Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known as Slim Shady and his primary stage name Eminem, is an Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning American rapper, record producer and actor. Having sold eighty million albums worldwide, Eminem is one of the highest-selling rappers of all time.

Eminem quickly gained popularity in 1999 with his major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP.

The following album, The Marshall Mathers LP, became the fastest-selling hip hop album in history, followed by an increasing amount of popularity, critical praise, as well as controversy. While Eminem has won many Grammy Awards, been praised for having “verbal energy”, high quality of lyricism and been ranked at #9 on MTV’s list of The Greatest MCs of All Time,#13 on the MTV’s “22 Greatest Voices in Music” and #82 on Rolling Stone’s “The Immortals” he has often been infamous for the controversy surrounding many of these lyrics, including allegations of glorifying homophobia, misogyny, and violence.

In 2008, Vibe’s readers voted him “The Best Rapper Alive”.