Musical Evolution: Eminem

Before He Was Famous: The Underground

Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Marshall Mathers was beginning to make a name for himself with E.P.’s like Infinite and performances such as this one at the 1997 Rap Olympics. Eminem’s lyrical dexterity is obvious as he tears opponents apart. His performance attracted the attention of Interscope C.E.O. Jimmy Iovine, who played it for Dr. Dre. The rest is history.

Going Global: The Slim Shady L.P.

Dre leant his production and vocal talents to Eminem’s subsequent Interscope debut, which became an instant worldwide success. Tracks such as ‘My Name Is’ and ‘Guilty Conscience’ propelled Eminem to instant global superstardom. One of the biggest albums of 1999, it went triple-platinum by the turn of the new millenium.

Still on Top: The Marshall Mathers L.P.

Largely a reaction to his overnight success, The Marshall Mathers L.P. showcased a harder, darker sound than its predecessor. The titles seem significant – the friovlity and jokes of The Slim Shady L.P. have largely been replaced by the personal on The Marshall Mathers L.P. Of all the songs on the album, none deal as explicitly with Eminem’s new found fame as ‘The Way I Am’.

Giving Back: D12 – Devil’s Night

With his reputation cemented as the biggest rapper on the planet, Eminem decided to use his position to elevate his friends in D12 to the big time. Bizarre, Kuvina, Kon Artis, Swifty and Proof joined Eminem for another massive success, which made it to the Number One in the album chart in the U.S.A., UK and other countries across the globe.

Going Nowhere: The Eminem Show

Eminem’s next solo album was arguably his best yet. Mixing the personal themes of The Marshall Mathers L.P. with more social commentary than he’d crammed onto a record before, Eminem used his position as global superstar to great effect. The quality of the album didn’t go unnoticed and The Eminem Show yielded more hit singles than any other Eminem record.

Say Goodbye Hollywood: 8 Mile

The personal nature of many of Eminem’s songs meant that his history was largely common knowledge by 2002. The overcoming-the-odds journey from trailer park to multi-platinum seemed to come straight out of the movies; it was inevitable someone would try to drag it back to the cinema. With Curtis Hanson, director of L.A. Confidential, taking charge, the near-biography 8 Mile saw Eminem impress critics with his intense performance.

The Boys are Back in Town: D12 – D12 World

Eminem reunited the D12 clan for his next project, the follow-up to 2001’s Devil’s Night.

Anti-Climax: Encore

It was inevitable that Eminem would stuggle top his best solo album yet and a hugely successful film debut. While not as good as the album that came before, Encore is far from terrible and features plenty of good tracks, this one included. Eminem took a hiatus from rap after this.

The End?: Curtain Call

The minor disappointment of Encore was followed with a greatest hits collection. Would it be the end of Eminem’s rap career? The few new songs the album showcased, such as this one, suggested Eminem had plenty left to offer.

Back in Business: Relapse

2009 saw Eminem return with his first album of entirely new material in five years. While not the commercial or citical run-away success some of his previous efforts had been, the album did at least quell rumours or retirement and re-establish Eminem as a force to be reckoned with.

Back on Top: Recovery

Eminem appeared on the UK’s Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and told the host that his last album had been something of a disappointment but he was sure that Recovery would more than make up for it. Doing away the between-song skits that had been a memorable part of his earlier efforts, Recovery was a real return to form. All killer no filler – Eminem’s Recovery was complete.