Marshall Bruce Mathers III, better known as Eminem or his alter ego: Slim-Shady, is the iconic rap/hip-hop artist who failed third year. times and left school to eat hamburgers at a family restaurant. Mathers does not consider himself stupid, but rather advises his many listeners not to follow his path. So how does a short-order cook become a multi-millionaire rapper? Eminem's early years, his path to fame, the subjects of his songs and his large number of fans make him one of the most recognized and respected artists in the hip-hop industry as well as the music industry in general. Mathers had a depressing life. and an abusive childhood, but miraculously, he himself sees it as an important factor in his path to fame. In the song "Never Enough (Featuring 50 Cent & Nate Dogg)" from his fifth studio album, he says that the way he grew up contributed to his love of music and his fame. "Believe it or not I thank my mother for the way she raised me, in the neighborhood every day they jumped on me and chased me, it only made me see what I am today” (Eminem, “Never Enough”). Mathers grew up rhyming together at age four and continued through middle school, becoming more and more serious about rapping as he got older. Fighting with his classmates at lunch made him happy when everything around him seemed to be falling apart. At the age of 17, he was so dedicated and determined to rap; he made his first stage name, becoming M&M, later spelled "Eminem" (Reece). However, despite his deep determination and efforts, he was often discriminated against and rejected by most rappers due to his race. This ignited a raging fire within him that still wreaks havoc in the form of words to this day. The prodigy himself narrates...... in the middle of paper......". Eminem may not be the world's parents' favorite celebrity, but his fans seem connected to him and to his spirit and they just love him In summary, Eminem is one of the best hip-hop/rap artists of all time He stands in the ranks alongside the infamous NWA and the famous Tupac. Mathers albums and singles bring him skyrocketing sales and numerous Grammys and other music awards Backed by one of his new songs in 2013, Eminem is truly a rap god Works Cited Contemporary Musicians. 53. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Biography in Context. November 21, 2013. Eminem. "The Eminem Show." LP2. Shady, Interscope, 2013. CD. Reece, Rod. “Eminem Biography.” Amazon.com.. 2013.