Recreational marijuana became legal in Canada.
Eminem (born October 17, 1972, St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S.) is an American rapper, record producer, and actor who is known as one of the most-controversial and best-selling artists of the early 21st century. He was the first recording artist to have 10 consecutive albums debut at number one on the Billboard album chart.
Born Marshall Mathers, he had a turbulent childhood, marked by poverty and allegations of abuse. At age 14 he began rapping in clubs in Detroit, Michigan, and, when unexcused absences kept him in the ninth grade for the third year, he quit school, determined to make it in hip-hop music. As Eminem, he made a name for himself in the hip-hop underground, both as a solo artist and as a member of the Detroit-based rap sextet D12 (also known as the Dirty Dozen).
When Eminem placed second in the freestyle category at the 1997 Rap Olympics in Los Angeles, he came to the attention of Dr. Dre, founding member of pioneering rappers N.W.A. and the head of Aftermath Entertainment. By that time Eminem had developed the persona of the inhibitionless Slim Shady, who gave voice to Eminemβs id in often vulgar and violent lyrics. With Dr. Dre as his producer and mentor, Eminem released The Slim Shady LP early in 1999.
Benefiting from the inventive channel-surfing music video for the hit song βMy Name Isβ and the instant credibility of Dr. Dreβs involvement, the album sold several million copies, and Eminem won two Grammy Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards.
His first album, Infinite (1996), sold poorly, however, and he continued to work menial jobs.