Eminem

Eminem is one of the most successful hip-hop artists of his generation thanks to albums like The Marshall Mathers LP and the soundtrack for the film 8 Mile.

Eminem, born Marshall Mathers, grew up in Detroit and was fascinated by the local hip-hop scene from an early age. He was therefore still young when he immersed himself in the phenomenon. His talent was still developing when he released Infinite (1996), although it did bring him initial recognition. The Slim Shady EP (1997) was much better and even landed him a deal with a music giant. They paired the young rapper with the experienced producer Dr. Dre, and the result of that collaboration was his real debut, The Slim Shady LP (1999). It's a stunning album on which Eminem presents himself as a true wordsmith whose lyrics fly off the lips. The tone of his lyrics is hard, aggressive, and somber—a reflection of his often turbulent life.

The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) is possibly even better. The song "Stan" from it—a remarkably understated track featuring British singer Dido—became a global hit. At that point, Eminem was one of the biggest pop stars in the world. Eminem didn't just release albums as a solo artist; in the best hip-hop tradition, he also frequently collaborated with his peers. This resulted in a string of excellent albums: Devil's Night (with D12, 2001), D12 World (with D12, 2004), and Hell: The Sequel (with Bad Meets Evil, 2011).

Eminem maintained his momentum perfectly for a few years. With The Eminem Show (2002), he delivered another top album. 8 Mile also premiered in 2002: a fictionalized account of his rise to hip-hop stardom. It's a compelling account that was accompanied by a fantastic soundtrack with 8 Mile: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (2002). After Encore (2004), things went quiet around the rapper for a long time. His attention during that period was demanded by personal issues that needed to be resolved. However, he returned with Relapse (2009) and Recovery (2010), the titles of which are naturally telling. The same is true for The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013) – which builds on his breakthrough album – and Revival (2017). It was shortly followed by Kamikaze (2018). If there were any doubts about Eminem's relevance as a leading figure in hip-hop, they weren't just dispelled by the quality of his albums. In the summer of 2018, he – now 45 years old – performed in Nijmegen's Goffertpark, and 65,000 fans were eating out of his hand.

At Platenzaak.nl we have a lot of Eminem CDs and LPs, including exclusive versions.