History Music / Eminem

Between 1999 and 2002, Em released three albums -- ''Music/TheSlimShadyLP'', ''Music/TheMarshallMathersLP'' and ''Music/TheEminemShow'' -- that would elevate him from a small-scale sensation to a household name, breaking barriers for the acceptance of white rappers on a mainstream level along the way. While his RagsToRiches story and crass persona made him an icon of the American underclass and counterculture, his status as a second-nature provocateur also made him one of the most consistently controversial artists of his day. The routine accusations of things such as misogyny and homophobia surrounding his lyrics generated a wave of [[MediaScaremongering moral panic]] among parents and {{Media Watchdog}}s alike, which [[StreisandEffect only increased their impact on pop culture]] and [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity made for a good excuse for him to continue writing such songs]].

In late October 2017, after two freestyles ("Campaign Speech" and "The Storm"), an ad campaign for a fake drug called "Revival" began being spread by affiliates of Interscope Records. Considering a number of clues, including the fact that its logo contained Em's trademark reversed E, many speculated this to be the name of his upcoming album. Eventually, after a single release and a widely speculated but ultimately false release date, Dr. Dre posted a video on his Instagram that officially announced that "Revival" [[IKnewIt was indeed the name of Em's new album]], released on December 15 to...[[ContestedSequel mixed reactions]].

* OlderThanHeLooks: Zig-zagged. He was in his mid-to-late 20s when he first became famous, and pretty much looked his actual age then, or at least close, but aged very little by the ''Re-Up'' era circa 2006, when he still appeared to be in his 20s at age 33-34. Then, he made a disappearance from the public eye for over three years, during which his drug addiction and stress spiraled out of control, and upon his return in late 2009, he looked much older, having lost a significant amount of weight and appearing much more hardened and gaunt due to his drug use. By the ''[=MMLP2=]'' era, his age began to catch up with him more, but began to regress again circa ''Revival''. Today, he's pushing 50 but looks to be around his early 40s.

During this period around his teenage years, Mathers discovered a love of rap and would practice it as often as he could, his iconic {{stage name|s}} a copyright-friendly evolution of the first name he rapped under (M&M). His early raps were heavily influenced by the popular GangstaRap of the day, and being [[TokenWhite white]], he was often mocked for even trying, not to mention physically assaulted and shot at. His first studio album, ''Infinite'', was released in 1996 and underperformed critically and commercially; underground rappers and critics alike felt it was a bad imitation of the likes of Music/{{Nas}} or AZ.

** "Berzerk" is partially an homage to the Music/BeastieBoys' style of rap, even using samples from them. The rest is a GenreThrowback to all sorts of 90s-style rap, ranging from NWA to Public Enemy.

* StealthInsult: The cover art of ''Kamikaze'' is a direct homage to Music/LicensedToIll... or, as the Music/BeastieBoys originally wanted to call it, ''Don't Be a Faggot''.

+Proof, Royce da 5'9", Redman, Masta Ace, Music/BeastieBoys, Music/EricBAndRakim, Music/{{Esham}}, Kool G Rap, Music/IceT, Music/LLCoolJ, Music/{{NWA}}, Music/RunDMC, Music/SlickRick, Music/EazyE, Big Daddy Kane, Music/TupacShakur, Music/TheNotoriousBIG, Music/InsaneClownPosse, Canibus, Music/SnoopDogg, Music/KidRock, Music/LilWayne, Music/{{Drake}}, Hollow Da Don, Dizaster, Music/{{Nas}}, AZ, Music/{{Queen|Band}}, Music/{{Prince}}, Music/MichaelJackson, Music/FleetwoodMac, Music/TalkingHeads, Music/MaxMartin, Skylar Grey, and the over 100 rappers he named in his UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame induction speech

** One rather infamous example is the censoring of a certain line from "I'm Back" in the Marshall Mathers LP, where Eminem raps; "I Take seven kids from UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} stand 'em all in line, add an AK-47 a revolver, a nine, a Mac-11 and that oughta solve this problem of mine, and that's a whole school of bullies shot up all at one time". An uncensored version is completely unavailable, "Kids" and "Columbine" are edited out even in the explicit version. However, 13 years later he repeats the line on "Rap God" from the [=MMLP2=], and gets away with it this time.

* WouldHurtAChild: The story told in "'97 Bonnie and Clyde" and its prequel "Kim" has Eminem not only killing Kim and her new husband... but their four-year-old son as well. The line "There's a four-year-old boy laying dead with a slit throat, in your living room!" in "Kim" was censored on the official release.

Around the time of recording ''The Eminem Show'', Em starred in ''Film/EightMile'', a semi-autobiographical account of the struggles he faced while forging his rap career, also producing its soundtrack. While he hasn't done much acting since, the film led to him winning an UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestOriginalSong for the song "Lose Yourself", the first time the award has ever gone to a rap song. (He didn't go to the ceremony, [[http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,625790,00.html preferring to sleep instead]].)

* CuteButCacophonic: Take a look at his pinup photos from the TurnOfTheMillennium, with his pouty lips and long eyelashes, and you might assume he'd sing BoyBand-ish R&B. Instead he sounds (variously) like a [[NerdyNasalness evil cartoon nerd with a peg on his nose]], [[MetalScream a screaming 70s stadium-rocker punk]] or somehow a GutturalGrowler ''and'' nasal/obnoxious at the same time. His singing voice can be fairly pleasant (so long as he's not using his highest register, which is a punishing shriek) but his pitching is often flat. And all this is before you get into the ''content'' of his lyrics, which are usually nauseating and offensive.

%%* ArtisticLicenseLaw: In "Without Me" he raps about being censored on MTV by saying "So the FCC won't let me be/or let me be me..." The FCC has no authority over cable channels, they are self-regulating.
%%Not actually an example! It's in reference to the FCC fining a Colorado radio station for playing the Clean version of "The Real Slim Shady", which led to an industry group headed by Russell Simmons fighting to overturn the ban. See: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/fcc-drops-fine-over-eminem-song-185647/

* CallingTheOldManOut: A popular topic in Eminem's early days was calling out his mother for being an {{Abusive Parent|s}}. "Cleanin' Out My Closet" in particular is all about this, in which Eminem says his mother [[MunchausenSyndrome had Munchausen by Proxy]], intentionally making him sick to gain sympathy. Em also calls out his mother for trying to get back in his good graces only when it became convenient for her to do so, and ends the song before the final chorus by saying that [[DisownedParent she's dead to him]].

%%* DareToBeBadass: "Lose Yourself".

* TakeThat: To just about everyone, [[SelfDeprecation including himself]].
** TakeThatAudience: The "public service announcement" at the beginning of ''The Marshall Mathers LP'' proudly informs listeners that "by purchasing this album, you have just kissed [Eminem's] ass."
*** Occasionally he'll refer to the people that grew up listening to his music as retards, most recently censored out of ''Venom''.
*** Eminem's new song in late 2020 "Tone Deaf" is dedicated to his detractors who aim to ruin him, most are from young generation and not familiar with hip hop culture.
----> "Bitch, I can make an orange rhyme with banana, oranana\\

* BookEnds: The music video for "Cleanin' Out My Closet" begins with an opening door and ends with a closing door.

* [[CallingTheOldManOut Calling the Old Woman Out]]: A popular topic, but "Cleanin' Out My Closet" in particular.

* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: In the video for "Cleanin' Out My Closet", Em's parents never show their faces to the camera.