Eminem (born, Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972
in Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA), is one of today's most controversial
and popular rappers. He currently lives in Clinton Charter Township,
Michigan in the outskirts of Detroit.
Brought to fame by rapper and producer Dr. Dre, Eminem is perhaps
best known for being one of the most successful rappers in the
industry. He is noted for his ability to change his own verbal
pace ("flow") and style multiple times within one song
without losing the beat.
He is also infamous for the controversy surrounding many of
his lyrics. Critics have accused him of being homophobic, misogynistic
and excessively violent, though his actions (such as support for
the Humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
and Boys and Girls Club, and performing with artist Elton John)
may suggest otherwise.
In the song "Mosh", Eminem speaks out against the
Iraq conflict, violence and President of the United States George
W. Bush. Eminem also speaks out against violence amongst rappers
with his remake of Toy Soldiers, and he supports the Leary Fire
Fighters Foundation.
Although Eminem does not consider himself a militant or political
artist he did have his own Hip Hop Political Convention in response
to the national political conventions held in 2004. Eminem's protégé,
50 Cent, reached superstardom in 2003.
