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born Oct. 17, 1972, St. Joseph, Mo., U.S.
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At age 14 he began rapping in clubs in Detroit
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9th grade
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At the 1997 Rap Olympics, a contest held in Los Angeles, California, Eminem won second place and came to the attention of rap producer Dr. Dre.
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which showcased distinctive rhythms, rapid-fire wordplay, and a self-mocking humor that was new to hip-hop. The recording sold more than 3 million copies and won Grammy Awards for best rap album and best rap solo performance for the song “My Name Is.”
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But the album’s slurs and glorification of violence against gays and women led to protests by gay rights advocates and women’s groups. The protests diminished, however, after he sang a duet with bisexual pop star Elton John at the 2001 Grammy ceremony. Eminem won three Grammys at the event, including a second straight award for best rap album.
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In 2002 he released his third album, The Eminem Show
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That same year he starred in 8 Mile, a semibiographical motion picture in which he played a young, white rapper struggling to succeed in a mid-1990s Detroit music scene dominated by black artists.The song “Lose Yourself” from the movie won the Academy Award for best song at the 2003 ceremonies.
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