He’s been on the scene since 1992, and in those years, Eminem has made a huge name for himself. But is there more to this amazing hip-hop artist than meets the eye? Today, we are getting up close and personal with 20 things you don’t know about Eminem.
Eminem’s Unique Talent
20. Master of Rhymes
Eminem is so good with his lyrics that he’s proven there are several ways to rhyme with the word “orange.” He has a way of breaking down words that is very unique. Considering he studied a dictionary to advance his vocabulary, it’s not a reach to say that Eminem is a lyrical genius.
Eminem’s Tough Childhood
19. A Rough Start
Eminem had a very rough childhood. He grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood, which didn’t take kindly to the lone white kid. He was constantly picked on, and one time, when he was nine, he was so badly beaten that he ended up in a coma for a week.
Eminem’s Acting Skills
18. Hollywood Success
Eminem had not only impressed the music industry with his talent but also the movie industry. He had amazing acting skills in “8 Mile” and took home the Academy Award for the movie’s theme song. It was the first rap song ever to win an Oscar.
Eminem the Philanthropist
17. Giving Back
Many people don’t associate Eminem with being a philanthropist, but you may be surprised that he has established many foundations and charities. One of the dearest ones to him is the Marshall Mathers Foundation. The foundation is geared towards helping at-risk youth in his home state of Michigan.
Eminem’s Relationship with His Mom
16. Family Struggles
Everyone knows how strained the relationship was between Eminem and his mom, but many people don’t know what all she went through. She gave birth to Eminem when she was just 15 years old. The whole labor lasted 72 hours and almost claimed his mother’s life.
Eminem’s Record-Breaking Achievements
15. World Records
A lot of people know that Eminem has his fair share of awards, but you may be surprised to learn that he’s in the Guinness Book of World Records multiple times. The rapper earned the world record for most successive number one albums by a solo artist. He also earned the world record for the most words in a song for “Rap God.” The song is 6 minutes and 4 seconds long and has 1,560 words—that’s an average of 4.28 words per second.
Behind the Scenes of 8 Mile
14. Writing “Lose Yourself”
While he was on the set of “8 Mile,” Eminem wrote the lyrics to “Lose Yourself.” He would jot notes and lyrics down between takes, and when it came time to perform the song, he stunned cast and crew by nailing all three verses in one take.
Eminem’s Vocabulary
13. A Linguistic Genius
We already know that Slim Shady is a lyrical genius, but a study showed that he has the best vocabulary in the game. Out of 93 artists in over 25 genres, he was found to have the widest vocabulary with 8,818 unique words. He beat second place Jay-Z by nearly 2,000 words.
Early Career Struggles
12. Humble Beginnings
Slim didn’t sign his first record deal until 1992, and before then, things were tough. To make ends meet, he worked as a dishwasher and cook at a small family restaurant. He brought in a salary of $5.50 an hour, so you can say things are a bit easier for him now.
First Big Purchase
11. Fame and Privacy
When Eminem bought his first big house with his first big royalty check, he didn’t know how famous he was. The house was on a busy main street, and he had to deal with a lot of crazy fans. It got so bad that he couldn’t even go outside his own home. He ended up selling the house and buying a more private property with the money.
School Struggles
10. High School Dropout
It’s not an excuse to give up school and become a rapper, but Eminem was a high school dropout after failing the 9th grade three times. His mother was ready to kick him out. She told him to either quit school and help her pay the bills, or he wouldn’t be allowed to stay with her anymore. It was an easy decision, which means Eminem only made it to 9th grade.
Eminem’s Weird Addiction
9. Diet Coke Obsession
A lot of people have a weird addiction, and Eminem is no different. He’s obsessed with Diet Coke, but he’s very particular about it. He only likes Diet Coke from a fountain because he tries to avoid the aspartame and cancer worries from canned soda.
Legal Battles
8. School Lawsuit
In 1982, Eminem’s mom tried to sue his school after his bully, D’Angelo Bailey, put him in a coma. Later, Bailey tried to sue Eminem for $1 million after he released the single “Brain Damage.” Bailey was a subject of the song and claimed it ruined his reputation.
Musical Roots
7. Family Band
When it comes to being drawn to music, it runs in Eminem’s family. His mother and father were actually in a band together. It was called Daddy Warbucks. Eventually, his father left Eminem and his mother to pursue a career in California. Chances are, Em is having the last laugh.
Struggles with Addiction
6. Prescription Pills
While working on the set of “8 Mile,” Eminem was struggling to find time to sleep. This led him to taking prescription pills, which eventually led to a dangerous addiction. At the height of his addiction, he was consuming up to 60 Vicodin pills a day.
Getting Clean
5. Reaching Out to Elton John
After an overdose of methadone, Eminem decided enough was enough. When Eminem chose to get clean, one of the first people he called was Elton John. He says that Elton John has acted like a mentor and even calls once a week to check on him.
Grammy Awards
4. Grammy Winner
When it comes to being rewarded for your music, winning a Grammy is the highlight of anyone’s career. Not only has Eminem won a Grammy, but he’s won 15 in total. Pretty impressive for a scrawny kid from Detroit.
Celebrity Friendships
3. Jonah Hill
While on the set of “Funny People,” Eminem befriended Jonah Hill. He later admitted to Hill that “Superbad” was his favorite movie of all time. He even went as far as to quote all his favorite scenes to Hill while on set. Of course, Jonah Hill was in complete shock and stoked about it when he told the story to an MTV reporter.
House Rules
2. No Swearing at Home
It may be surprising that Eminem doesn’t allow any swearing in his home, considering the profanity in his music. It seems far-fetched, but he believes that it’s up to the parents to choose if a kid can listen to his songs. But for his kids, they are off limits in his house.
Avoiding Technology
1. No Computers
The chances of Slim ever reading this article are actually pretty slim themselves. The rapper despises computers because he doesn’t actually know how to use them. He’s also admitted that if he did figure out how to get online, he’d probably go crazy reading all the negative comments about himself, so he just stays away.