Officio Star Birthday : Eminem

 

    Eminem (b. Marshall Bruce Mathers III) is an American rapper, song-writer and record producer, credited for popularizing hip hop in Middle America and listed as one of the greatest rappers of all time. With sales of over 220 million records, he's regarded as one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He made his acting debut with 8 Mile (2002) and has amassed 10 US number-one albums in a consecutive run. 

   His debut studio album, Infinite, was released November 12, 1996 via WEB Entertainment. An 11-track set, Infinite had limited to no commercial success and became the inspiration to the development of the alter ego Slim Shady for the rapper. This would later be followed up by his second studio album and major label debut, The Slim Shady LP, released February 23, 1999, via Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The set debuted and peaked at No.2 on the Billboard 200 (behind TLC's FanMail) and went on to scoop a Grammy win for Best Rap Album in 2000. It features the singles "My Name Is" (Best Rap Solo Performance, Grammy Awards 2000, his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #36, while reaching No.2 in the UK, No.4 in Ireland, No.5 in Scotland, No.13 in Australia, and No.10 on the Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)). Other singles were; "Role Model" and "Guilty Conscience" (which peaked at No.5 in the UK and was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2000 Grammy Awards). Elsewhere the album peaked at No.9 in Canada, No. 10 on the UK Albums (OCC), and topping the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard). Prior to the album release, Eminem had released the Slim Shady EP in December 1997 with the single "Just Don't Give a Fuck". 

   The Marshall Mathers LP was released May 23, 2000, by Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records, with production majorly from Dr. Dre and Eminem. The album debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200 chart, holding the spot for eight consecutive weeks, while earning the rapper his first number-one record, selling 1.78 million copies in its first week. One of the best selling albums of all time, it has been certified 11 x Platinum in the US by the RIAA, won the Best Rap Album at the 2001 Grammy Awards while scoring one for Best Rap Solo Performance for the single "The Real Slim Shady" (his first song to reach number-one in the UK, while peaking at No.4 in the US, also reaching number-one in Ireland and Scotland). Other singles off the set were "The Way I Am" (#4 in Ireland, #8 in the UK, #7 in Scotland, and #58 in the US), "Stan" (No.1 in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and the UK, while reaching No.51 in the US), "I'm Back" and "Bitch Please II". The album was a global success peaking at the number-one spot in countries as Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, Greece, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK as well the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) chart. Billboard ranked the set at No.3 on the year-end list of 2000 as well as in the UK. 

   Eminem's fourth studio set, The Eminem Show, was released May 26, 2002, through Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. Dubbed as the rapper's most commercially successful album to date, the set was also the best selling album of the year 2022 both in the US and world-over (with sales of 27 million units), and second-best for a hip hop album in music history. At the 2003 Grammy Awards, it was awarded for Best Rap Album. The album debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200 chart (his second number-one entry), a spot it held for six non-consecutive weeks. The album was number-one in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, German, Greece, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Similarly, it topped the UK R&B Albums (OCC) and the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) charts. Billboard ranked it the number-one album at the end of the year 2002 and at No.14 in 2003. The lead single from the set "Without Me" peaked at number two on the Hot 100, while winning the Grammy for Best Music Video, all the while reaching No.1 in Australia, Germany, Ireland, Scotland and the UK. In the US, it was held off by Nelly's "Hot in Herre". Follow up singles were "Cleanin' Out My Closet" (AUS #3, IRE #3, NOR #4, SCO #5, UK #4, US #4), "Superman" (US #15), "Sing for the Moment" (AUS #5, CAN #2, IRE #3, SCO #5, UK #6, US #14), and "Business" (AUS #4, IRE #7, SCO #6, UK #6). 

   In 2002, he was featured on the 8 Mile: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture soundtrack from the film which he was a lead character and an executive producer for the album. Selling over 700k copies in the first week, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 list and featured the lead single Eminem's "Lose Yourself", a commercial success, reaching number-one on the US Hot 100 chart, staying atop for 12 consecutive weeks, his first #1 entry on the record chart, while leading charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the UK, among others. The song became the first hip hop song to take home the Academy Award for Best Original Song, while also scooping the Grammy Awards for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Solo Performance.

  Encore was released November 12, 2004, via Aftermath, Shady and Interscope Records.  The set was a number-one success in Australia, Canada, France, German, Ireland, the UK and the US, while also topping the UK R&B Albums (OCC), US Top Rap Albums (Billboard) and US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. It featured the UK number one singles "Just Lose It" and  "Like Toy Soldiers", along with the UK #4 peaking "Mockingbird". 

   Eminem's first greatest hits album, Curtain Call: The Hits, was released December 6, 2005, reaching number one on both the US Billboard 200 and the UK Albums charts. It spawned the singles "When I'm Gone" (US #8, AUS #1, SCO #3, IRE #5 and UK #4), and "Shake That" (US #6). Eminem Presents: The Re-Up, a compilation album was released December 4, 2006 through Shady Records, and it managed to debut at number two on the Billboard 200. 

   His sixth studio album, Relapse, was out May 15, 2009, a concept album, it debuted at No.1 in the US with 608k units for the first week. It was awarded a Grammy for Best Rap Album, while the track "Crack a Bottle" (with Dr. Dre & 50 Cent) won for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. The song peaked atop the Hot 100 chart, marking Eminem's second number-one in the US, a first for Dre and fourth for 50 Cent. It also peaked at #4 in the UK. Other singles from the album were "We Made You" (AUS #1, CAN #6, IRE #1, SCO #1, UK #4, US #9), "3 a.m." (US #32), and "Beautiful" (US #17). The latter got a Grammy nod for Best Rap Solo Performance in 2010. Elsewhere the album reached No.1 in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, as well as the UK. It ranked at No.9 at the year-end 2009 by Billboard. 

   Recovery was out June 18, 2010, a direct follow-up to Relapse, and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart with 741k copies first week, staying atop for seven non-consecutive weeks. It went number-one in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the UK. It spawned the single "Not Afraid", debuting at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 (the 16th song to do so), and marking Eminem's third number-one entry in the US. In 2011, the song was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Elsewhere the track reached No.4 in Australia, No.1 in Canada, No.3 in Ireland, No.4 in Scotland, and No.5 in the UK. The next single, "Love the Way You Lie" (feat. Rihanna) was yet another success, hitting #1 on the US Hot 100 chart for seven weeks, marking his fourth number-one entry, and Rihanna's 7th at the time. It became the rapper's best selling single and reached the top of the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, among others while peaking at No.2 in the UK and #3 in Scotland. It was the top-selling song at the end of the year 2010 in the UK and in Australia, while Billboard ranked it at No.7. The song was nominated for five Grammy Awards however none was awarded, including Record and Song of the Year. The other singles were "No Love" (with Lil Wayne) (US #23) and "Space Bound" (UK #34). Billboard ranked Recovery at No.2 on the 2010 year-end chart, behind Susan Boyle's I Dreamed A Dream. 

   The Marshall Mathers LP 2, was released November 5, 2013, also debuting at number-one on the Billboard 200 list, with more than 792k copies first week. The album was another success globally peaking atop the charts in the UK, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and Australia.  It won Eminem a record sixth Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 2015 Grammy Awards. It featured the singles "Berzerk" (US #3, UK #2), "Survival" (US #16, UK #22, AUS #18), "Rap God" (US #7, UK #5), "The Monster" (with Rihanna), reaching number one on the Hot 100, No.1 in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Scotland and the UK. The final single was "Headlights" (with Nate Ruess) (US #45). 

 Eminem was featured on the compilation by Shady Records, Shady XV, released November 24, 2014. The album peaked at No.3 in the US, while reaching No.1 in Canada, and No.5 on the UK Compilation Albums (OCC). It featured the UK #10 single "Guts Over Fear" (featuring Sia). In 2015, Eminem was featured on the Southpaw: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture soundtrack, which debuted at No.5 in the US.

   Revival (his 9th studio album) was released December 15, 2017. In the UK it was the Christmas number-one album of 2017. It became his eight consecutive number one entry on the Billboard 200 where it shot in at the top spot, while marking his 8th in the UK too. It was his 8th number-one score on the ARIA Albums chart. The album produces the singles "Walk on Water" (feat. Beyonce) (peaking at #14 on the Hot 100, No.10 in Australia, #22 in Canada, No.4 in Scotland, and No.7 in the UK), "River" (feat. Ed Sheeran) (peaked at #1 in the UK marking the rapper's ninth number-one score there and Ed's fifth at the time, while reaching #2 in Australia, and Ireland, No.3 in Canada and No.11 in the US), "Nowhere Fast" (feat. Kehlani) and "Remind Me". 

   His 10th studio album, Kamikaze, was released as a surprise album on August 31, 2018, and made it debut at number-one on the Billboard 200 with 434k units, marking the rapper's ninth #1 album in the US, while the singles  "Lucky You" and "The Ringer" peaked at No.6 and No.8 respectively on the Hot 100 chart. It became the rapper's ninth album to top the UK Albums chart where it set it atop. It was his 9th in Australia and 10th overall in Canada. It was the best selling hip hop album in the US in the year 2018. In 2018 he released "Killshot", which would peak at No.3 in the US

   Music to Be Murdered By was released January 17, 2020, with no prior announcement as the former record. It marked Eminem's 10th number-one album in the US, where it opened atop the Billboard 200 list. It spawned the singles "Darkness" (UK #17, US #28), "Godzilla" (with Juice Wrld), (marking Eminem's 10th number-one in the UK, while peaking at No.3 in Australia, Canada and the US), and "Those Kinda Nights" (with Ed Sheeran) (UK #12, US #31).

   Eminem's second greatest hits album, Curtain Call 2, was released August 5, 2022. It debuted at No.6 in the US, while reaching No.2 in Australia, No.3 in Canada, Scotland and the UK. 

As a featured artist, Eminem has had success with "Smack That" (with Akon) (UK #1, US #2), "Forever" (with Drake) (US #18), "I Need a Doctor" (with Dr. Dre) (US #4, UK #8), "Homicide" (with Logic) (US #5).