Whether he is loved, hated, or simply tolerated, there can be little doubt that Motorcity¹ rap-star Eminem -- variously known by his alter ego, Slim Shady, or by his given name, Marshall Mathers -- has made a mark on the music industry. A young white American male with a Detroit accent and displaying a f**k-the-world attitude, Mathers has no reservations when it comes to challenging authority and throwing the rules back in the appalled faces of the rule-makers, both in music and in life. Although some would contend that the two cannot be realistically compared, Mathers' impact leading up to and beginning the 21st century has been compared to that of Elvis Presley in the 1950s and 1960s.

Marshall Mathers

The phenomenon known to most of the world as Eminem was born Marshall Bruce Mathers the Third, on 17 October 1972². Marshall's father left his mother, Deborah Mathers Briggs, a few months after Marshall's birth.

Although he was born in Kansas city Missouri, Marshall and his family -- which included himself, his mother, and later, his younger half-brother Nate -- moved around a lot between Kansas city and the Detroit area. As a result of the multiple moves and the constant changing of schools, Marshall's social skills suffered, and he became a prime target for encounters with school bullies. Once, Marshall spent ten days in a hospital, comatose, after such an encounter.

The young Marshall found a good friend in Ronnie, Deborah's younger brother. Though Ronnie was Marshall's uncle, they were close in age, and Ronnie helped to foster the younger boy's interest in rap and freestyling, listening to NWA and 2Live Crew, as well as other favourites such as the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Run DMC and Ice-T. The two were very close, and Ronnie's suicide in 1993 was a devastating blow to the young rapper.

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