The Evolution of Eminem

Don't miss Eminem tonight!

Hi, Marshall - Eminem was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972, in Saint Joseph, Missouri. His father skipped out when he was 18 months old, and he was raised solely by his mother. They moved to Detroit when he was a teenager.  (Photo: WENN.com)
The Slim Shady EP  - Em began rhyming as a kid, and signed a production deal with the Bass Brothers in 1992. He slowly built a name for himself by tearing through the competition at area MC battles and releasing music independently. But 1997's much-bootlegged The Slim Shady EP was when it all came together. The album, which spread like wildfire through underground circles, introduced hip hop to Eminem's Slim Shady persona and his trademark style, featuring half-disturbing, half-hilarious references to drug abuse, violence, poverty, mental problems, baby-mama beef and inctricate, rapid-fire rhymes.  (Photo: Shady Records)
4. Eminem & Dr. Dre\r - The most commercially successful duo on this list. Dre's cosign and production work gave Em's intricate battle-tested stylings instant cred on both the corner and the airwaves; in turn, the Detroit MC gave Dre new energy and new relevance in the new millennium. Highlights: "My Name Is," "Kill You," "The Real Slim Shady"\r\r\r(Photo: Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect/Getty Images)
"My Name Is" - Em's 1999 debut single, "My Name Is," and its video were a shock to the system. The juxtaposition of the clip's off-the-wall visuals, Dr. Dre's new-millennium G-funk and a bleached-blond Em's twisted, irreverent humor was a left-field smash, and the archetype for Em's early 2000s sound. The single lifted Em's debut full-length, The Slim Shady LP, to triple-platinum status. All of the sudden Marshall Mathers was a star, and a lightning rod for critics from all corners.  (Photo: Interscope Records)The Marshall Mathers LP  - Em's 2000 sophomore set, The Marshall Mathers LP, put him on a whole other level. The album sold 1.76 million copies in its first week, breaking records set by Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle as the fastest-selling hip hop album and Britney Spears's Baby One More Time as the fastest-selling solo album in history. Packed with innovative, seminal songs like "Stan" and "The Way I Am," the album is widely regarded as Slim's best.  (Photo: Interscope Records)

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The Slim Shady EP - Em began rhyming as a kid, and signed a production deal with the Bass Brothers in 1992. He slowly built a name for himself by tearing through the competition at area MC battles and releasing music independently. But 1997's much-bootlegged The Slim Shady EP was when it all came together. The album, which spread like wildfire through underground circles, introduced hip hop to Em's Slim Shady persona and his trademark style, featuring half-disturbing, half-hilarious references to drug abuse, violence, poverty, mental problems, baby-mama beef and inctricate, rapid-fire rhymes. (Photo: Shady Records)

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