ghosts.
In 2013, Eminem received the MTV Europe Music Award for Global Icon.
In 2013, Eminem released The Marshall Mathers LP 2, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart.
In 2013, Eminem released the song "Headlights", in which he reiterated his love for his mother and apologized to her for some of the lyrics from his earlier songs, including "Cleanin' Out My Closet".
In 2013, Eminem was considered for the lead role in the film Elysium.
In 2014, Eminem had a cameo appearance in the film The Interview.
On July 1, 2015, Eminem was the first interview of Zane Lowe in Beats 1. The interview was streamed online on the Beats 1 radio.
On October 19, 2016, Eminem released "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.
Eminem returned to overt political expression during the 2016 United States presidential election 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. In the song, Eminem mentions President Donald Trump and Ann Coulter, leading to controversy.
Beginning in late October 2017, Eminem and Paul Rosenberg teased the title of his next album, Revival, through advertisements for a fake medication of the same name.
On December 15, 2017, Eminem's album Revival was released, despite an online leak two days prior.
Eminem's 2020 song "Darkness" references the 2017 Las Vegas shooting and ends with a call for stricter gun control laws.
In 2017, Eminem participated in the BET Hip Hop Awards cypher, delivering a freestyle called "The Storm", criticizing Trump and his administration.
In 2017, Eminem performed another anti-Trump freestyle, "The Storm", at the BET Hip Hop Awards, supporting Colin Kaepernick and the national anthem protests.
In 2017, Eminem released Revival, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart.
In 2017, Mom's Spaghetti was previously a pop-up in Detroit.
On his album Revival, released in 2017, Eminem expressed his regret at having collaborated with Donald Trump.
On January 5, 2018, the second single from Revival, "River", featuring Ed Sheeran, was released.
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, Eminem's ninth consecutive album to do so.
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, Eminem released Kamikaze, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart.
In 2018, Mom's Spaghetti was a pop-up at Coachella.
On February 23, 2019, Eminem released a re-issue of The Slim Shady LP, including acapellas, instrumentals, and radio edits, to mark its 20th anniversary.
On January 17, 2020, Eminem released another surprise album, Music to Be Murdered By, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
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, 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 Side B without prior announcement. It featured a bonus disc with sixteen new tracks.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Eminem donated rare Air Jordan 4 Retro Eminem Carhartt shoes and spaghetti meals to support relief efforts.
In 2020, Eminem released Music to Be Murdered By, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart.
On September 29, 2021, Eminem and Union Joints opened a spaghetti restaurant called Mom's Spaghetti in Detroit.
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 to the LBC" and publicly reconciled.
On July 11, 2022, Eminem announced his second greatest hits album, Curtain Call 2, a sequel to 2005's Curtain Call: The Hits.
On August 5, 2022, Eminem's greatest hits album, Curtain Call 2, was released. It includes collaborations and soundtrack songs.
In 2022, Eminem delivered explicitly Christian lyrics on the remix of Kanye West and DJ Khaled's track "Use This Gospel", thanking Jesus and rapping about salvation, which topped the Billboard Christian Songs chart.
In 2022, Eminem was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, marking a significant milestone in his career.
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 which 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", the lead single from his upcoming album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce).
On June 28, 2024, Eminem posted a teaser for the album's second single, titled "Tobey," featuring Big Sean and BabyTron.
On July 12, 2024, Eminem's concept album was released through Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records, becoming his eleventh number-one album on the Billboard 200.
On August 31, 2024, LL Cool J released the single "Murdergram Deux", featuring Eminem, marking their first collaboration.
In October 2024, during the 2024 United States presidential election, Eminem publicly endorsed Kamala Harris at a rally in Detroit, emphasizing the importance of 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 opened the MTV Video Music Awards with a self-referential performance of "Houdini" and "Somebody Save Me."
In 2024, Eminem released The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), which debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart.
In May 2025, Eminem won Favorite Hip Hop Artist and Favorite Hip Hop Album for The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) at the American Music Awards.
In June 2025, Eminem's collaboration with JID, "Animals (Pt. I)", was released.
In July 2025, Eminem announced the release of the documentary film "Stans", focusing on his career and rise to fame through the eyes of his fans.
In 2025, Eminem had a cameo appearance in the film Happy Gilmore 2.
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