THE AFTERMATH
Marshall was no stranger to drugs and alcohol, as suggested by a large number of his songs, including "Drug Ballad" (The Marshall Mathers LP, 2000) and "These Drugs" (Devil's Night Bonus Disc, 2001), which are dedicated to his drug use in their entirety. The song "I'm Shady" (The Slim Shady LP, 1999) even includes the explanatory line "well, I do take pills (ecstasy or prescription drugs), don't do speed / don't do crack, don't do coke / I do smoke weed / don't do smack / I do do shrooms, do drink beer / I just wanna make a few things clear". Later tracks, including the aforementioned "These Drugs" and "Kill You" (The Marshall Mathers LP, 2000) additionally suggest cocaine use, although he has never been in a law enforcement incident involving drugs. However, with the sentence of two years of probation taking effect in 2001, during which he was subject to mandatory regular drug testing, his recreational drug use was put to an end. This fact is supported with references to his drug use in his music, which all but disappeared after 2001, and comments by band mate Proof, who states that Marshall "sobered up". However, with rising pressures and workload in his professional career, Marshall found it difficult to get the rest he wanted, and turned to Ambien sleeping pills for relief. His use of the drug eventually became so severe, that in August 2005, he cancelled the European leg of his ongoing tour, and checked into a drug rehabilitation clinic for treatment.
The decline of Marshall's drug use during his probation was in line with the growing demands for responsibility in his role as a parent to Hailie. In addition, he is also known to take care of the daughter of Kim's twin sister Dawn, Alaina "Laney", whom he mentions in the song "Mockingbird" (Encore, 2004), referring to himself as her "daddy" and stating "it's almost like Laney and Hailie are sisters now". He also cares for his younger half-brother Nathan, who makes appearances in the music videos for "The Way I Am" (The Marshall Mathers LP, 2000) and "Without Me" (The Eminem Show, 2002). Marshall currently resides with the aforementioned members of his extended family in Clinton Charter Township, Michigan in the outskirts of Detroit.
The decline of Marshall's drug use during his probation was in line with the growing demands for responsibility in his role as a parent to Hailie. In addition, he is also known to take care of the daughter of Kim's twin sister Dawn, Alaina "Laney", whom he mentions in the song "Mockingbird" (Encore, 2004), referring to himself as her "daddy" and stating "it's almost like Laney and Hailie are sisters now". He also cares for his younger half-brother Nathan, who makes appearances in the music videos for "The Way I Am" (The Marshall Mathers LP, 2000) and "Without Me" (The Eminem Show, 2002). Marshall currently resides with the aforementioned members of his extended family in Clinton Charter Township, Michigan in the outskirts of Detroit.
EMINEM'S REMARRIAGE
Eminem remarried Kim on January 14, 2006 in Michigan. Eminem's best man was long time friend and D12 member Proof, while Kim's maid of honor was their daughter Hailie. They walked down the aisle to Eminem's song "Mockingbird" which was a tribute to Hailie and his niece Alaina. Guests at the wedding were 50 Cent and his G-Unit crew, as well as D12. Kim's mother attended the wedding while Eminem's mother did not.
EMINEM'S EARLY CAREER
Interested in rap from a young age, Mathers began performing as early as thirteen, later gaining some popularity with a group, Soul Intent. In 1996, he released his first independent album, named Infinite (of which he sold about 500 copies out of the back of his car.) The album received no airplay and a mixed critical response, with people claiming Eminem's rapping style sounded too similar to Nas and AZ. Drawing on the negative experiences of his life, in 1997 Eminem followed Infinite up with The Slim Shady EP demo, which saw his lyrics take a decidedly darker turn, in songs like "No One's Iller" and "Murder Murder," the latter in which he talks about having to commit crimes to feed his daughter. He became famous in the hip-hop underground because of his distinctive, cartoonish style and the fact that he was white in a predominantly black genre. Fellow rapper Snoop Dogg referred to him as rap's "great white American hope" in the song "B*tch Please II".
It is said that rap artist and producer Dr. Dre found Eminem's demo on the garage floor of Jimmy Iovine, the Interscope label chief. Though this did not directly lead to a recording contract, Dr. Dre agreed to sign him when Eminem won second place versus Otherwize at the 1997 Rap Olympics freestyle battle. Other sources state that an executive at the offices of Interscope handed the demo to Iovine who passed it to Dre, which resulted in a contract.
It is said that rap artist and producer Dr. Dre found Eminem's demo on the garage floor of Jimmy Iovine, the Interscope label chief. Though this did not directly lead to a recording contract, Dr. Dre agreed to sign him when Eminem won second place versus Otherwize at the 1997 Rap Olympics freestyle battle. Other sources state that an executive at the offices of Interscope handed the demo to Iovine who passed it to Dre, which resulted in a contract.