CAIRO – 17 October 2017: Eminem AKA Slim Shady turns 45 on Tuesday. Egypt Today couldn’t pass the opportunity of celebrating his birthday, and has decided to take a look at his life and some of his biggest hits.
Born as Marshall Mathers in 1972 in Missouri, Eminem had a troubled childhood; his father abandoned them and left his mother to raise him and his siblings alone. She suffered from a drug addiction and the pair was known to constantly move; a young Mathers was never able to find any stability. With no close friends, he was constantly bullied. Though he failed at school, he found that he was talented in the English language.
He brought his skill with words into the music scene after being inspired by artists such as the rap group N.W.A. Entering into rap competitions at Detroit, Eminem once again found himself out of place as a white singer, yet through his creativity and determination managed to rise to the top as a respected figure in the underground rap world. His pseudonym, M&M, came from his two initials, and later evolved into Eminem.
These experiences were chronicled in the 2002 fictional biographic film "8 Mile," which helped introduce Eminem’s music to a wider audience and won Eminem an Oscar Award for Best Music, Original Song.
It was after striking a contract with producer Dr. Dre that Eminem began to become seriously noticed; and after his first album "The Slim Shady LP," Eminem managed to acquire well over 3 million sales.
The best of Eminem “Lose Yourself” (2002)
Produced for the soundtrack of "8 Mile," “Lose Yourself” became Eminem’s breakthrough hit and a massive international success, also marking musical history as the first rap song to ever win an Oscar award. The song was No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, holding the spot for 12 weeks during 2002.
“Stan,” ft. Dido (2000)
Though not as high on the charts as some of his other songs, "Stan," ranks amongst one of his most memorable and impacting songs, thanks in part to English singer Dido’s soulful lyrics and the dark, gripping narrative, where Eminem plays both a famous rapper and his obsessed fan, whose devotion to his idol ends tragically.
“Cleanin’ out my Closet” (2002)
Holding the #4 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, the song details Eminem’s painful childhood, laying bear the resentment and anger he felt towards his abusive mother, while also apologizing for all the hurt he feared he caused her.
“Love the Way You Lie” ft. Rihanna (2010)
Eminem’s second song to reach #1 at the Hot 100 was a heartfelt collaboration with superstar Rihanna on the subject of domestic violence; detailing what goes on between the abused and the abuser.
“The Real Slim Shady” (2000)
Witty, humorous and filled with pop culture reference, “The Real Slim Shady” serves as a summary of everything appealing about Eminem while managing to mark clever satire against ‘sanitized’ pop music. It became the first of Eminem’s songs to reach the Billboard’s Top 5.
“Without Me” (2002)
This hilarious riffing of rap drama uses its catchy flow to address rap controversy and pop culture in the scathing and no-hold-backs manner that Eminem so fearlessly captures.
“Mockingbird” (2004)
Written for his daughter, Eminem uses the familiar lullaby of "Hush Little Baby" to form a lament and apology to his little girl for not being the best father he could be, regretting all the time he was absent in her life as he incorporates home music videos into the song.
“When I’m Gone” (2005)
Fame has not been all good to Eminem, as he lays out how his family fell apart with the pressures of his career in "When I’m Gone," using his trademark honesty and heartfelt realism and refusing to hold anything back about his own mistakes.
“Not Afraid” (2010)
Eminem’s third song to reach the Hot 100’s #1 is a powerful ode to his battle against drug addiction and relapses, aiming to rise up against his issues.
“Sing for the Moment” (2003)
Taking a stand against the moral police over his controversial music, Eminem uses this song to defend himself and call out parents who prefer to blame ‘violent’ music for their children’s misbehavior rather than their own failures, expressing the raw honesty that made him so popular with them in the first place.
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