Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About Eminem

  It may be a surprise for some to learn that Eminem has even won an Oscar, considering how long it took Leonardo DiCaprio to win. His victory came at the 75th Academy Awards, when he took home the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Lose Yourself,” which appeared in the film “8 Mile”. Going up against songs from films like “Chicago” and “Gangs of New York,” however, caused Eminem to stay home, as he believed he had no shot at winning. 



#9: He Shut Down Weird Al Yankovic

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  Considering how many people Eminem has parodied over the years, it may come as a surprise to learn that he had an issue with someone parodying one of his own songs. Back in 2003, Weird Al Yankovic penned the song “Couch Potato,” a parody of “Lose Yourself,” and intended for it to be the lead single on his new album. While Em was fine with Weird Al parodying the song, he did not want it to be released as a single, and prevented a music video from being made, as he did not want to detract from the legacy of “Lose Yourself.”    

#8: He Failed Grade 9 Three Times Before Dropping Out

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  Sometimes success in school doesn’t always translate to success later in life, and vice versa. Eminem may be the perfect example of the latter. While he did participate in rap battles on the school playground, he had trouble making it to class, which naturally led to poor grades. Em repeated the ninth grade three times before eventually dropping out entirely at the age of 17. Although he did enjoy English through his love of comic books, he didn’t care for literature and generally disliked math and social studies.     

#7: His Biggest Inspiration in Music Is the Beastie Boys

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  The Beastie Boys were one of the most successful hip-hop groups of all-time. Releasing seven platinum or better albums between 1984 and 2004, their style changed the rap game forever. One of their biggest admirers was Eminem, who paid tribute to the group on his 2013 single “Berzerk”. In fact, the song samples “Fight for Your Right,” and he even dresses like the members of the group in the video. Considering the group’s “we don’t care what other people think” attitude, it’s no wonder Eminem is one of their biggest fans.    

#6: He Was Sued by His Own Mother For Defamation

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  Anyone who has ever listened to a number of Eminem’s songs will know that he has a complicated relationship with his mother. Debbie Nelson-Mathers gave birth to Marshall Mathers when she was just 17-years-old. When Em was a teenager, she kicked him out of the house on numerous occasions. Eminem retaliated through his lyrics, particularly on “The Slim Shady LP.” His mom didn’t take too kindly to this, however, and sued her own son for $10 million dollars. She ended up receiving $1,600 in damages.

 



   Of course, his own mother isn’t the only person the rapper has gone after over the years. On the track “97 Bonnie & Clyde”, Em spins a tale where he kills his ex-wife and dumps her body in the ocean, while his infant daughter helps. In order to record Hailie’s lines on the song, he told his ex-wife that he was actually taking her to Chuck E. Cheese, but instead went to the recording studio. And if you want to feel old, consider this - Hailie is now 21 years old.

 


#4: He’s A Huge Comic Book Fan

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  Eminem may have enjoyed English during his short time at high school, but he wasn’t into classic literature so much as he was into comic books. In fact, Eminem is a massive comic book fan. Many of his songs reference comic book characters, such as in “Rap God,” and he owns a collection that others have described as “other-worldly.” He even owns “Amazing Fantasy #15,” which features the first appearance of Spider-Man To top it off, he even appeared in a Marvel comic alongside The Punisher. 



  Eminem’s 2013 single “Rap God” proved that he was still on top of not only his game, but the rap genre in general. This track features an astounding 1,551 words in total, which set a record for most words in a hit single. How did he fit so many words into one single track? Well, one verse features an outrageous 97 words in just 15 seconds - an average of 6.5 words per second. While others may try to claim the title of the King, there is no doubt that when it comes to dropping rhymes Eminem is all-powerful.  

#2: Elton John Helped Him Kick Drugs

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  Eminem has had trouble with drugs at several points in his life. It got so bad in the mid-2000s that he nearly died, overdosing on methadone. A long-time friend helped him recover – none other than Sir Elton John. Em isn’t the first person Elton John has helped during a crisis: the singer famously assisted Robert Downey Jr. with his substance abuse and the Beckhams with their marriage. Having been friends for years, John would call Em every week to check up on his progress and recovery, with Em referring to him as a sponsor. 



  Eminem didn’t exactly have a stable home life when he was a child. He and his mother moved frequently, rarely staying in one place for more than a year. Constantly being the new kid made him an easy target for bullies. Once, when he was 9-years-old, he was beaten so badly that he spent over a week in a coma. When another beating gave him a concussion and nearly cost him his vision in his left-eye, his mother filed a lawsuit against the Detroit school system for $10,000. It is for this reason that Em has frequently spoken out against bullying over the years.       Do you agree with our list? What do you think is the most surprising fact about Eminem? For more amazing Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.