The Source 2000

JULY 2000 ISSUE OF 'THE SOURCE', AND THEIR COVER ARTICLE ON EM'

"Slim Shady is one obnoxious muthafucka. But the fans love him. Like WWF'sThe Rock, he is "the people's champion." A 5'9" purveyor of mayhem whosemiddle finger never seems to bow down. A rebellious yet twisted individualwho claims to be "the one man on the planet that'll drive off of the GrandCanyon, jump out of a Grand Am and land in a handstand."

On this very warm day in Los Angeles, he's riding a Sharper Image scooter upand down the parking lot of Raleigh Studios. On day two of a three-day videoshoot for his controversial single, "The Real Slim Shady," the real SlimShady scoots around his trailer in full view literally. With the exceptionof a hospital gown, he's buck-naked.

"I keep it gangster for everyone to see," he says, moonin' and scootin'around the lot. A few more spins around the trailer and America's mostangst-filled white MC explodes. "I'm fuckin' crazy!! Yeah, I'll admit it: I'm fuckin' crazy!!! I'll kill you and you and you and yoooouuuuuU -I keepit gangster. If you don't like it, then KISS MY AAASSSSS!"Given that he hasn't hit a blunt or popped an ecstasy tab not even caffeinesince he's arrived, ya gotta wonder: What the fuck is wrong with this kid?

Well, in order to understand this product of the Motor City, try to divideand evaluate the trio of characters that make fans love him and critics hatehim. First there's Eminem, the dues-payin', rhyme-slayin' MC, who's taken onanybody with a mic since the age of 16. Then there's Slim Shady, the snotty,middle finger-swingin', homosexual-bashin' fuckwho entered Em's life during a toilet session in 1997. Finally, there'sMarshall Mathers, the recently married father of one, who craves a regularlife in suburbia.

For every time Marshall Mathers would like to kick back in the comforts ofhis own living room, Eminem is called to duty. For every stupid question andevery ounce of criticism thrown at Eminern, Slim Shady reacts. And everyday,all day, all three collide in an emotional fist-and-elbow free-for-all forthe title of Soul Controller.

In March of 1999, a video featuring one of the most unique wordsmiths toever grace the pages of this magazine's Unsigned Hype column received MTV'sred-carpet entrance into the music world: The Buzz Clip. But even withEminem's impressive underground track record and the backing of hip-hop'smost respected producer, it was hard to tell how the world would receive this zany individual.

What we did know was that he was own of the more interesting characters tohit the music scene in a good minute. He could rap his ass off, with hisstyle of rhymin' being a mixture of devious humor and overdoses of shockvalue. Oh, yeah, and he's white.

For the next 12 months, this product of Detroit's trailer parks hit the hip-pop world with the might of an avalanche. In the process, he changedevery perception hip-hoppers had of white MCs years after 3rd Bass went MIA.The doors were officially open to critics who pro-ceeded to condemn him as"Amerikkka's' wet dream" and nothing more than a reality check for the hip-hop nation. Essentially, went the argument, if hip-hop's largestconsumer base was suburban white kids, they now had a leader. Attacks onEminem's character, on hishard-earned reputation and surprise! his skin color were unleashed by everyone from the music media to his underground peers. Meanwhile, the sales ofThe Slim Shady LP climbed higher, the awards kept comin', and the rep gotbigger.

One year later, Eminem has done the Dew. With brain-stainin' appearancesleft and right, the underground MC turned pop icon has become one of themost anticipated artists in the history of the sport. .And like with mosticons, not everyone's waiting to see a happy ending.

See, things just ain't the same for pranksters. Three days before his videoshoot, a visibly tired Eminem doesn't want to do anything except nothing ona brisk New York night in April. Earlier in the day, he had popped twosleeping pills for the long flight from LA to New York. Unfortunately, thepills didn't kick in 'til he landed. Throughout the day, a drowsy Em did aslew of interviews and posed for countlesspictures with a bong for a European publication. The lack of any real restprevents him from enjoying his first night stay in NY.

The last time this writer sat with Em, he and his consiglieri Paul had cometo play the "My Name Is" video a few days prior to its debut on MTV. Andnow, two Grammys, a triple platinum album and two new tattoos later Eminernis still as calm as the day he played his video in THE SOURCE'S conferenceroom.

Before his commercial success, Eminem's visits to New York didn't involvedealings with the press. They involved battles, ciphers and appearances atsmall, dark and dingy nightclubs, like'Wetlands, where he'd promote himselfand his Slim Shady EP. Despite not being signed, Em earned the rep of aschool bully in the underground circuit that spannedfrom Detroit to New York.

"The transition of being a regular muthafucka to now happens so fast. Like,from the day after we shot that ["My Name Is"] video, I remember shit justmoving so fast. It was like I got the Buzz Clip on MTV, then ridiculous shitjust started happening. Like, I went from being home all the time to neverseeing my girl to being out on the road to bitches throwing themselves atme. Shit was like a movie, the shit you see in movies."

The motion picture of Em's hip-hop life started shooting in Warren, Michiganwhen he was 15, and his late Uncle Ronnie introduced himto the Breakin 'soundtrack. Soon after, an injection of LL Cool J's classicBigger And Deffer caused young Marshall Mathers to makea personal commitment to rockin' the mic. Unfortunately/fortunately, hispassion for rhymin' caused him to drop out of Lincoln High Schoolin 1989 after failing to pass the ninth grade for a second time.

The next five years were spent developing rhymes and cutting demos. Butwhile Em strived to per fect his craft, his skin color made his chosen hobbyan extremely difficult task. "The first time I grabbed the mic at TheShelter , I got dissed. I only

said, like, three words, and I was already gettin' booed as soon as the mic was handed to me. I was like, 'This is fucked.' I started getting scared, like, 1s this gonna happen? What the fuck is gonna happen? Am I gonna make it or not?"'

Along the way, Em aligned himself with Jeff and Mark Bass, two DJ/producer siblings looking for a rapper to be in their group. But with no education, no real industry contacts and minimal support from family members, Em soon found himself flippin' burgers at local fast food joints. In1995, he took the loot from his income tax refund and pressed up a single and B-side called "Backstabbers" b/w "Biteaphobia." Extreme color-criticisms, lack of finances and the untimely death of his uncle/best friend, Ronnie, finally discouraged Em to a point when he unplugged his mic and called it a day. That is, until the Bass Brothers  convinced him to record 'Infinite'.

The six-cut EP was originally put together for Jive Records, who hadexpressed interest in a Bass Brothers project. But the deal fell through. To make matters even worse, Em and his girifriend, Kim were expecting a baby girl that Christmas. " It was a struggle to know that I had a little girl and couldn't afford to raise her," says Eminem his tired eyes reflecting an equally exhausting past. "I'm like, 'Fuck, can't afford to buy my daughter diapers.' I literally didn't have shit. So when I hit 23, that was like a wakeup point for me. Like, 1 gotta do something now.' That's when I started getting into every single battle in Detroit. Every competition. It was do or die for me."

Shortly after the birth of Hailie Jade, Em and members of his crew D-12 (Dirty Dozen), took an all-or-nothing ride down to the How Can I Be Down? seminar in Miami. While there, Em met Rap Coalitioi founder Wendy Day, who, after obtaining a copy of his 'Infinite' EP invited him to her annual Rao Olymoics. The $500 cash Drize could do some good. "I went with the mind frame that I was not gonna lose," he recalls. "I needed that cash soooo bad" I had a Job but I was working part time so I could do my rapshit."

Even today, witnesses argue about the outcome. Most heads who were there will say that, indeed, Em should've won. Ultimately, it didn't matter. Oneof those witnesses was an assistant to Interscope Records honcho Jimmy

lovine. "He came up to me afterwards and I didn't know he was anybody from anything," remembers Eminern with a smile. "He was like, 'Yo, you got a tape or anything?' I was all pissed, like, 'Yeah, here just take it.' Not knowing that he was gonna play it for Jimmy, and Jimmy was gonna play it for Dre."

When word started spreading that the legendary Dr. Dre had decided to make a white rapper the next heir to a gangsta legacy that spanned over 10 years, muthafuckas straight bugged out. It had been years since the man responsible for making N.W.A. Snoop Dogg and Death Row household names in rap had made any kind of noise. His most recent projects, 'Dr. Dre Presents The Aftermath' and 'The Firm' were dismissed as failures by consumers and critics alike.

For Eminem, the pressure was growing by the minute: Could this kid be the spark that would reignite Dr. Dre? Or would the white-boy MC from Motown put out the fire for good? "I felt I brought out something out of Dre that he always had in him," says Eminem. "I just helped bring it out again, and he did the same for me. Dre taught me things that I would have never known had I not known Dre. I learned to do things with my voice that I never thought possible. Before I used to just rap; I was good at rhymin' words. Now, I'm able to rhyme a word with a certain attitude that I didn't have before."

The results of the unlikely combo proved that the Good Doctor still had what it took to make hits-not to mention, rack up countless awards, including a Grammy for best rap album. But still the criticism mounted. Those who were unaware of his background as an MC brought the heat down on Em for being the white guy in a predominantly Black art form."I don't give a shit what people say," comments Eminem obviously tired of the backlash. "I am what I am. Do your fuckin homework on me. I came out and people knew right off the bat I wasn't tryin' to be Black. I wasn't tryin' to be anything I'm not. I was tryin' to give a reflection of my life. This is what everybody did when I was growing up; this what the fuck I'm gonna do. That 'because he's white' shit, that's a fuckin' copout to me. As much shit as l've had to fuckin' prove, I've been the underdog in this fuckin' game bein' white. I mean. I'm not stupid. I know how society is. But l've been an underdog in this game. I think I've more than proven myself Tme and time again. And I'm not gonna stop proving myself."

Without letting his "My Name Is" single paint the definitive picture of his true MCin' skills, Em went back to the underground on a track-rippin' spree-after his album hit the multi platinum mark. Memorable appearances on Dre's 'Chronic 2001', Funkmaster Flex & Big Kap's 'The Tunnel', and The Notorious B.I.G's 'Born Again', as well as the strictly indie, strictly vinyl release of the now classic "Bad Meets Evil" on Game Records, brought new light to "that ill-ass white boy."

"All I was looking for was for respect," says Eminem, when asked about his decision to guest appear on cuts even after his own LP had done so well commercially. "Not the money, not the fame. I mean, yeah, that comes along with it, and it pays the bills, but more than anything, a real MC wants to get respect over anything. I'm sure every time Jadakiss or Jay-Z sit down with a pen and a pad, they're rappin' because they fuckin' know they're one of the best, and they want to get that respect when they write." Marshall Mathers is on his cell phone, talking to his 5-year-old Hailie about a picture she had drawn for him while he was on the road. "No, you have to color another one," he says in singsongy voice. "You gotta color me one everyday. You don't have to color me one now, do it tomorrow. You watchin' a scary movie? Hailie? Helloooo? Are you talking to me? Yeah? What did you watch? Oh, yeah? Daddy gonna come home and bite your butt."

Marshall seems like a cool cat despite the fact that his occupation as a rap superstar takes a toll on his free time-and he sometimes shows it. With most of his time spent on the road, Marshall hasn't yet had the chance to soak in the results of Eminem's hard work. On this quiet night at New York's SoHo Grand Hotel, he would rather be home with his loved ones watching TV, playing video games, taking his daughter out to Chuck E. Cheese, mowing the lawn, taking out the garbage or washing the dishes than speaking into a tape recorder. Yep, the B-side to the Eminem/Slim Shady duet that the hip-hop and pop world have been getting used to is actually a family man. And much to everyone's surprise, Marshall has married his longtime girlfriend/baby momma, Kim the same "Kim" who he murked off on "97 Bonnie and Clyde" from Slim Shady('The Slim Shady LP') and who once again gets offed on the very disturbing "Kim" from 'The Marshall Mathers LP'. "I don't feel no different," admits Marshall (or is it Eminem this time?) for the first time since the news of his marriage made minimal headlines last winter. "I've been with her for so long that even if we wasn't married, we'd be going through the same shit. I figured I would secure the shit down at home, 'cause realistically, truthfully, that's what I need. That's the main thing that keeps my head leveled, having that security at home. I would go crazy if I came home to a house by myself."

And you'd probably go crazy, too, especially if strangers and neighbors constantly knocked on your door or routinely drove by your house, hoping to get a glimpse of you. Crazy to the point where you would brandish a licensed gun in the face of a stranger at your door with unknown intentions. Without warning. Slim Shady addresses the situation: "Muthafuckas come to my house and violate my property, my space," he spits. "If I don't know you, and my daughter's home, and I feel you're any kind of threat to me whatsoever, you're gonna get a gun in your face. That, above all, is like the ultimate disrespect, to come to my door when you don't know me."

You'd probably go even crazier if the woman responsible for your birth was suing you for $10 million. Late last year, Eminem/Slim Shady/Marshall Mathers's mother, Debbie R. Mathers-Briggs, filed a lawsuit claiming that he had defamed her character in his music and in the press. Due to Ms. Mathers's lack of evidence, Marshall's words and actions are being monitored for any signs of character defamation on his part. The topic hits Shady's emotions hard, but it's 

Marshall, the family guy, who reponds, choosing his words wisely. "Ever since my success, shit hasn't been all good with me and her. She wants to act like it is, and talk all this shit about 1 love my son, and this is just a lesson that he's gotta learn. I love my son, but I'm suing him for $10 million.' In other words, Tm trying to take everything he's worked for away from him but I love my son.' C'mon, man, gimme a fuckin' break."

And though he tries, Marshall Mathers can't hide his pain. He'll temper his answers with a calm exterior, but years of inner turmoil are released through his music. Unfortunately, Mama Mathers doesn't seem to agree with the content, especially when she's the subject of his demented humor. "There's a lotta shit that I'm bitter for in my past that my mother has done to me that I never forgave her for 'til this day. And that's what sparked that whole thing. There's shit that I'm still bitter about that she won't admit to, to my face, and all I want is an apology and I can't get it. To tell you the truth, I could never look at her in the face again. For real."

Back at Raleigh Studios in LA, Slim Shady freestyles for the camera: "When I bruise men and slice nerds and dice words like mice turds/ The icebergs of the equilibrium circumference repulsivates the mouth/ Drawing to the flux capacitor at 2,000 gigawatts..." And without another second to think about what just came out of his mouth. Slim starts to frolic around on the video set.

Despite any observations to the contrary, don't get it twisted: Slim Shady is at the heart of Eminem and Marshall Mathers's success. His "fuck you, eat one and if you don't like it, suck a dick and die" attitude is the fuel behind his jet-propelled rise to hip~op's top. It's also the catalyst for many a puritan tongue to wag. It's because of Slim Shady that Eminern has had to remove certain lines off his album. It's because of Slim Shady that Eminern responded to Will Smith's views on hardcore hip-hop. And it's because of Slim Shady that Eminem has become an icon to the rebel youth of white America. But to the seemingly schizophrenic, somewhat psychotic MC, the weight of such status is not lost. "It would be stupid to say that I'm not a role model for these kids, 'cause I realize that there are kids buying my CDs that look up to me," he says. "But at the same time. I'm tellin' them not to do this, don't do the shit that I do. Don't copy off me. I'm not tryingto be a role model. I'm not trying to baby-sit kids. I got one little girl, and that's my main concern. That's who I gotta raise right; that's who I have to watch my mouth around."

And after all is said and done, after all the chips are counted and all the accolades duly noted for the record, the only one who remains is still the same, regular cat from Detroit. "Hip-hop is my life. It's always been my life. But I'm a fuckin' human being. And I'm Marshall Mathers before I'm anything. Just a regular muthafucka that stands up for what he believes in. Slim Shady is the type of person who doesn't give a fuck, but there are limits to not giving a fuck. I'm true to my friends and family and I respect them and anyone in my circle. When I leave this rap game, I'm not lookin' for any of that 'He was the best,' or any of that shit. I just wanna be respected."