Eminem was born as Marshall Mathers, in a town named St. Joseph near Kansas City.  As a teenager he was really into rap music, and at the age of 14 he was initiated to the world of rap at school.  Eminem and his classmate did shows at school, and used stage names such as Manix and M&M (which later turned into Eminem).  Being white in a very black genre, Eminem had to work hard to compete with rappers at the underground clubs.

Eminem joined groups such as New Jacks, Soul Intent and         D-12.  The birth of his first child in 1995, slowed down his career for a few months.

In 1996, Eminem released his first album Infinite which got a good review from critics.  The Slim Shady perona was then created.  This same year, his personal life was in turmoil.  His mother was accused of abusing his younger brother physically and psychologically.  His girlfriend left him, and kept him from seeing his child.

These trying experiences made Eminem develop a lot of rage, that he expressed in his next album.  The Slim Shady EP was released in 1997.  The album was dark, even brutal.  Nonetheless, it was well-received by critics.  This same year the rapper participated in the Rap Olympics MC Battle competition in Los Angeles.  He finished in second place, and was discovered by Jimmy Iovine from Interscope Records.  Iovine had the legendary rapper and producer, Dr. Dre listen to  Eminem's music.  Dr. Dre was instantly impressed with Eminem's work, and in the first meeting, the two recorded, My Name Is.  It was then decided that Dr. Dre would produce Eminem's first album for Interscope Records.

The Slim Shady LP, produced by Dr. Dre was launched in 1999.  The first single was My Name Is.  Within one year, this album went triple platinum.  Quite rapidly, Eminem was gaining popularity as a rapper.  He won two Grammys, one for best rap album, one for best rap solo performance for My Name Is. 

The following year, Eminem released The Marshall Mathers LP. This album had instant success.  It sold two million copies within one week.  It became the fastest selling rap album in history.  Eminem won three Grammy awards for this album, one of which was for best album.

After many months of touring, Eminem took some time off  to do some work in movies.  This first acting experience was made easier since the movie was an autobiography of a white rapper.  In this movie 8 Mile (2002), directed by Curtis Hanson (Wonder Boys), and co-starring Kim Basinger, a white youth competes in a rap contest in black territory.  Eminem's work earned him an Oscar for Best Original Song, with the song Lose Yourself.

In 2002, Eminem released his third album, The Eminem Show produced by Dr. Dre.  With 80 minutes of music and 20 songs, this album wa a smash hit, and it won a Grammy for album of the year.

On December 8, 2003, the U.S. Secret Service announced that they were investigating statements made by Eminem in the song We As Americans.  Once again, the rapper found himself in a controversial situation.  He was labelled as a racist, but charges were not laid against him.

The fourth album, Encore, was released in 2004.  It shot up to number one on the charts.  He was honoured for his anti-Bush statements by his peers.  In the summer of 2005, Eminem went on tour with 50 Cent in what was described as the concert of the year.

In August 2005, the rapper was admitted to a rehabilitation clinic for an addiction to sleeping pills.

On January 14, 2006, Eminem got remarried with his former wife, Kim Mathers.  Only 82 days after getting married, the star was separated.  Mathers was demanding a large amount of alimony.  In December 2006, Eminem's divorce from Kim Mathers was made official.

Things did not get any easier in Eminem's life in the months that followed. His best friend and best man at his  wedding, rapper Proof, from the group D12, was murdered in a Detroit club. 

Last fall, Eminem verbally attacked singer Mariah Carey.  She strongly denied dating the rapper.  He also signed a contract with the Hollywood agency International Creative Management as a means of pursuing his acting career. He accepted a part in the movie Have Gun - Will Travel.  It is an adaptation of a western television series on CBS that started in the 1950s.  The rapper will play a hunter, Paladin.  The movie will be in theatres in 2008.