Fifty things to know about hip-hop superstar Eminem ahead of his Abu Dhabi F1 concert

From a love of comic books to owning a restaurant, Eminem’s career is a story for the ages

Eminem performs at the US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Texas in October. Photo: Mikala Compton-Imagn Images

Eminem could be coming to a city near you. Back with a new album and set to finish the year with his first tour through the Gulf – including shows in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh – rumours have been swirling of a worldwide run of stadium shows next year.

While many of us are familiar with superstar American rapper's catalogue of hits spanning 25 years, Eminem (real name Marshall Mathers) keenly guards his private life and keeps his exchanges with the media to a minimum.

With that in mind, here are 50 interesting facts about one of the most successful artists of his generation.

1. Eminem was not born in Detroit. While his music and profile are synonymous with the Motor City, he was actually born in the Midwestern state of Missouri. After his father reportedly abandoned the family, Eminem and his mother – whose death was announced this week – eventually settled in Detroit by the time he was seven.

2. Eminem's parents were in a band. Deborah Rae “Debbie” Nelson and Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr were in the rock group Daddy Warbucks and would play in hotels. His mother took him to some of his earliest concerts, including to see Talking Heads and Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks.

3. He heard his first hip-hop song when he was 12. It was Eminem's uncle Ronnie – an influential figure mentioned in the songs Stan and Cleanin' Out My Closet – who introduced him to hip-hop by playing the 1984 track Reckless by Ice-T.

4. Eminem was bullied in his early teens. He had to change schools frequently as a result. He detailed the physical and emotional trauma of these experiences throughout his career, including in the harrowing Brain Damage from 1999 debut album The Slim Shady LP and other hard-hitting tracks such as 2004's Evil Deeds and 2013's Legacy.

5. He is obsessed with comic books. Eminem’s love for the genre – as shown in music videos such as 2002’s Without Me (where he played Robin to Dr Dre’s Batman) and the comic book graphics used for the hit single Houdini – stems from his childhood. The rapper reportedly owns a large collection of rare comic books, including the original edition of Amazing Fantasy #15, marking the first appearance of Spider-Man.

6. He found his first stage name as a teenager. By the time he was 14 he was seriously considering a career as a rapper. He came up with a series of stage monikers derived from Marshall Mathers. These included M&M when he was 14 and MC Double M when forming his first group, the New Jacks, in 1988.

7. He made his first video appearance in 1992. This was for the song Do-Da Dipity by Detroit rapper Champtown. Eminem is featured three times in the background, either sporting a mohawk or wearing a black cap.

8. Eminem’s first album was a flop. Released in 1996, Infinite reportedly only sold around 1,000 copies. A reappraisal following Eminem's success received mixed reviews at best. Interestingly, the album features production credits by Mr Porter and Proof, both of whom went on to play major roles in his success.

9. He released the Slim Shady EP in 1997. Despite the disappointment of Infinite, Eminem persisted in refining his craft and took part in the Rap Olympics Battle in Los Angeles, where he came second. Capitalising on the street buzz, he recorded the Slim Shady EP, which, while only selling modestly, went on to change his life.

10. Dr Dre was impressed with Eminem’s talent. Not long after the release of the Slim Shady EP, word reached the hip-hop super-producer about the promising white rapper from Detroit. Getting his hand on an Eminem mixtape, he was blown away by the raw virtuosity on display. Dre signed the rapper to his fledgling Aftermath label in 1998.

11. The Slim Shady LP saved both Eminem's and Dr Dre's careers. As detailed in the documentary series The Defiant Ones, the rapper and producer needed a hit to revive their respective careers. The Slim Shady LP, released in 1999, did that and then some, selling more than five million copies in the US and establishing one of hip-hop's most successful and enduring partnerships.

12. The character Slim Shady is a form of stress relief for Eminem. First introduced on the EP, Eminem credits his alter ego with allowing him to vent his frustrations in a creative and darkly satirical way.

13. Eminem won his first Grammy Award in 2000. This was for Best Rap Solo Performance for My Name Is. He also picked up Best Rap Album for The Slim Shady LP. As well as thanking his daughter Hailie for “keeping him alive”, he used his acceptance speech to dismiss criticism of the album’s lyrics.

14. The Marshall Mathers LP established Eminem as a cultural force. Released in 2000, Eminem's third album not only became the fastest-selling hip-hop album at the time but was also hailed as a classic for its emotive lyricism and quality production. It featured chart-topping hits such as The Real Slim Shady and The Way I Am.

15. Eminem's Stan is now part of our pop culture. The title of the haunting track is now used to describe obsessive or overzealous fan behaviour.

16. Eminem bought his first mansion from the former chief executive of Walmart. The chart-topper purchased the sprawling, nearly six-acre Detroit mansion, once known as the K-Mart Mansion, for a reported $4.8 million in 2020. It features a tennis and basketball court, a swimming pool and cabana, a pond with fountains and a guesthouse.

17. Eminem had a feud with Christina Aguilera. In what remains one of the odder music feuds in modern pop music, they sparred with each other at the turn of the century. It began after Aguilera revealed Eminem's secret marriage to now ex-wife Kim Mathers, during her 1999 MTV special What a Girl Wants. Eminem responded by taking aim at Aguilera on the 2000 track Off the Wall before the duo patched things up at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.

18. Eminem and Will Smith are also not fond of each other. The antagonism began when Will Smith won the 1999 MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video for the song Miami, defeating Eminem's My Name Is. In what was viewed as a subtle dig at Eminem, Smith used his acceptance speech to extol his profanity-free lyrics. Eminem responded colourfully in the 2000 hit The Real Slim Shady and criticised Smith in a television interview for trying to curb the expression of fellow hip-hop artists.

19. Eminem pushes the barriers of taste with D12. He joined the sextet of Detroit rappers, formed by Proof and featuring Mr Porter, also known as the Dirty Dozen, to release the 2001 album Devil's Night. The work outraged some critics with its brawny and bawdy collection of tracks epitomised by the hit Fight Music.

20. Eminem is always writing. That’s the secret to his success, says producer and collaborator Rick Rubin. In a 2022 interview on the Joe Rogan Podcast, he explained how Eminem always keeps a book and pen by his side. “He is always writing, and he has plenty of notebooks,” Rubin said. “I asked him, ‘Are these all rhymes you'll use?' and he said, 'No, no, 99 per cent of what I write I'll never use. It's just to stay engaged in the process of writing and finding new ways to write so that when I need it, it just comes.'”

21. Eminem owned the music charts and movie box-office in 2002. Not only did he release the biggest selling album of the year with The Eminem Show but scored a box-office hit with his feature film debut 8 Mile.

22. The Eminem Show was named after the 1998 Jim Carrey film The Truman Show. Marking the album's 15th anniversary in 2017, Eminem shared how the blockbuster was inspired by the media coverage surrounding his career and tumultuous personal life. “The concept for The Eminem Show was inspired by The Truman Show because my life felt like it was becoming a circus around that time, and I felt like I was always being watched,” he posted on Instagram. “Basically, Jim Carrey wrote my album.”

23. Lose Yourself was completed on the film set of 8 Mile. Speaking to The National, co-producer Luis Resto recalled how the song was recorded in a makeshift studio, with Eminem leading the sessions. “I remember he kept saying how the song felt too rock 'n' roll, and he wanted us to really rebuild it and take it in a different direction,” he said. “This is where I got to use my orchestral chops and added piano, French horns, flutes, and strings.”

24. Curtis Hanson, the 8 Mile director, was impressed by Eminem's acting chops. “He’s an extraordinarily gifted artist,” Hanson told Rolling Stone in 2002. “If internet piracy kills the music business, Marshall Mathers need not worry. He’ll have another career.”

25. Lose Yourself is the first hip-hop song to win an Oscar. The track won for Best Original Song in 2003. Co-songwriter Resto picked up the trophy on Eminem's behalf.

26. Eminem is credited with discovering 50 Cent. Eminem signed 50 Cent to his label, Shady Records in 2002. Together with Dr Dre, Eminem executive-produced his brilliant debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. As part of its 20th anniversary tour last year, 50 Cent performed songs from the album – including the hit In da Club – at concerts in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.

27. Eminem's 2004 single Just Lose It elicited a furious response from Michael Jackson. In reaction to the music video lampooning his career, Jackson called into the radio programme The Steve Harvey Morning Show to express his displeasure with the rapper. “I feel that it is outrageous and disrespectful. It is one thing to spoof, but it is another to be demeaning and insensitive,” he said.

28. He released an anti-war song. Amid the second Iraq War in 2004, Eminem released Mosh, a song that directly criticised the US government’s policies surrounding the conflict, featuring lyrics such as “no more blood for oil”.

29. Eminem nearly died from an overdose caused by a prescription drug addiction. The 2007 incident was part of a spiralling health condition that forced him to take an almost five-year break from the music industry, which ended in 2009.

30. Eminem and Elton John are unlikely yet close friends. Since performing together at the 2001 Grammy Awards, both artists have expressed admiration for each other’s work. Eminem has credited John with supporting him during his health recovery.

31. Eminem loves Taco Bell. In a 2015 interview with First We Feast, rapper and collaborator Tony Yayo revealed that meals from the American fast food chain are always found backstage at Eminem concerts. “Every time we’re around Em and you’re backstage, there’s, like, Taco Bell everywhere,” he said. “Shout out to Taco Bell, but sometimes you want something a little different.”

32. He likes incorporating movie references into his songs. These include mentioning the horror classic A Nightmare on Elm Street in the 2009 track Underground, or naming songs after films, such as 2004's Rain Man and 2020's Godzilla. Other film references Eminem has used in tracks come from popular movies such as Anchorman, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Silence of the Lambs.

33. The 2009 album Relapse is considered a fan favourite. A document of his rehabilitation from drug abuse, Eminem’s sixth album received a lukewarm reception initially, but still featured the US chart-topping hit Crack a Bottle.

34. His comeback was complete with the monster single Love the Way You Lie. Released in 2010 from the Grammy Award-winning album Recovery, the hip-hop ballad remains Eminem’s biggest-selling single with more than 10 million copies sold, and was the UK's biggest-selling song of 2010.

35. Eminem finished 2010 as the highest-selling artist of the decade. The rapper sold 32 million copies of his releases, finishing ahead of The Beatles with 30 million combined sales.

36. Eminem was asked to star in the 2013 sci-fi film Elysium. In a 2013 interview, director Neill Blomkamp told Wired the rapper turned down the offer after the studio refused to film the movie in Detroit. Matt Damon ultimately took the lead role.

37. Eminem is a published author. In 2000, he released Angry Blonde, which provides commentary on individual songs. In 2008, he followed up with The Way I Am, a collection of personal reflections, handwritten lyrics and photographs from his childhood.

38. He is the first artist to surpass one billion views on YouTube. This occurred in 2011. The music video for Love The Way You Lie remains his most streamed song on the platform with more than 2.9 billion views.

39. He made his regional concert debut in Abu Dhabi. The 2012 show was part of the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix After-Race Concert series, where he played to a crowd of 20,000. As The National said in its review: “Eminem once again showed his deft command of both the hip-hop and pop worlds with a greatest hits set full of anthems but with enough space to display his gritty rap skills.”

40. Eminem has released two album sequels. The first is 2013’s The Marshall Mathers LP 2, followed by this year's The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace).

41. He is a Guinness World Record holder. The rapper holds the record for having the “most words in a hit single”. The accolade is attributed to the US number-one track Rap God, which features him rapping 1,567 words.

42. Eminem owns a satellite radio channel. Broadcast on the SiriusXM Radio network, his Shade 45 station is home to popular hip-hop programmes, including Sway in the Morning, and features live performances by established and up-and-coming artists. Eminem makes the occasional surprise appearance.

43. Eminem has contributed music to several films. In addition to releasing the 8 Mile soundtrack under his Shady Records label, he executive-produced the soundtrack to the 2015 boxing film Southpaw and contributed exclusive songs to films ranging from The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps to The Equalizer.

44. He finally made an Oscars appearance in 2020. Eminem surprised the audience with a seemingly impromptu rendition of Lose Yourself, 17 years after it won the Oscar for Best Original Song. “I kinda figured maybe since I didn’t get a chance to do it at the time, maybe it would be cool,” he explained to Variety. “Back then, I never even thought that I had a chance to win, and we had just performed Lose Yourself on the Grammys with The Roots a couple of weeks before the Oscars, so we didn’t think it was a good idea.”

45. He opened a restaurant in Detroit in 2021. Named after a line from Lose Yourself, the family-friendly venue called Mom's Spaghetti serves a small, focused menu featuring the popular pasta. Pop-up versions of the restaurant have appeared everywhere from Coachella to this year's Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix.

46. Eminem continues to top the charts. Released in July, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace) is marketed as the last to feature his notorious alter ego, Slim Shady. It topped the charts in several countries including the US, UK, Australia and Ireland.

47. He is set to become a grandfather. The emotional music video for Temporary, out in October and dedicated to his daughter Hailie, features home footage of her surprising Eminem with a jersey that reads “Grandpa”, along with a picture of her ultrasound.

48. Eminem is taking his first Gulf tour in 2024. The four-stop trek in December has him performing in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia for the first time, as well as his third show in Abu Dhabi as part of the Formula One Grand Prix.

49. The rapper had a tumultuous relationship with his mother Debbie. She died at the age of 69. He detailed their fraught relationship in the 2002 hit Cleanin' Out My Closet before later expressing remorse for the lyrics in the reflective 2013 track Headlights. Where he rapped: “I'm sorry, Mama, for Cleanin’ Out My Closet … At the time, I was angry. Rightfully? Maybe so. Never meant to take it that far, though.”

50. He is one of the best-selling artists of all time. Eminem has sold more than 220 million records worldwide.