Eminem (born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972) is an
American rapper, one of today's most popular and controversial
rappers, and a Grammy and Oscar-winner. He is of mostly
Scottish-American descent, and currently lives in suburban Detroit.
Discovered by rapper/producer Dr. Dre, Eminem is known as one of the
most skillful and controversial rappers in the industry, becoming a
crossover sensation with his debut single "My Name Is" while
simultaneously earning respect from the hip-hop community for his
lyrical talent. He is noted for his ability to change his own verbal
pace (flow) and style multiple times within one song without losing
the beat, and has been praised for his skill in alliteration and
assonance. He is infamous for the controversy surrounding many of his
lyrics. With the enormous success of his sophomore album The Marshall
Mathers LP following its release in May 2000, and its subsequent
nomination for four Grammy awards including Album of the Year, critics
such as GLAAD denounced his lyrics as homophobic, while others
complained that it was also extremely misogynistic and violent.
However, he has received a great deal of praise within the hip-hop
community for his lyrical ability. He is the second-highest selling
rapper of all time, behind Tupac Shakur, though the latter has had
several posthumous albums released.

While generally avoiding overtly political tones previously (or if
they were mentioned it was in passing), in late 2004 before the
presidential election, Eminem released the song "Mosh," which harshly
criticizes President George W. Bush. Encore, Mathers' fourth
major-label album, was released later that year, but was considered by
many to be a disappointment in comparison to his previous three albums
and sold half of what The Eminem Show had. His latest release is
Curtain Call: The Hits, a compilation which covers many of his past
hit songs, and includes three new tracks. Eminem has stated that
Curtain Call may be his final solo album, but he continues to produce
for and collaborate with Shady/Aftermath artists.