Month: November 2004

The most touching words Eminem put into his brand new album are the words dedicated to his little daughter Hailie. When I first listened to the song, I loved the softness of the song and I couldn’t hide my tears, because I was moved deeply inside. When Marshall talks about Hailie, nobody could doubt his true feelings expressed into music.
Some people were chocked because Eminem made his personal issues and his dialogue with Hailie public. To all of you who were shocked by the personal character of Mockinbird, arguing about it and doubting Marshall’s sincerity, let me tell you this:
-Marshall is a public person, his life is exposed by the media every day, people knew about Kim’s whereabouts anyway
– Because Marshall has this particular kind of relationship with his public, he intends to share those precious words addressed to Hailie.
The song is like a beautiful necklace whose pearls the listener will collect one by one.
Marshall first adresses to Hailie to let her know that he is very conscious of her pain. Sometimes, Hailie feels lost between her mom’s absence she is unable to explain and her daddy’s absence for obvious professional reasons:
« I know sometimes things may not always
make since to you right now
but hey what did daddy always tell
straighten up lil soldier
stiffin up that upper lip
what you cryin about?
you got me… »
Marshall can read his daughter’s pain in her eyes. I know by experience how much little kid’s faces can say more than thousand words.
At the beginning of the song, Marshall goes straight to the subject. He talks about Kim’s absence and about how much his daughter misses her mom. He also talks about his own absences that must sometimes be a huge pain into Hailie’s heart. It is a matter of fact Hailie doesn’t see her daddy very often. But Marshall ensures his daughter of his omnipresent love, which is the most important:
« Hailie i know you miss your mom
and i know you miss your dad when I’m gone
but I’m tryin to give you the life that i never had
i can see your sad, even when you smile
even when you laugh i can see it in your eyes
deep inside you wanna cry cause your scared
i aint there, daddy’s with you in your prayers
no more cryin, wipe them tears
daddy’s here, no more nightmares… »
In the first verse, Eminem mentions another little girl, whose nickname is Laney. I’ve been asked by many people who this little girl was. Laney is Alaina, Dawn’s (Kim’s twin sister) daughter. Alaina has been adopted by Marshall, she currently lives with him and goes by the name Alaina Mathers:
« Daddy’s here, no more nightmares
we gonna pull together through it
we gon do it, Laney uncle’s crazy
but he loves you baby and you better know it
we’re all we got in this world when it spins
when it swirls, when it whirls, when it twirls
two little beautiful girls lookin puzzled
in a daze, i know its confusin you
daddys always on the move
momma’s always on the news
i try to keep you sheltered from it
but somehow it seems the harder that i try
to do that the more it backfires on me
all the things growin up as daddy
that he had to see, daddy dont want you to see… »
Eminem has always done his best to keep Hailie sheltered from the scandals surrounding Kim, but sometimes he doesn’t manage to protect her completely from this kind of exposure.
In the second verse, Marshall recalls the time when he was struggling for recognition., the dog years he went through across 8 Mile.
At this time, Marshall and Kim had no money, their appartement was often broken into and robbed. He recalls a dramatic event. Kim wanted to spare some money for Hailie’s college:
« and your mom was savin money for you in a jar
tryin to start a piggy bank for you so you could go to college
almost had a thousand dollars til someone broke in and stole it
and i know it hurt so bad it broke your momma’s heart
and it seemed like everything was just startin to fall apart
mom and dad was arguin a lot… »
There are references to places in Detroit where Eminem and Kim used to live:
« So momma moved back on charmas in a flat one bedroom apartment
and dad moved back to the other side of 8 mile on Novara… »
In fact « Chalmas » refers to Chalmer Street in Detroit that is located in Wayne county:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&address=Chalmer+Street+&city=Detroit&state=MI
MC Hush, who was Eminem’s formerly friend and neighbor at this time, has mentioned Novara street several times in an interview.
Marshall looks at some ancient pictures and he remembers his memories with Kim.
Then he addresses again to Hailie and Alaina, giving both girls strength and hope, telling them that Kim’s situation is temporary. He wants them to understand that despite all, he can handle the situation and that he is here for them:
« Laney, im talkin to you too, daddy’s still here
I like the sound of that, yeah
its gotta ring to it dont it, shhh, momma’s only gone for the moment… »
The third verse is touching and funny. Marshall is ready to « give the world » to his daughter. He will make her smile by any means:
« i know mommy’s not here right now
and we don’t know why we feel how we feel inside
it may seem a little crazy pretty baby
but i promise, momma’s gon be alright
and if you ask me to daddys gonna buy you a mockingbird
I’m gon give you the world
im’a buy a diamond ring for you im’a sing for you
i’ll do anything for you to see you smile
and if that mockinbird dont sing and that ring dont shine
im’a break that birdie’s neck
i’ll go back to the jeweler who sold it to ya
and make him eat every karot, dont fuck with dad »
The message of the song is reassuring : Marshall tells his daughter that sometimes we have no control of our destiny, but that Kim is gonna be all right.
Mockinbird, you’d better sing for Hailie or Marshall might break your neck!
Hailie keep your head up: your daddy loves you and remember he will always be there for you.

The Eminem Blog
I don’t want to sound too na’ve, but I will never get why some women dare using Eminem’s celebrity status after dating him just to get so much talked about.
As far as I am concerned, no matter about the identity of the person you are dating, there is a dangerous line not to cross’like the exposure of very intimate details regarding two people’s sexual life.
Kesia Alvarez (who formerly dated Eminem) has crossed this line with Eminem, revealing details that sound very much fabricated and that are -obviously- a good way to get some attention from the scandal press.
In 2002, while he was celebrating his 30th birthday, Marshall had to call Detroit radio on ‘ Mojo in the morning ‘ about a brand new book about him written by Kim’s cousin, JR Watkins.
You will be able to listen to the author of ‘ Cleaning Out My Closet ‘ (JR Watkins), to Marshall and Kim here:
http://channel955.com/mojo_eminem_audio_home.html
Who is Jennifer Watkins aka Jennifer Pacheco aka Jen? As most of you will probably know, she is Kim Mathers’ cousin. She also used to be Hailie’s nanny for about two years.
Jennifer is a married woman, a mom of three kids who used to share her every day life with the famous rapper. She used to take care of Hailie, Alaina and to cook for everybody.
Jennifer Watkins was hired by Eminem at the time he was working on 8 Mile.
According to Kim’s statements on ‘ Mojo In The Morning ‘, Jennifer stopped talking to her, because she refused to have a ‘ threesome ‘ with her and her husband:
“That’s my cousin, Jennifer, sitting in the studio with you right now. What I have to say is first and foremost that she wants to talk about how I’m a family-wrecker. Let’s talk about how she wrecks her family, how she dates her aunt’s ex-husband… The real reason she stopped speaking to me is because I wouldn’t have sex with her and her husband ”
Still according to Kim, Jennifer also had some serious views on Marshall and that’s the main reason why he decided to cut off ties with her:
“The fact of the matter of her writing the book is that she’s mad
because she tried to get with Marshall. He didn’t want to see her in that way and because he cut off ties with her she’s pissed'”
Marshall nearly confirmed everything Kim said during the interview and he concluded this way:
” The people who end up writing books about me end up back in their little trailer-trash homes anyway'”
JR Watkins gave another version of her story. She first denied having a romance with Marshall:
“He was always involved, and I was married'”
Then she suddenly admitted having a 2 years romance with the famous rapper and fully exposed her dirty laundry, probably for people to focus their attention on her and to pity her a little bit more.
JR Watkins pretends to have been pregnant from Marshall the first night they spent together:
“I was scared to death’I thought any additional stress or pain would drive him away . . . so I never told him about the pregnancy.”
She describes Marshall as a caring and sensitive person and said she fell in love with him:
“That’s when I fell in love with a very smart, caring, warm and sensitive guy'”
Then she had a miscarriage:
“I dealt with the emotional pain on my own'”
According to JR Watkins, Kim had threatened Marshall to kick her out of he would never see Hailie again.
Is Jennifer serious when she says she expects Marshall to forgive her? I seriously doubt it:
“I don’t expect to ever talk to Marshall again . . . and I don’t need to. That’s not what this is about. All I want is for him to forgive me in his heart . . . !”
After displaying so many intimate details about Eminem and Kim’s privacy, Jennifer comes up with this sob story.
I’m happy not to have read her book and I don’t intend to- out of respect towards Marshall and his family. Jennifer is a traitor whose behavior is a typical trailer park girl behavior.
Mrs Watkins, you’re despicable and I doubt you have a high degree of morality. Besides respecting Marshall and his family, you should have learnt to respect yourself.

Following the advice of a rhyming board owner who liked my freestyles, I have written my first amateur song…Unfortunately I don’t make music, so there is no music to go with:(
It is called “Fighting Girl”. Here we go:
Fighting girl
Chorus
Yo, I’m a fighting girl’
Some call me I.S.A cuz I Spit It All
Leaving my worst enemy in a cemetery rather than in an hospital
Some know me as Marshallengraved, nickname that is Em-powered
I might be a chick, my words will leave you sick
On my enemies I always pick, punching within a day more than one prick
You just can resist to my strong fist
1.. verse
I’m a bad blood spiller, word killer
Each word I spit is a grenade set up to kill ya renegade
I’m pumping my fist, I’m slitting your goddamn wrist
Man, you’re already on my bad list
Don’t approach, you’ll be erased like a cockroach
Baby, you might find out I’m worst than Slim Shady
But it’s just me, homie!
You can look at my D12 chain like you had no brain and stare
I just don’t care
When you diss me , you gotta stay fair
Cuz I’m a scary assailant, sometimes I’m so creepy
Words I do combine, always ready to refine my last line
That’s why you find it so divine and swallow it like white whine,
My wordplay is a swordplay, each sentence I display will hit its target
Battling Marshallengraved is a greater show than Macbeth
I’ll take your last breath and sentence you to death.
Chorus
2.verse
Want an inventory of my story? Dude, I’m not looking for glory
I’m fighting for more recognition, finding a way to get out of my condition,
To live out my passion , I don’t rap for fashion,
Writing my articles defending Em who saved me, called it my mission
Sorry if you have no compassion for the music I call my passion
Don’t make no wrong supposition, I got munition
Don’t talk about my skin condition -yea I’m white- still, I can write something tight, so what?
I spit faster than light speed, I can make you bleed
Now we can proceed, fall on your knees and plead
Each of my sentences is an astute chemical composition
That works for your demolition
I can get your heart split, can you hear the explosion
Consequence of a word nuclear fission?
I got skills, you’re unable to count my many kills.
Chorus
3. verse
Lyrical bullets will blast, how many of you have passed (away)?
I’ll make you feel harassed by my bomb blast
It’ll put you whackies in contrast
Harassed, unsurpassed, this breath was your last! Good.
I don’t care if I’m misunderstood I’m an eliminator, mankind hater
You’re just a goddamn spectator, I’m the worst abnegator with the sharp teeth of an alligator
Keep staying in your bumbledom, anyway you’ll never reach stardom
Who cares about your partis pris , between you and me a huge abyss
My rhyme crimes sugar lines are like a candy kiss
You mouth is full of them, you can’t empty it and the taste fully persists.
My writing is my fighting, sometimes my sentences can be biting
No matter if you look at them as if they were suspect, I don’t need your respect
As long as my words my integrity and passion do reflect.

The end of the Encore album and the recent scans of the Encore album reveal Eminem’s intentions to destroy the evil alter ego he had created in 1997- for ever. Slim Shady passed away recently and he was even symbolically put into a coffin.
Listening to The Eminem Show and to Encore is like going to the theater or to the mall. Eminem has created an ingenious scenario that ends up in a collective drama.
Picture a huge mass of people from different backgrounds and ages coming to enjoy a great and entertaining show. Picture Eminem looking at himself into the mirror before entering on stage’
He isn’t feeling so well today’
Imagine one of the greatest shows you have ever participated to’imagine Marshall showing some signs of craziness in the middle of the show and cocking a gun’imagine all of a sudden Eminem in the skin of a bad mass murderer. You all had a great show and now it is time to say goodbye’
Marshall will say goodbye to the crowd of his fans in an original way. In fact, he’ll get rid of them, he’ll shoot at them and kill them . Bang Bang’ One shot’two shots’blood is spilling everywhere.
The spectacle is turning into people’s worst nightmare. You can hear some of them crying while some others are falling onto the floor’Oh my God ,what’s happening? Everybody’s lying on the floor. Marshall, what have you done? You ‘ve taken your fans last breath.
So the media were right about you? Just a criminal, a bad guy, nothing else but a bad guy from Detroit.
What now?
You have no other choice but killing the alter ego who created so much damage to you’in a desperate attempt to become what he once was, Marshall points a pistol at himself’and decides to destroy Slim Shady.
Eminem wanted to destroy his evil side for good. He now leaves us with the regular guy Marshall Mathers and Eminem, his nicer alter ego and stage name.
The message is clear. Eminem’s music is taking a new direction. Marshall Mathers will surprise us in his next album. Encore is just the last chapter of a former story’the story of a bad character named Slim Shady who just passed away.
Eminem’s scenario was astute, but some bad intentioned people might interpret it as an invitation to self destruction and suicide. The final episode of Encore is in no way intented to influence young people to commit suicide. It is just the final episode of a show. Clever people will be intelligent enough not to misinterpret Eminem’s intentions. And to the persons who manage to see something bad in Eminem’s way of telling this story: get a sense of humor, for Goodness sake!
You will be able to watch some photos of” Slim Shady’s murder” on the latest Encore scans.

Eminem’s newest album ‘ Encore ‘ is the follow up of ‘ The Eminem Show ‘. His most recent work is lead by the hand of a master from the beginning to the end. It reveals a more matured artist whose songs reflect a very sensitive and emotional side fulfilled with some sarcasms and parodies of the world of pop.
Other targets? Yes. Who? President Bush. Eminem is definitely engaged in his fight against Bush’s policy, that appears in Mosh.
Curtains Up. Ready for a new Eminem Show, part II?
Ok, Eminem will shoot his verses and offer you a flashback to his early childhood years with the second track ‘ Evil Deeds ‘.
The listener will understand under which unstable conditions Marshall made his first steps. The song is very emotional despite the whole irony that goes with it. It will take you back to the early 70’s at the time Debbie just broke up with her husband and decided to leave her son at his aunt Edna and uncle Edmond Charles’ home: an easy way to get rid of her son and to be free for some adventures with her numerous boyfriends. Debbie’s behavior and her absence have obviously left some deep wounds into Marshall’s soul. The demons of the past are still present and sometimes come to haunt his current life. Many people don’t understand that wealth isn’t a remedy to such trauma. In fact it is very difficult to handle the wounds left inside of us because of our parents’ behavior, particularly when you come from a dysfunctional family such as Marshall’s. ‘ Evil Deeds ‘ has something deep inside. It is moving and lets us fully understand that fame and fortune have increased Marshall’s pain. It is like a never ending circle’and the curtain never falls. This song is moving. Again, the brilliant artist managed to make the listener feel his deepest emotions.
‘ Never Enough ‘ is a brilliant Nate Dogg and 50 Cent collaboration that is really worth listening to. It is great hip hop that nobody should miss.
‘ Yellow Brick Road ‘ takes you back to 8 Mile, to a story that only Marshall could tell you the right way with a full amount of details. ‘ Yellow Brick Road ‘ is also a fist against the Source magazine who dared accusing Marshall of racism so many times. How could they dare talking about a typical Detroit context that they didn’t even know? Marshall takes you back to a time where he get his ass kicked because he didn’t have the right skin color on the way to Kim’s house. Back to a period where white emcees were despised by black rappers. Back to the time he met Proof and had to prove his lyrical ability. Back to 1989, where black and white community lived great tensions. Back to the time Eminem dated this black girl because of whom he wrote some rhymes he didn’t even mean. Rhymes placed out of their context by Benzino’s crew and used in order to break his career.
‘ Like Toy Soldiers ‘ explains how Eminem became involved in hip hop beefs that he would probably have avoided if he could have done it. Because 50 Cent was signed to Shady Records, the war with Irv Gotti’s clan was signed. Ja Rule worsened this war by putting Hailie’s name in a song.
Marshall has been a great contributor to hip hop culture and he doesn’t like to be involved in bloody hip hop wars. The sincerity of this song is touching.
No contest Mosh is the best song of the whole album. Mosh is a total engagement against Bush’s worthless war policy. A strong and powerful song and a lyrical bomb is dropped on the White House and will rally a lot of people who want peace in this world. Mosh might be anti Bush, but unlike many conservative people’s opinion , the powerful song can be called a patriotic act in favor of democracy.
Besides Bush, Eminem’s other targets are well known pop stars such as Michael Jackson and Madonna who get ridiculed in Just Lose It. Lyrically, I am used to better texts from Marshall, but the song is funny and the video that goes with the first single of Encore will make you laugh crazy.
Rain Man , Big Weenie and My First single are funny and cool songs.
Another song that is really touching and worth listening to is Mockinbird, a touching ode to Hailie. In this song, Eminem is trying to explain Kim’s whereabouts to Hailie and Alaina (Hailie’s cousin who’s been adopted by Marshall and who also lives with him). Again, you will probably be moved by the touching words of a dedicated father for his daughter.
‘ One Shot 2 Shots ‘, a song that includes Eminem’s group, D12, is also worth listening to.
The albums concludes with ‘ One Last Time ‘ an entertaining Eminem, 50 Cent and Dr Dre trio. As the show ends, Eminem surprises the crowd with hiding a pistol behind his back shoots himself and’murders his Slim Shady persona.
Curtains fall. End of the CD. End of the Story’for now.
Weaknesses of the CD
I think that I owe Eminem and my readers an objective point of view, that’s why I will also focus on the weak points of Marshall Mathers’ Encore:
_ The songs about Kim don’t sound real at all, in complete opposition to ‘ I Love You More ‘ which is an authentic and spicy love ballad. ‘ Puke ‘ is rather disgusting and frankly, I don’t think that ‘ vomiting sounds ‘ was a real great idea :it amplifies the weakness of a rather lyrical poor song.
Same for ‘ Crazy In Love ‘: for the first time, I had the unpleasant impression that Eminem didn’t sound real. The lyrics and the beats are awful.
– ‘ Ass Like That ‘ is probably the worst song of Eminem’s whole career. The weird accent he takes adds to the weakness of the song that it intended to be funny, but that didn’t manage to make me laugh. Sorry, Marshall, but I gotta be honest about it.
-Never Enough ,which is a real good song, gives the impression to have been cut before the end.
– There is only one D12 song in the whole album. There could have been more D12 participation in Encore.
– Another weak point of ‘ Encore ‘ needs to be noticed: while the album begins with an introspective, serious note and real good songs, Eminem sometimes spoils the efforts he put in his very valuable songs by childish fart and vomiting sounds. Which he should avoid as a grown man and a respected hip hop artist.
My overall rating of Eminem’s brand new CD is 8.5 out of 10 but it could have been 9.5 or 10/10 if Eminem had removed some weak tracks out of his album. My criticism isn’t intented to be negative towards Eminem (I am a huge fan and he can be sure of my unconditional support, always), but rather for him to avoid the weak points mentioned in his next album.
Globally, Encore is great work. People who have appreciated The Eminem Show will probably love Encore as well. Eminem came up with some new stuff and handled most of his songs very well.
An album that is definitely worth buying.

Despite the fact that he is always very busy, Eminem takes times to really get involved in Hailie’s daily life. For those who doubted it, Marshall really loves kids and it even happens that he travels with the kids when they’re doing a school trip, which allows him to spend more time with Hailie:

In school, when they have plays and field trips, I don’t miss them. Even if I’ve got to deal with craziness.

I sometimes wish my youngest son was a pupil in Hailie’s class. Can you imagine that the famous rapper takes time to read books to the class?
Last year I went and read to the class. Two books. It was reading month or something. (Eminem)
Eminem doesn’t play the role of a good father. He doesn’t have to. Facts talk by themselves. Hailie is one of the luckiest daughters in the world, because her father always finds time for her despite his always busy and hectic schedule.
Marshall never misses an occasion to show his love and dedication to his little girl. He is definitely not the bad person some people keep thinking he is.

A few weeks after Todd Nelson’s tragical death (Eminem’s uncle committed suicide on October the 19th), I don’t intend to talk bad about him.
But I would like to express my anger against some British tabloids that all- of a sudden- made a ‘ replacement father ‘ out of Todd while he didn’t really endorse this role in Eminem’s life. I just wish some journalists would keep their facts straight and stop spreading rumors just in order to produce a ‘ big scandal and sensation article ‘ that will attract many curious and gullible readers.
Since Eminem’s fame, Todd Nelson has rather expressed his anger against his nephew whom he accused to fabricate his past and to be very mean towards his mom, who -according to Todd- ‘ did her best ‘.
Debbie Mathers’ younger brother has also tried to sell many former drawings of Marshall and tried to make money out of each piece of his past.
When he talks about Marshall’s movie, 8 Mile, Todd’s statements are intented to make Marshall’s story look fake and fabricated.
‘ He’s my nephew, but I call him my ‘F.U.’ I don’t like fake people,’ Nelson says. ‘His movie shouldn’t be called 8 Mile ‘ it should be called ’26 Mile’!’ ‘
Why did Eminem’s uncle mention 26 Mile Road? He mentioned 26 Mile Road in reference to a period where Eminem was staying with his mom in a trailer park.
‘Listen, Marshall had a roof over his head until he was 26 ‘ my sister gave him my grandmother’s trailer on 26 Mile ‘ and he couldn’t even take care of it. I got the tickets around here somewhere ‘ he got tickets for not mowing the grass.’
In fact, Eminem refused to pay for his mom’s trailer when things worsened between the two of them. As the great majority will probably know Debbie dropped a $10 million lawsuit against her son on the line of ‘ My Name Is ‘, ‘ I just found out my mom does more dope than I do ‘.Eminem’s family often turned their back to Eminem and started some arguments with him when he became famous.
Marshall left the choice to his public to decide:
‘ I let the public for themselves decide what idiots my family is. My family has never been there for me. They expect things because we’re blood. ‘
If we follow Todd Nelson’s statements, Marshall bashed his mom because bashing Blacks and fags didn’t work:
“Every white male regardless of his age has something against their mother, and he’s exploiting that, so all these white males can throw themselves a pity party. He tried bashing blacks and fags and when that didn’t work he started ‘ “
Todd would nearly manage to make somebody who doesn’t know Eminem believe that he’s a blatent racist and homophobe. His listeners know that the rage expressed against Debbie refers to real feelings and to real events. Many witnesses of Marshall’s former every day life, like Nate’s dad and some other former boyfriends of Debbie Mathers can testify what Marshall actually went through. Who would doubt that Eminem had a rough childhood? The facts he mentioned can be verified as a 100% true.
Any doubt about Debbie’s drug addiction? Then listen to Eminem’s former friend, Mc Hush:
‘When Em got back from LA recording the Slim Shady LP, he picked up me and Bizarre. He went to buy his little brother a PlayStation at Best Buy, then we went to his mother’s house in the trailer park on 26 Mile. His mom tried to be nice, but she didn’t look so good. I’d been forewarned by Em, but it was a bit of shock to see her so blew out. But then the first thing Em does is lift up her mattress and look for pills. When he says ‘I picked up the habit’ on the Marshall Mathers LP, he means it.’
Todd even went that far to state that Ronnie Polkingharn, his younger brother didn’t like Marshall:
‘Ronnie was the one with the rough childhood ‘ living out of garbage cans off the streets, being rejected by his dad. And then when my little brother died, Marshall went and got his name tattooed on him. But Ronnie didn’t even like Marshall,’ Nelson says. ‘I got the last letter he ever wrote before he killed himself and he doesn’t even mention Marshall.’
People who know Eminem know that Marshall and Ronnie have always been very close. Marshall always called Ronnie his best friend. I strongly believe that Ronnie actually was his closest friend. Both shared the same passion for hip hop. When Marshall talks about Ronnie in songs like ‘ My Dad’s Gone Crazy ‘, you can feel the realness of his emotions.
Matter of fact: Eminem has spent some of his teenage years with uncle Todd at the house in Timken.
Both might even had some good memories together.
Although Betty Kresin , Marshall’s grandmother recently declared (when Todd Nelson died) that Todd ‘ loved Marshall a lot ‘, he has never been very supportive towards his nephew since he had became famous. So don’t make him endorse the ‘ father figure ‘ he never was for Marshall.
Since his early childhood, Marshall suffered from the lack of fatherly examples. He recently declared in a Rolling Stone interview that the person that was the closest to a kind of ‘ father ‘, was his half brother Nathan’s dad- Fred Samra.

There is a hidden story behind the birth of Eminem’s alter ego- Slim Shady. If many of you believe that Slim Shady was actually born in Detroit, then you are wrong.
Many of you have probably heard Eminem’s quote about Slim Shady’s name popping into his head while he was sitting on the toilets:
‘ I was takin’ a shit. I swear to God. And the fuckin’ name just popped into my head. Then I started thinkin’ of twenty million things that rhymed with it.” – On how he came up with the name Slim Shady ‘
Ok, that’s for the common story most of you have heard about. But there is a less known and hidden story behind the existence of Eminem’s evil alter ego.
Eminem’s former friends were very conscious that Marshall wouldn’t succeed with his Infinite style. Not that it was bad (Infinite is lyrically rich and well written), but the public wanted to hear something else, something more incisive, scarier, full of beautiful wordplays and dark humor:
‘Em wasn’t like this angry kid back in the day. But then Infinite didn’t hit, and he wanted to quit. He got discouraged; nobody wanted to take a chance with him.
‘I was telling him he needed to get more current. Like Proof; Proof sounded more up-to-date than Em. He was still on that tongue-twister style, real fast ‘ super-fast, so fast you couldn’t understand what he was sayin’. Me and the roommates were telling him, like, ‘You need to get a gimmick. Get more metaphors and not just syllables.’ In Detroit, it’s different. You can’t be too serious; I told him to throw some dick into the party, you know, be humorous.’
(DJ Rec)
Eminem decided to travel to New Jersey with his fellow D12 member Bizarre who wanted to record with the Outsidaz. The Outsidaz were not that enthusiastic when they got to listen to the Infinite LP.
After listening to Infinite, the Outsidaz members said:’ This ain’t shit!’ ‘
‘ I think they thought it was cool, but not really what he should be doing. He looked up to them ‘
‘They put Em in the studio and I’m sure they were blew the fuck out, because he came out with some shit like they’d fed him an acid tab, just a complete 180 from what he was talking about before. When he came back, he got the tattoo and he was Slim Shady from that point on. Nobody knows that shit, though ‘ you never hear him mention the Outsidaz.’ (MC Hush)
Then Marshall got Slim Shady tattooed on his left arm and was definitely ready for his change of persona.
Bizarre told Hush:
‘ Bizarre came over to my house on Bentler and he was like, ‘We created a monster.’ ‘ (MC Hush)
As DJ Rec will kindly remind you of it, please avoid calling him ‘ Marshall ‘:
” He used to get really pissed when we’d call him Marshall.’
Now you know the whole truth about how Slim Shady took possession of Marshall and became the evil monster we know from his records.

Don’t misinterpret the intentions of my article: the following statements about Kim Mathers are based on real facts and are not meant to be demeaning towards her. It is just the awful truth exposed.
How often has Marshall been described as a vile person, a monster and a violent misogynist?
His lyrics have been used in women courses studies to demonstrate how bad Eminem’s music was for women’s image in young men’s minds. Some ignorant people also called him ‘ a woman beater ‘.
I came up today with the non hidden intention to destroy those legends for ever, well weaponed with true facts coming from Detroit insiders’ mouth. Facts that will even close Eminem’s detractors mouth’at least for a while.
Matter of fact: Eminem has misogynistic sounding lyrics. He also dissed and ‘ murdered ‘ Kim in his lyrics several times.
The anger expressed in ‘ ’97 Bonnie and Clyde ‘ and in ‘ Kim ‘ are based on real facts, as most of you probably know. During the period Eminem was dating Kim in the past, he was neighbors with Detroit underground rapper Hush. Both men were friends and used to live between Nowara and Bentler Street in Detroit.
MC Hush will testify that each fact in Eminem’s lyrics can be verified as true:
‘Everything he says in his rhymes is true.” (Mc Hush)
Eminem and Mc Hush knew each other very well. They used to collaborate for Da Ruckus, which is MC Hush’s group. Some of you have probably heard the Da Ruckus produced Uncle Ill- Eminem song ‘ We Shine ‘. MC Hush has also produced the beats of the mischievous Slim Shady EP.
MC Hush is a key person who has witnessed Marshall’s rocky relationship with Kim. He knows how much Marshall struggled to provide a comfortable life for his family and his frustrations with the flop of his Infinite album at the time both men had little kids to feed:
‘By summer of ’95, Em was like, ‘Man I got a baby on the way. I gotta do something, I gotta make some money or there’s no way I can take care of this shit.’ He just seemed overwhelmed. ‘
‘I remember a few months before our babies were due riding together to do a cable TV show. He didn’t even want to go. I was like, ‘You got to promote your shit,’ but he was just angry. He’d put out Infinite, and it wasn’t doing well.’ Rap radio ‘wasn’t real wild about playing a record by a white kid. Everybody was talking that Vanilla Ice shit. When [radio DJ] Billy T. did finally play it, he actually faded it out just when Em’s verse came up. He was crushed. He was like ‘Man, if this record doesn’t hit, this is it, I quit.”
At the beginning Marshall’s financial difficulties were that big that Hailie couldn’t live with him:
‘Hailie was born Christmas Day 1995 ‘ my son was born right before that. But Em wasn’t living with Kim because he had to get his act together,’ Hush recounts. ‘He had a car, this beat-up Mercury Tracer, and he’d get a job, making pizzas, cooking, whatever ‘ he’d go from one job to another. But he just didn’t have the money, so Hailie had to live with Kim and her parents on the east side.’ (Mc Hush)
Kim’s manipulative character clearly appears in Marshall’s former friends’ statements.
Hailie has always been caught in the middle of the couple’s arguments and (sadly) Kim used their daughter as a destructive weapon against Marshall:
‘Sometimes he’d have Hailie for the day over at the house on Novara. Kim would just show up and grab Hailie and he’d be like, ‘You bitch!’ She was always holding stuff over his head for him to see the baby, like spending more time with her instead of his friends. He kept on saying he was gonna kill her ass. That’s what [the song] ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ came from.’ (MC Hush)
As I stated it in a preceding article, Marshall never laid a finger on Kim, no matter what happened between the two of them. On the contrary, Kim was the one to slap her ex husband:
‘He and Kim had to fight like once a day; it was a mandatory thing. Always in the kitchen. I’d hear her smackin’ him and no matter what he wouldn’t hit her back. I hate to say it, but she kicked the shit out of him. He would never hit her. But she’s a manly chick.’
MC Hush recalls their strong arguments too:
‘ When they were in a fight he’d scream a little but back down. There was something in him afraid of her, enough to let her win all the time. He was afraid she wouldn’t let him see his daughter. ‘
Marshall has never been physically violent and he even accepted to capitulate in front of Kim, for the love of his daughter. Some might call it the attitude of a coward. I call it fatherly love. Nothing is more important to Marshall than Hailie and he didn’t care losing the fight in front of Kim as long as his relation to his kid could be kept safe. Which is admirable.
Moreover, Kim has always put Marshall in very embarrassing situations. The Hot Rock Caf’ incident is not the only one although it is well known from the public.
In 1997, Kim has taken a job in the Oasis Executive Spa on Van Dike Center Line. This is a massage parlor. Sounds normal’at first sight.
But the trouble is, the parlor was engaged in prostitution business.
Debbie tried to hide what Kim’s job was about and gave a call to MC Hush:
‘ His mom called me up one day and was like ‘You gotta go get Marshall because he’s gonna kill her’ ‘
This ‘ unusual job ‘ was driving Marshall mad when he knew. She had to stop it.
An attentive and further examination of Marshall and Kim’s story from the beginning till now allows us to understand some major elements of their relationship and will lead us to some conclusions:
-Kim has always been manipulative towards Marshall. Marshall can be considered -literally- as her victim in their love life.
– Marshall appears to be the stable member of a dysfunctional family. As far as we can look into his past, he has fought to offer Kim and Hailie a stable home fulfilled with love. His former lyrics are the expression of the deception and the frustration in his love life and an urgent call for Kim to realize what’s she’s been driving him through.
Slim Shady might be a scary character, but Kim often revealed her shady face in real life.

Eminem’s recent interview from Rolling Stone Magazine reveals us interesting details about his relatives and his relationship with his beloved daughter Hailie Jade, who will be 9 on Christmas day this year.
Being asked about who was really good with him in his early childhood years, Marshall mentioned his great aunt Edna and his uncle Charles from Missouri. Both are relatives from Eminem’s paternal side.
As some of you probably know, great aunt Edna Swartz has witnessed Marshall’s very early years. She pretty much raised him as a baby during the several years absence of Debbie. Sadly, we learn from Marshall’s mouth that the old lady died about six months ago. Aunt Edna and her husband Charles were the ones to offer some stability to the little boy and to really take care of him, which is something that Marshall will never forget:
« My Aunt Edna, which would be my great-aunt Edna, and my Uncle Charles, my great-uncle Charles. This was in Missouri. They’re from my dad’s side. They took care of me a lot. My Uncle Charles passed in ’92 or ’93, and Aunt Edna passed away just six months ago. She was, like, eighty-six. They were older, but they did things with me; they let me stay the weekends there, took me to school, bought me things, let me stay and watch TV, let me cut the grass to get five dollars, took me to the mall. Between them and my Uncle Ronnie, they were my solidity… »
Aunt Edna and Uncle Charles always told Marshall that his daddy was a good person:
« We don’t know what your mother’s told you, but he was a good guy. »
Maybe true, but the relationship between Marshall and his dad has always been like inexistent. Although Marshall Mathers II called his family, he would have nothing to say to his own son:
« But a lot of times he’d call, and I’d be there — maybe I’d be on the floor coloring or watching TV — and it wouldn’t have been nothing for him to say, “Put him on the phone.” He coulda talked to me, let me know something »
Fred Samra, Nathan’s dad, seems to have been the only father figure in Marshall’s life:
« ‘Cause as far as father figures, I didn’t have any in my life. My mother had a lot of boyfriends. Some of ’em I didn’t like; some of ’em were cool. But a lot would come and go. My little brother’s dad was probably the closest thing I had to a father figure. He was around off and on for about five years. He was the dude who’d play catch, take us bowling, just do stuff that dads would do. »
Eminem also recalls some painful events that happened to him as a young adult, when his brother landed in a foster home at the age of 9 because Debbie was accused of beating Nathan:
« I was twenty-three. But when he was taken away I always said if I ever get in a position to take him, I would take him. I tried to apply for full custody when I was twenty, but I didn’t have the means. I couldn’t support him. I watched him when he was in the foster home. He was so confused. I mean, I cried just goin’ to see him at the foster home. The day he was taken away I was the only one allowed to see him. They had come and got him out of school. He didn’t know what the fuck was goin’ on. The same thing that had happened in my life was happening in his. I had a job and a car, and me and Kim, we bounced around from house to house, tryin’ to pay rent and make ends meet. And then Kim’s niece was born, which is my niece now through marriage. Watched her bounce around from house to house — just watchin’ the cycle of dysfunction, it was like, “Man, if I get in position, I’m gonna stop all this shit.” And I got in position and did. »
But the most admirable part of the interview (you probably doubted it) is when Marshall talks about his daughter Hailie. People who know Marshall perfectly know that he cannot fake his feelings nor his emotions when he comes to talk about his daughter. Eminem’s attitude towards Hailie is full of respect and devotion towards a little girl who enlightens each of his days.
Eminem takes his role as a father very seriously and he also explains hos much difficult it was for him to explain to Hailie and her cousin Alaina (who’s been officially adopted by Marshall) what had happened to Kim lately:
« I don’t know if I’m inclined, or allowed, to say more than what is fact. In the last year, Kim has been in and out of jail and on house arrest, cut her tether off, had been on the run from the cops for quite a while. Tryin’ to explain that to my niece and my daughter was one of the hardest things I ever had to go through. You can never let a child feel like it’s her fault for what’s goin’ on. You just gotta let her know: “Mom has a problem, she’s sick, and it’s not because she doesn’t love you. She loves you, but she’s sick right now, and until she gets better, you’ve got Daddy. And I’m here. »
Eminem is taking his role as a father very seriously and he is doing his best to give Hailie the right education.
Some people have called Eminem a women beater intentionally, because of his wicked lyrics concerning Kim. We know from Debbie that Marshall was never physically violent against his ex wife. We also know that Kim used to manipulate Marshall and to take advantage of him.
People shouldn’t be amazed when Marshall claims that he teaches Hailie « it’s not right for a man to ever lay his hands on a female », he actually believes it. Eminem is smart with women in real life, he doesn’t correspond to the monster he has created in his lyrics.
Some of my readers will even be surprised to discover that Kim was the one to slap Marshall when they both had an argument, as Eminem’s former friend, DJ Rec aka Robert Claus, recalls:
« He and Kim had to fight like once a day; it was a mandatory thing. Always in the kitchen, I’d hear her smackin’ him and no matter what he wouldn’t hit her back. I hate to say it, but she kicked the shit out of him. He would never hit her. But she’s a manly chick »
I wish some people stopped spreading on the net that Eminem is a formerly « women beater ». Each element of his life tends to prove the contrary. When will people eventually get that Marshall Mathers is a nice and normal person?
People just don’t seem to get the meaning of what he calls « a love – hate relationship » when he talks about his feelings towards Kim, because their relationship seem to escape to the rules of some ordinary couples:
« It’s a love-hate relationship, and it will always be that. We’re talking about a woman who’s been a part of my life since I can remember. She was thirteen when I met her. I was fifteen. »
His most recent interview also shows a more matured Eminem, who takes his responsibilities as a family man very seriously. Be sure that many of the elements mentioned in his interviews will be reflected in his upcoming album Encore.