Singer eminem biography book
Eminem
American rapper (born )
"Marshall Mathers" redirects here. For other uses, see Marshall Mathers (disambiguation).
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, ), known professionally as Eminem (often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer.
He is credited with popularizing hip-hop in Middle America and is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time.[3] His success is considered to have broken racial barriers to the acceptance of white rappers in popular music. While much of his transgressive work during the late s and early s made him a controversial figure, he came to be a representation of popular angst of the American underclass and has been cited as influencing many musical artists.
His most successful songs on the U.S. Billboard Hot include "The Real Slim Shady", "Without Me", "Lose Yourself", "Not Afraid", "Love the Way You Lie", "The Monster", "Godzilla", and "Houdini".[4]
After the release of his debut album Infinite () and the extended playSlim Shady EP (), Eminem signed with Dr.
Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and subsequently achieved mainstream popularity in with The Slim Shady LP. His next two releases, The Marshall Mathers LP () and The Eminem Show (), were worldwide successes and nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, the latter becoming the best-selling album worldwide of After the release of his next album, Encore (), Eminem went on hiatus, largely due to a prescription drug addiction.[5] He returned to the music industry with the releases of Relapse () and Recovery (), the latter becoming the best-selling album worldwide of He then released the U.S.
number-one albums The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (), Revival (), Kamikaze (), Music to Be Murdered By (), and The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) ().
Eminem was also a member of the hip-hop groups New Jacks, Soul Intent, Outsidaz, and D12, and has collaborated with fellow Detroit-based rapper Royce da 5'9" as the duo Bad Meets Evil.
Eminem starred in the musical drama film8 Mile playing a dramatized version of himself. "Lose Yourself", a song from its soundtrack, topped the Billboard Hot for 12 weeks—the most for a solo rap song—and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, making him the first hip-hop artist ever to win the award.[6] He also co-founded Shady Records, which helped launch the careers of artists such as D12, 50 Cent, and Obie Trice, and established his own Sirius XM Radio channel, Shade
Eminem is among the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated worldwide sales of over million records.
He was the best-selling music artist in the United States for the s, placing third for the s. He was the first artist to have ten albums consecutively debut at number one on the Billboard chart,[7] and has had five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot [8]The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show, Curtain Call: The Hits (), "Lose Yourself", "Love the Way You Lie", and "Not Afraid" have all been certified Diamond or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[9] He has won numerous awards, including 15 Grammy Awards, eight American Music Awards, 17 Billboard Music Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and an MTV Europe Music Global Icon Award.
Billboard named him the "Artist of the Decade (–)", and Rolling Stone named him one of the " Greatest Artists of All Time" and " Greatest Songwriters of All Time".
Eminem biography Get it as soon as Saturday, Jan Videos by American Songwriter. Many other people also didn't like Eminem. There are many people who did not like Eminem at all.In , he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[10]
Early life
Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born on October 17, , in St. Joseph, Missouri, the only child of Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. and Deborah "Debbie" Nelson.[11][12]:17 His mother nearly died during her hour labor with him.[13]:1 Eminem's parents were in a band called Daddy Warbucks, playing in Ramada Inns along the Dakotas–Montana border before they separated.
His father abandoned his family when Eminem was a year and a half old, and Eminem was raised only by his mother, Debbie, in poverty.[11] He wrote letters to his father, but Debbie said that they all came back marked "return to sender".[14]
By the age of twelve, Eminem and his mother shuttled between states, rarely staying in one house for more than a year or two and mostly living with family members, moved several times and lived in St.
Joseph, Savannah, Missouri, Kansas City, Warren, Michigan and Roseville, Michigan[15] before settling in Detroit. For much of his youth, Eminem and his mother lived in a bungalow-style house in a working-class, primarily black, neighborhood in Detroit. He and Debbie were one of three white households on their block, and Eminem was beaten several times by black youths.[14] His mother had a son named Nathan "Nate" Kane Samara in with then boyfriend Fred Samara.[17][18][12] In , the State of Michigan demolished his childhood home after it was damaged by arson.[19][20]
Eminem frequently fought with his mother, whom a social worker described as having a "very suspicious, almost paranoid personality".[13]:3 When he was a child, a bully named D'Angelo Bailey severely injured Eminem's head in an assault,[21] an incident which Eminem later recounted (with comic exaggeration) on the song "Brain Damage".
Debbie filed a lawsuit against the public school for this in The suit was dismissed the following year by a Macomb County, Michigan, judge, who said the schools were immune from lawsuits.[13]:2
Eminem was interested in storytelling, aspiring to be a comic book artist before discovering hip-hop.[22] He heard his first rap song ("Reckless", featuring Ice-T) on the Breakin' soundtrack, a gift from Debbie's half-brother, Ronnie Polkingharn.
His uncle was close to the boy and later became a musical mentor to him.
Eminem biography book the way i am Really just Internet research put together. Eminem offers fans a visually-driven firsthand account of his rise to fame with his book, The Way I Am. October 17, At first this book talks about Eminem's childhood. I like this biography first of all because I'm a fan of Eminem but also because it shows a lot of details you probably wouldn't know if you didn't read the book.Following Polkingharn's suicide in , Eminem stopped speaking publicly for days and did not attend his funeral.[14][23]
At age 14, Eminem began rapping with high-school friend Mike Ruby; they adopted the names "Manix" and "M&M", the latter evolving into "Eminem".[23][13]:4 Eminem snuck into neighboring Osborn High School with friend and fellow rapper Proof for lunchroom freestyle rap battles.[24]: On Saturdays, they attended open mic contests at the Hip-Hop Shop on West 7 Mile Road, considered "ground zero" for the Detroit rap scene.[14] Struggling to succeed in a predominantly black industry, Eminem was appreciated by underground hip-hop audiences.[23][25][26] When he wrote verses, he wanted most of the words to rhyme; he wrote long words or phrases on paper and, underneath, worked on rhymes for each syllable.
Although the words often made little sense, the drill helped Eminem practice sounds and rhymes.[27]
In , Debbie allowed runaway Kimberly Anne "Kim" Scott to stay at their home. Several years later, Eminem began an on-and-off relationship with Scott.[13]:4 After spending three years in ninth grade due to truancy and poor grades,[28] year-old Eminem dropped out of Lincoln High School.
Although interested in English, Eminem never explored literature, preferring comic books, and he disliked math and social studies. He states that he later received a GED.[27] Eminem worked at several jobs to help his mother pay the bills, one of which was at Little Caesar's Pizza in Warren.[29] He later said she often threw him out of the house anyway, often after taking most of his paycheck.
When she left to play bingo, he would blast the stereo and write songs.[14]
Music career
– Early career, Infinite and family struggles
In , he went by the stage name MC Double M and formed his first group, New Jacks, and made a self-titled demo tape with DJ Butter Fingers.[1][30][31] In , they later joined Bassmint Productions who later changed their name to Soul Intent in with rapper Proof and other childhood friends.[32] They released a self-titled EP in featuring Proof.[23] Eminem also made his first music video appearance in in a song titled, "Do-Da-Dippity", by Champtown.
Later in , Eminem and Proof teamed up with four other rappers to form The Dirty Dozen (D12), who released The Underground E.P. in and their first album Devil's Night in [14] He was also affiliated with Newark's rap collective Outsidaz, collaborating with them on different projects.[33]
In , Eminem was signed to Jeff and Mark Bass' F.B.T.
Productions and in – recorded his debut album Infinite for their independent Web Entertainment label.[24]:15 The album was a commercial failure upon its release in [34] One lyrical subject of Infinite was his struggle to raise his newborn daughter, Hailie Jade Scott Mathers, on little money.
During this period, Eminem's rhyming style, primarily inspired by rappers Nas, Esham and AZ, lacked the comically violent slant for which he later became known.[24]:16 Detroit disc jockeys largely ignored Infinite and the feedback Eminem did receive ("Why don't you go into rock and roll?") led him to craft angrier, moodier tracks.[14]
At this time, Eminem and Kim Scott lived in a crime-ridden neighborhood where their house was robbed several times.[14] Eminem cooked and washed dishes for minimum wage at Gilbert's Lodge, a family-style restaurant in St.
Clair Shores.[24]:14 His former boss described him as becoming a model employee, as he worked 60 hours a week for six months after Hailie's birth.[13]:4 He was fired shortly before Christmas and later said, "It was, like, five days before Christmas, which is Hailie's birthday.
I had, like, forty dollars to get her something."[14] After the release of Infinite, his personal problems and substance abuse culminated in a suicide attempt.[23] By March , he was fired from Gilbert's Lodge for the last time and lived in his mother's mobile home with Kim and Hailie.[13]:4
– Introduction of Slim Shady, The Slim Shady LP and rise to success
Eminem attracted more attention when he developed Slim Shady, a sadistic, violent alter ego.
The character allowed him to express his anger with lyrics about drugs, rape and murder.[13]:4 In the spring of , he recorded his debut EP, the Slim Shady EP, which was released that winter by Web Entertainment.[14] The EP, with frequent references to drug use, sexual acts, mental instability and violence, also explored the more-serious themes of dealing with poverty and marital and family difficulties and revealed his direct, self-deprecating response to criticism.[23] Hip-hop magazine The Source featured Eminem in its "Unsigned Hype" column in March [24]:81
After he was fired from his job and evicted from his home, Eminem went to Los Angeles to compete in the Rap Olympics, a nationwide battle rap competition.
He placed second, losing to Project Blowed MC Otherwize.[35] An Interscope Records intern named Dean Geistlinger was in attendance and asked Eminem for a copy of the Slim Shady EP, which was then sent to company CEO Jimmy Iovine.[36] Iovine played the tape for record producer Dr.
Dre, founder of Aftermath Entertainment and founding member of hip-hop group N.W.A.
Singer eminem biography book Buy on Amazon. Search review text. His brand of brash yet infectious rap captivated and enraged listeners, unexpectedly launching him into stardom. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.Dre recalled, "In my entire career in the music industry, I have never found anything from a demo tape or a CD. When Jimmy played this, I said, 'Find him. Now.'" Dre would later state on the fourth and last episode of The Defiant Ones, "I was like: what the fuck!?, and who the fuck is that?" expressing his shock towards Mathers's rapping talent.
Although his associates criticized him for hiring a white rapper, Dre was confident in his decision: "I don't give a fuck if you're purple; if you can kick it, I'm working with you."[14] Eminem had idolized Dre since listening to N.W.A as a teenager and was nervous about working with him on an album: "I didn't want to be starstruck or kiss his ass too much I'm just a little white boy from Detroit.
I had never seen stars let alone Dr. Dre."[24]:24 He became more comfortable working with Dre after a series of productive recording sessions.[37] On March 9, , Eminem got signed to Aftermath and Interscope.[38]
Eminem released The Slim Shady LP in February Although it was one of the year's most popular albums (certified triple platinum by the end of the year),[39] he was accused of imitating the style and subject matter of underground rapper Cage (who he references in the album's song "Role Model").[40][41] The album's popularity was accompanied by controversy over its lyrics; in "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" Eminem describes a trip with his infant daughter when he disposes of his wife's body and in "Guilty Conscience" which encourages a man to murder his wife and her lover.
"Guilty Conscience" marked the beginning of a friendship and musical bond between Dr. Dre and Eminem. The label-mates later collaborated on a number of hit songs ("Forgot About Dre" and "What's the Difference" while also providing uncredited vocals on "The Watcher" from Dr. Dre's album , "Bitch Please II" from The Marshall Mathers LP, "Say What You Say" from The Eminem Show, "Encore/Curtains Down" from Encore and "Old Time's Sake" and "Crack a Bottle" from Relapse) and Dre made at least one guest appearance on each of Eminem's Aftermath albums.[42]The Slim Shady LP has been certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA.[43]
– The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show
After Eminem released The Slim Shady LP, he started his own record label, Shady Records, in late Eminem looked for an avenue to release D12, and his manager Paul Rosenberg was keen to start a label, which led to the two teaming up to form Shady.[44] Its A&R Marc Labelle has defined the record label as "a boutique label but [with] all the outlets of a major [and] Interscope backing up our every move."[45]
Recorded from to ,[46]The Marshall Mathers LP was released in May It sold million copies in its first week, breaking U.S.
records held by Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle for fastest-selling hip-hop album and Britney Spears' Baby One More Time for fastest-selling solo album.[47][48] The first single from the album, "The Real Slim Shady", was a success despite controversies about Eminem's insults and dubious claims about celebrities (for example, that Christina Aguilera had performed oral sex on Carson Daly and Fred Durst).[24]:60 In his second single, "The Way I Am", he reveals the pressure from his record company to top "My Name Is".
Although Eminem parodied shock rocker Marilyn Manson in the music video for "My Name Is", they are reportedly on good terms; Manson is mentioned in "The Way I Am", appeared in its music video and has performed a live remix of the song with Eminem.[49] In the third single, "Stan" (which samples Dido's "Thank You"), Eminem tries to deal with his new fame, assuming the persona of a deranged fan who kills himself and his pregnant girlfriend (mirroring "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" from The Slim Shady LP).[25]
The music magazine Q called "Stan" the third-greatest rap song ever,[50] and it was ranked tenth in a survey.[51] The song has since been ranked th on Rolling Stone's " Greatest Songs of All Time" list.[52] In July , Eminem was the first white artist to appear on the cover of The Source.[24]:81The Marshall Mathers LP was certified Diamond by the RIAA in March and sold 21million copies worldwide.[53]
In , Eminem also appeared in the Up in Smoke Tour with rappers Dr.
Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, and Ice Cube[54] and the Family Values Tour with Limp Bizkit,[24]:70 headlining the Anger Management Tour with Papa Roach, Ludacris, and Xzibit. Eminem performed with Elton John at the 43rd Grammy Awards ceremony in ,[55] with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD, an organization which considered Eminem's lyrics homophobic) condemning John's decision to perform with Eminem.[56]Entertainment Weekly placed the appearance on its end-of-decade "best-of" list: "It was the hug heard 'round the world.
Eminem, under fire for homophobic lyrics, shared the stage with a gay icon for a performance of 'Stan' that would have been memorable in any context."[57] On February 21, the day of the awards ceremony, GLAAD held a protest outside the Staples Center (the ceremony's venue).[58] Eminem was also the only guest artist to appear on fellow rapper Jay-Z's critically acclaimed album The Blueprint, producing and rapping on the song "Renegade".[59]
The Eminem Show was released in May It was another success, reaching number one on the charts and selling over million copies during its first full week.[39] The album's single, "Without Me", denigrates boy bands, Limp Bizkit, Dick and Lynne Cheney, Moby and others.
The Eminem Show, certified Diamond by the RIAA, examines the effects of Eminem's rise to fame, his relationship with his wife and daughter and his status in the hip-hop community, addressing an assault charge brought by a bouncer he saw kissing his wife in Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic found The Eminem Show less inflammatory than The Marshall Mathers LP.[60]L.
Brent Bozell III, who had criticized The Marshall Mathers LP for misogynistic lyrics, noted The Eminem Show's extensive use of obscenity and called Eminem "Eminef" for the prevalence of the word "motherfucker" on the album.[61]The Eminem Show sold 27million copies worldwide[53] and was the bestselling album of [62]
– Production work, Encore and musical hiatus
In , Eminem, a lifelong fan of Tupac,[63] provided production work for three tracks on the Tupac Resurrection soundtrack.[64] He would follow this up the next year by producing 12 of the 16 tracks on Tupac's Loyal to the Game album.[64] On December 8, , the United States Secret Service said that it was "looking into" allegations that Eminem had threatened the President of the United States.[65] The cause for concern was the lyrics of "We As Americans" ("Fuck money / I don't rap for dead presidents / I'd rather see the president dead / It's never been said, but I set precedents"), which was later released on a bonus CD with the deluxe edition of Encore.[66]
Encore, released in , was another success, but not as successful as his previous albums.
Its sales were partially driven by the first single, "Just Lose It", which contained slurs directed toward Michael Jackson. On October 12, , a week after the release of "Just Lose It", Jackson phoned Steve Harvey's radio show, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, to report his displeasure with its video (which parodies Jackson's child molestation trial, plastic surgery and the incident when Jackson's hair caught fire during the filming of a commercial).
In the song, Eminem says, "That's not a stab at Michael / That's just a metaphor / I'm just psycho." Many of Jackson's friends and supporters spoke out against the video, including Stevie Wonder, who described it as "kicking a man while he's down" and "bullshit",[67] and Steve Harvey (who said, "Eminem has lost his ghetto pass. We want the pass back").[67] The video also parodied Pee-wee Herman, MC Hammer and Madonna during her Blond Ambition period.[68]"Weird Al" Yankovic, who parodied the Eminem song "Lose Yourself" on "Couch Potato" for his album Poodle Hat, told the Chicago Sun-Times about Jackson's protest: "Last year, Eminem forced me to halt production on the video for my 'Lose Yourself' parody because he somehow thought that it would be harmful to his image or career.
So the irony of this situation with Michael is not lost on me."[69] Although Black Entertainment Television stopped playing the video, MTV announced that it would continue to air it. The Source, through CEO Raymond "Benzino" Scott, called for the video to be pulled, the song removed from the album and Eminem to apologize publicly to Jackson.[70] In , Jackson and Sony bought Famous Music from Viacom, giving him the rights to songs by Eminem, Shakira, Beck and others.[71]
Despite its lead single's humorous theme, Encore explored serious subject matter with the anti-war song "Mosh", which criticized President George W.
Bush as "This weapon of mass destruction that we call our president", with lyrics including "Fuck Bush."[72] On October 25, , a week before the U.S. Presidential election, Eminem released the video for "Mosh" on the Internet.[73] In it, Eminem gathers an army (including rapper Lloyd Banks) of Bush-administration victims and leads them to the White House.
When they break in, it is learned that they are there to register to vote; the video ends with "VOTE Tuesday November 2." After Bush's reelection, the video's ending was changed to Eminem and the protesters invading the White House during a speech by the president.[74] Also in Eminem launched a satellite music channel, Shade 45, on Sirius radio,[75] which was described by his manager as "essentially a destination to get and hear things that other people aren't playing."[76]
Eminem began his first U.S.
concert tour in three years in the summer of with the Anger Management 3 Tour, featuring 50 Cent, G-Unit, Lil Jon, D12, Obie Trice and the Alchemist, but in August, Eminem canceled the European leg of the tour, later announcing that he had entered drug rehabilitation for treatment of a "dependency on sleep medication".[77] Meanwhile, industry insiders speculated that Eminem was considering retirement, while rumors circulated that a double album titled The Funeral would be released.[78] In July, the Detroit Free Press reported a possible final bow for Eminem as a solo performer, quoting members of his inner circle as saying that he would embrace the roles of producer and label executive.[79] A greatest hits album, Curtain Call: The Hits, was released on December 6, , by Aftermath Entertainment,[80] and sold nearly , copies in the U.S.
in its first week, marking Eminem's fourth consecutive number-one album on the Billboard Hot ,[81] and was certified double platinum by the RIAA.[82] However, Eminem suggested that month on WKQI's "Mojo in the Morning" show that he would be taking a break as an artist: "I'm at a point in my life right now where I feel like I don't know where my career is going This is the reason that we called it 'Curtain Call' because this could be the final thing.
Amazon.com: The Way I Am: 9780452296121: Eminem: Books: Search review text. From his humble beginnings in Detroit to becoming an international sensation, Eminem has not only redefined what it means to be a rapper but has also played a crucial role in the evolution of hip-hop as a global cultural force. People who are interested in singers might like this book because it can show them that Eminem is a good singer and the fastest rapper in the world. It delves into his rise from the underground rap scene to mainstream superstardom, propelled by his bold, controversial, and raw lyrical content.
We don't know."[83]
In April , Proof, who was Eminem's childhood friend, was murdered.[85] Eight months later, on December 5, Eminem released a compilation album titled Eminem Presents: The Re-Up that featured Proof and other Shady Records artists.[86]
– Comeback and Relapse
In September , Eminem called New York radio station WQHT during an interview with 50 Cent, saying that he was "in limbo" and "debating" about when (or if) he would release another album: "I'm always working—I'm always in the studio.
It feels good right now, the energy of the label. For a while, I didn't want to go back to the studio I went through some personal things. I'm coming out of those personal things [and] it feels good."[87]
Eminem appeared on his Shade 45 Sirius channel in September , saying: "Right now I'm kinda just concentrating on my own stuff, for right now and just banging out tracks and producing a lot of stuff.
You know, the more I keep producing the better it seems like I get 'cause I just start knowing stuff."[88] Interscope confirmed that a new album[89] would be released in spring [90] In December , Eminem provided more details about the album, entitled Relapse: "Me and Dre are back in the lab like the old days, man.
Eminem book Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. Ollie, Ned B. Read more about this author Read less about this author. Books by United Library are perfect for you to read about all of your favorite topics.Dre will end up producing the majority of the tracks on 'Relapse'. We are up to our old mischievous ways let's just leave it at that."[91]
According to a March 5, , press release, Eminem would release two new albums that year. Relapse, the first, was released on May 19; its first single and music video, "We Made You", had been released on April 7.[92] Although Relapse did not sell as well as Eminem's previous albums and received mixed reviews, it was a commercial success and re-established his presence in the hip-hop world.
It sold more than fivemillion copies worldwide.[93] On October 30, he headlined at the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans, his first full performance of the year.[94] Eminem's act included several songs from Relapse, many of his older hits and an appearance by D On November 19, he announced on his website that Relapse: Refill would be released on December The album was a re-release of Relapse with seven bonus tracks, including "Forever" and "Taking My Ball".
Eminem described the CD:
I want to deliver more material for the fans this year like I originally planned Hopefully, these tracks on The Refill will tide the fans over until we put out Relapse 2 next year I got back in with Dre and then a few more producers, including Just Blaze, and went in a completely different direction which made me start from scratch.
The new tracks started to sound very different than the tracks I originally intended to be on Relapse 2, but I still want the other stuff to be heard.[95]
– Recovery and Bad Meets Evil reunion
On April 14, , Eminem tweeted: "There is no Relapse 2".
Although his followers thought he was not releasing an album, he had changed its title to Recovery and confirmed this by tweeting "Recovery" with a link to his website. He said:
I had originally planned for Relapse 2 to come out last year. But as I kept recording and working with new producers, the idea of a sequel to Relapse started to make less and less sense to me, and I wanted to make a completely new album.
The music on Recovery came out very different from Relapse, and I think it deserves its own title.[96]
Recorded from to , Recovery was released on June [96] In the U.S., Recovery sold , copies during its first week, topping the Billboard chart.[97][98] Eminem's sixth consecutive U.S.
number-one album also topped the charts in several other countries. Recovery remained atop the Billboard chart for five consecutive weeks of a seven-week total.[99]
Billboard reported that it was the bestselling album of , making Eminem the first artist in Nielsen SoundScan history with two year-end bestselling albums.[]Recovery is the bestselling digital album in history.[] Its first single, "Not Afraid", was released on April 29 and debuted atop the Billboard Hot ; its music video was released on June 4.[] "Not Afraid" was followed by "Love the Way You Lie", which debuted at number two before rising to the top.[] Although "Love the Way You Lie" was the bestselling single in the United Kingdom, it did not reach number one (the first time this has happened in the UK since ).[] Despite criticism of its inconsistency, Recovery received positive reviews from most critics.
As of November21, [update], the album had U.S. sales of threemillion copies.[]Recovery was the bestselling album worldwide in , joining 's bestseller The Eminem Show to give Eminem two worldwide year-end number-one albums.[] With Recovery, Eminem broke the record for the most successive U.S.
number-one albums by a solo artist.[]
He appeared at the BET Awards,[] performing "Not Afraid" and "Airplanes, Part II" with B.o.B and Keyshia Cole. Later that year, he performed at the Activison E3 concert. In June, Eminem and Jay-Z announced they would perform together in Detroit and New York City, at concerts called The Home & Home Tour.
The first two concerts quickly sold out, prompting an additional show in each city.[]BET called Eminem the number-one rapper of the 21st century.[] He opened the MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, performing "Not Afraid" and "Love the Way You Lie" with Rihanna singing the choruses.[] Due to the success of Recovery and the Home & Home Tour, Eminem was named the Hottest MC in the Game by MTV[] and Emcee of the Year by the online magazine HipHopDX.[] He and Rihanna again collaborated on "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)", the sequel of their hit single.
Unlike the original, Rihanna is the lead vocalist and it is sung from the female perspective.[] In December , the "Great Eminem Recovery" was number one on Billboard's Top 25 Music Moments of [] He appeared at the Grammy Awards on February 13, performing "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)" with Rihanna and Adam Levine and "I Need a Doctor" with Dr.
Dre and Skylar Grey.[] That month it was announced that "Space Bound" would be the fourth single from Recovery, with a music video featuring former porn actress Sasha Grey;[][] the video was released June 24 on the iTunes Store.[]
In , Eminem again began collaborating with Royce da 5'9" on their first EP as Bad Meets Evil; the duo formed in The EP, Hell: The Sequel, was released on June 14, [] Eminem was featured on Royce da 5'9"'s "Writer's Block", released on April 8, [] On May 3 they released the lead single "Fast Lane" from their upcoming EP and a music video was filmed.[] In March , within days of each other, The Eminem Show and The Marshall Mathers LP were certified diamond by the RIAA; Eminem is the only rapper with two diamond-certified albums.[] With more than 60million "likes" he was the most-followed person on Facebook, outscoring Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Michael Jackson.[] Eminem was the first artist in five years with two number-one albums (Recovery and Hell: The Sequel) in a month period.[] Early in he leaked " Boys", on which Yelawolf and Slaughterhouse collaborated when they signed with Shady Records in January and performed it in April.[] Bad Meets Evil released their next single, "Lighters", on July 6 and its music video in late August.[] On August 6, Eminem performed several songs from throughout his career at Lollapalooza with the artists who had been featured on each song.[]
– The Marshall Mathers LP 2
Eminem announced on May 24, , that he was working on his next album,[] scheduled for release the following year.[] Without a title or release date, it was included on a number of "Most Anticipated Albums of " lists (including MTV); Complex ranked it sixth and XXL fifth.[]
On August 14, "Survival", featuring Liz Rodrigues and produced by DJ Khalil, premiered in the multi-player trailer for the video game Call of Duty: Ghosts.
According to a press release, the first single from Eminem's eighth album would be released soon.[][] During the MTV Video Music Awards, it was announced that the album would be entitled The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (following The Marshall Mathers LP) and was scheduled for release on November 5.[] Its lead single, "Berzerk", was released on August 25 and debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot chart.
Three more singles followed: "Survival" (appearing on the Call of Duty: Ghosts trailer),[] "Rap God" and "The Monster" (with Rihanna).
The album was released on November 5, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records and Interscope Records. Its standard version had 16 tracks and the deluxe version included a second disc with five additional tracks.
The Marshall Mathers LP 2 was Eminem's seventh album to debut atop the Billboard and had the year's second-largest first-week sales.[][] He was the first artist since the Beatles to have four singles in the top 20 of the Billboard Hot [][][] In the United Kingdom, The Marshall Mathers LP 2 debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
The first American artist with seven consecutive UK number-one albums, he is tied with the Beatles for second place for the most consecutive chart-topping UK albums.[][][] The album secured Eminem's position as Canada's bestselling artist and was 's bestselling album.[]
On November 3, Eminem was named the first YouTube Music Awards Artist of the Year,[] and a week later he received the Global Icon Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards.[] On June 10, it was announced that Eminem was the first artist to receive two digital diamond certifications—sales and streams of 10million and above—by the RIAA (for "Not Afraid" and "Love the Way You Lie").[] On July 11 and 12, Eminem played two concerts in Wembley Stadium.[] At the 57th Grammy Awards, he received Best Rap Album award for The Marshall Mathers LP 2 and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (with Rihanna) for "The Monster".[][][]
– Shady XV and Southpaw
In the summer of , Eminem and Rosenberg began using the hashtag #SHADYXV on social networking sites and Eminem wore a T-shirt with the hashtag onstage.[] This was later revealed to be the name of an upcoming Shady Records compilation.[] Shortly afterwards the first single from the album ("Guts Over Fear", featuring singer-songwriter Sia)[] was released and the album's track list was released on October