Today (October 17) marks Eminem‘s 50th birthday. Since his emergence in the music scene in the mid-1990s, the Detroit MC has made an indelible mark in Hip Hop culture. Hate him or love him, you cannot deny the impact that Marshall Mathers had on the industry.
Here are some iconic moments that are worth noting!
Early in his career, Em was deemed to be homophobic due to dropping the F-bomb (the three-letter word, not the other one) in his lyrics. He struck back by performing his hit single, “Stan” at the 2001 Grammy Awards alongside Sir Elton, who, of course, is openly gay. They even embraced in a hug following the performance.
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Back in 2003, Em became the first rapper to win an Oscar, as “Lose Yourself” from his semi-autobiographical film 8 Mile won Best Original Song. While he didn’t accept the award in person (mostly because he didn’t even think he would win), he made up for it with a surprise performance at the 2020 Academy Awards, which ended in an overdue standing ovation.
3. The Video for "The Real Slim Shady"
Em has been known for throwing more than a few jabs at everyone, but nothing quite comes close to his epic video for “The Real Slim Shady,” from The Marshall Mathers EP. At the height of TRL’s popularity, Em held nothing back. One memorable pun was when he insinuated that pop princess Christina Aguilera may or may not have given “favors” to Carson Daly and Fred Durst from Limp Bizkit. (No worries, Em and Christina made up afterward.)
4. The 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show
Okay, we cannot have a story on Eminem’s iconic moments and NOT mention the Super Bowl. Em teamed up with his musical mentor Dr. Dre, along with Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, and Em’s protegé 50 Cent for one of the best halftime shows we have seen since Beyoncé. They even won an Emmy for it.
5. His Sobriety
Perhaps his biggest accomplishment, bigger than the awards, the performances, and his upcoming induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, would be the fact that he has been sober for over a decade. At the height of his fame, he was battling a dangerous addiction to alcohol, Ambien, Vicodin, and Valium. After a near-fatal overdose in 2007 and a few relapses, Em got clean on April 20, 2008. He’s been sober ever since.
