Eminem

Marshall Bruce Mathers III, born October 17, 1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri, and raised in Detroit, Michigan, overcame poverty and a turbulent childhood to become the best-selling rap artist of all time. After years grinding Detroit's underground rap battle scene, Dr. Dre signed him following the independent release of "Infinite" (1996). "The Slim Shady LP" (1999) and "The Marshall Mathers LP" (2000)—the fastest-selling rap debut in history—earned multiple Grammy Awards and transformed Eminem into a global phenomenon. "The Eminem Show" (2002), "Recovery" (2010, the world's best-selling album that year), and "Music to Be Murdered By" (2020) sustained his commercial dominance across four decades. He has sold over 220 million records, earned 15 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award for "Lose Yourself," and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. His technical mastery of internal rhyme schemes remains the gold standard of rap lyricism.