Major Controversies Surrounding Eminem: A Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Eminem.

Eminem, born Marshall Mathers III, is a highly influential American rapper, songwriter, and producer. He is recognized for popularizing hip-hop in Middle America and breaking racial barriers for white rappers. Though controversial early in his career for his transgressive themes, he became an icon representing the angst of the American underclass. He is known for numerous hit songs including "The Real Slim Shady," "Without Me," "Lose Yourself," and "Love the Way You Lie."

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1997: Feud with Insane Clown Posse Begins

In 1997, the feud between Eminem and Insane Clown Posse started when Eminem promoted a possible appearance by ICP at his EP release party without consulting them first, leading to a confrontation with Joseph Bruce (Violent J).

February 1999: Release of The Slim Shady LP

In February 1999, Eminem released The Slim Shady LP, which was one of the year's most popular albums, and sparked controversy over its lyrics.

1999: Lawsuit from mother

In 1999, Eminem's mother sued him for $10 million, alleging slander on The Slim Shady LP, which concluded in 2001 with her being awarded $1,600 for damages.

June 3, 2000: Arrest in Royal Oak, Michigan

On June 3, 2000, Eminem was arrested in Royal Oak, Michigan, for pulling out an unloaded gun during an altercation with an employee of Insane Clown Posse's record label.

July 7, 2000: Kim Mathers' suicide attempt

On July 7, 2000, Kim Mathers attempted suicide by slitting her wrists and later sued Eminem for defamation after he described her violent death in "Kim".

2000: Assault Charge

In 2000, Eminem faced an assault charge brought by a bouncer he saw kissing his wife, which was later addressed in his album "The Eminem Show" released in 2002.

2000: Insults to Insane Clown Posse in The Marshall Mathers LP

In 2000, Eminem insulted Insane Clown Posse on various tracks from his album The Marshall Mathers LP, including "Marshall Mathers" and "Ken Kaniff".

2000: XXL Accepts Shady/Aftermath Ads

In 2000, XXL magazine stepped in to accept Shady/Aftermath ads after The Source pulled them due to the ongoing conflict with Eminem.

2000: Canibus Diss Tracks

In 2000, after Canibus apologized, Eminem thought the track "Phuck U" from Canibus' album 2000 B.C. was directed at him and LL Cool J. Canibus decided to continue the "story" of Eminem's single "Stan" with the track "U Didn't Care."

2000: Moby Criticizes The Marshall Mathers LP

In 2000, after the release of Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP, Moby criticized the album's lyrics for misogyny and homophobia.

June 28, 2001: Sentenced on weapon charges

On June 28, 2001, Eminem was sentenced to one year's probation, community service, and fined approximately $2,000 on weapon charges stemming from an argument with an employee of Psychopathic Records.

2001: Eminem Performs with Elton John at the Grammy Awards

In 2001, Eminem performed "Stan" with Elton John at the 43rd Grammy Awards ceremony, which sparked controversy due to Eminem's perceived homophobic lyrics. GLAAD protested the performance on February 21, the day of the awards.

2001: DeAngelo Bailey lawsuit

In 2001, sanitation worker DeAngelo Bailey sued Eminem for $1 million, claiming invasion of privacy due to the portrayal of him as a violent bully in the song "Brain Damage."

March 31, 2002: Jacques Loussier lawsuit

On March 31, 2002, French jazz pianist Jacques Loussier filed a $10 million lawsuit against Eminem and Dr. Dre, alleging that the beat for "Kill You" was taken from his instrumental "Pulsion." The case was later settled out of court.

November 19, 2002: Canibus Responds with "Dr. C PhD"

On November 19, 2002, Canibus responded to Eminem with a track titled "Dr.‍C PhD".

2002: Brief Diss on "Business"

In 2002, Eminem briefly dissed Insane Clown Posse on his single "Business" from The Eminem Show.

2002: Eminem Responds to Canibus on "The Eminem Show"

In 2002, Eminem responded to Canibus on his album The Eminem Show on tracks such as "Say What You Say", "When The Music Stops" and "Square Dance".

2002: Carey Releases "Clown"

In 2002, Mariah Carey released "Clown", a song that made references potentially about Eminem.

October 20, 2003: Dismissal of DeAngelo Bailey lawsuit

On October 20, 2003, a lawsuit filed by sanitation worker DeAngelo Bailey against Eminem for $1 million, accusing him of invading his privacy in "Brain Damage", was dismissed. The judge ruled the lyrics were clearly exaggerated.

December 8, 2003: Secret Service Investigates Eminem

On December 8, 2003, the United States Secret Service investigated Eminem for lyrics in "We As Americans" that seemingly threatened the President of the United States.

2003: "Superman" Released

In 2003, Eminem released "Superman", referencing his alleged relationship with Mariah Carey.

2003: Feud with Ja Rule Begins

In 2003, Eminem's feud with Ja Rule started after 50 Cent signed to Shady Records and Aftermath, with Ja Rule expressing his disapproval of the signing.

2003: Madonna and Stevie Wonder defend Eminem

In 2003, Madonna defended Eminem's controversial art, saying he provokes discussion and reflects society, and Stevie Wonder likened rap to modern blues, stating that Eminem reminds people of societal realities.

2003: Benzino Releases Diss Track

In 2003, rapper and The Source co-owner Benzino released a diss single titled "Pull Your Skirt Up" which took aim at Eminem.

October 12, 2004: Michael Jackson Responds to "Just Lose It"

On October 12, 2004, Michael Jackson voiced his displeasure with Eminem's "Just Lose It" video, which parodied Jackson's personal issues, during a call to Steve Harvey's radio show.

October 25, 2004: Eminem Releases "Mosh" Video

On October 25, 2004, Eminem released the music video for "Mosh" online, featuring an anti-war message and criticism of President George W. Bush, a week before the U.S. Presidential election.

2004: Controversy over "Just Lose It" Music Video

In 2004, Eminem's music video for "Just Lose It" caused controversy by parodying Michael Jackson, leading to its ban on BET and criticism from Jackson and his supporters.

2005: Eminem Plays Alleged Voicemails of Mariah Carey

In 2005, during the Anger Management Tour, Eminem played alleged voicemails of Mariah Carey, escalating their public dispute.

2006: Accusation of assaulting Miad Jarbou

In 2006, Eminem was accused of assaulting Miad Jarbou in a Detroit strip club bathroom, but was never charged. Jarbou later sued Eminem for damages.

2007: Lawsuit against Apple and Aftermath Entertainment

In 2007, Eminem's music-publishing company and Martin Affiliated sued Apple Inc. and Aftermath Entertainment over unauthorized digital downloads of Eminem's songs on iTunes.

July 2009: Eminem Responds with "The Warning"

In late July 2009, Eminem responded to Mariah Carey's "Obsessed" by releasing a track titled "The Warning", which included voice mail recordings he claimed were from Carey.

September 2009: Settlement of lawsuit against Apple

In late September 2009, a case filed by Eminem's music-publishing company and Martin Affiliated against Apple Inc. was settled shortly after the trial began. The lawsuit claimed Aftermath Entertainment was not authorized to negotiate digital downloads of Eminem's songs on iTunes.

2009: Chris Brown assault case; Eminem's apology to Rihanna

In 2009, Chris Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault involving Rihanna. Years later, Eminem apologized to Rihanna in the track "Zeus" over a leaked song from his Relapse studio sessions in which he sided with Chris Brown.

2009: Release of "Obsessed"

In 2009, Mariah Carey released "Obsessed", about an obsessed man who claims to have been in a relationship with her.

September 2010: Cannon Responds with "I'm a Slick Rick"

In September 2010, Nick Cannon responded to Eminem with the song "I'm a Slick Rick", making fun of him.

2010: 60 Minutes interview on homophobic lyrics

In 2010, during a 60 Minutes interview with Anderson Cooper, Eminem addressed criticism for using homophobic lyrics, explaining his perspective on the use of words like "faggot" and "queer" during his upbringing.

October 2013: Sampling of "Lookin' Boy" for "Rap God"

In October 2013, Eminem sampled Hotstylz's 2008 viral hit, "Lookin' Boy", for his hit single "Rap God". The group claimed Eminem did not receive permission.

November 2013: Hotstylz releases "Rap Fraud" diss track

In November 2013, Hotstylz released a diss track towards Eminem titled "Rap Fraud", criticizing him for sampling "Lookin' Boy" without permission.

2013: Accusations of homophobia in "Rap God"

In 2013, Eminem faced accusations of homophobia due to the lyrics of "Rap God," and he explained to Rolling Stone that he never equated certain words with actual homosexuals during his battle-rapping days.

January 2015: Hotstylz sues Eminem for $8 million

In January 2015, Hotstylz sued Eminem and Shady Records for $8 million for using a sample of "Lookin' Boy" on "Rap God" without permission.

October 19, 2016: Eminem releases "Campaign Speech" and announces new album

On October 19, 2016, Eminem released "Campaign Speech", a political hip-hop song and announced he was working on a new album.

2016: Release of "Campaign Speech"

In 2016, during the United States presidential election, Eminem released "Campaign Speech", which criticized presidential candidate Donald Trump.

February 2017: Eminem appears on Big Sean's "No Favors"

In February 2017, Eminem appeared on "No Favors", a track from Big Sean's album I Decided, generating controversy due to lyrics about Donald Trump and Ann Coulter.

December 15, 2017: Revival Album Release

On December 15, 2017, Eminem's album Revival was released as planned after an online leak, receiving mixed to negative reviews.

2017: Release of "The Storm"

In 2017, Eminem criticized Donald Trump in a freestyle titled "The Storm", expressing support for Colin Kaepernick and displeasure for fans supporting Trump.

2017: Eminem Expresses Regret Over Trump Collaboration

On his 2017 album Revival, Eminem expressed regret for collaborating with Donald Trump, wishing he had refused to shake his hand at the 2004 event.

September 2018: Release of "Rap Devil" and "Killshot"

In September 2018, Machine Gun Kelly released the diss track "Rap Devil" in response to Eminem's "Not Alike", escalating their ongoing feud. Eminem retaliated with "Killshot" on September 14, 2018, which broke streaming records, and Bizarre released "Love Tap" on September 20, 2018. Kelly continued to fuel the feud publicly.

2018: Criticism and apology for using "faggot" in "Fall"

In 2018, Eminem was criticized for using the word "faggot" against Tyler, the Creator in the song "Fall". Eminem later apologized for using the slur, acknowledging he went "too far" and hurt others in his attempt to stand up for himself.

2018: Secret Service Interview Regarding Threatening Lyrics Towards President Trump

In 2018, The Secret Service interviewed Eminem regarding threatening lyrics towards president Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka.

2018: Criticism of musicians on Kamikaze album

Throughout the 2018 album Kamikaze, Eminem criticized other musicians, primarily mumble rappers, leading to public responses from figures like Ja Rule, 6ix9ine, Iggy Azalea, Joe Budden, Die Antwoord, Lupe Fiasco, and Lord Jamar.

2019: Secret Service Interview Regarding Threatening Lyrics Towards President Trump

In 2019, The Secret Service interviewed Eminem again regarding threatening lyrics towards president Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka.

2020: Release of "Darkness"

In 2020, Eminem's song "Darkness" heavily referenced the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, with the music video expressing support for gun control.

2022: Game Releases Diss Track Towards Eminem

In 2022, Game released a ten-minute diss track towards Eminem titled "The Black Slim Shady".

August 4, 2023: Release of "Realest" featuring Eminem

On August 4, 2023, Ez Mil released the song "Realest", featuring Eminem, in which Eminem responded to Melle Mel's claim about his ranking due to his race.

2023: Cease and Desist to Ramaswamy

In 2023, Eminem requested that Republican election candidate Vivek Ramaswamy stop rapping his song "Lose Yourself" at campaign rallies, sending him a cease and desist letter.

January 2024: Feud with Benzino Reignites

In January 2024, Eminem reignited the feud with Benzino on a new diss track called "Doomsday Pt. 2".

January 26, 2024: Feature on "Doomsday Pt. 2"

On January 26, 2024, Eminem was featured on Lyrical Lemonade's song "Doomsday Pt. 2", which included disses aimed at Benzino, reigniting their long-time beef.