Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American pop singer. She began performing in the rock music scene of New York City's Lower East Side in 2003 and enrolled at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She soon signed with Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records. During her early time at Interscope, she worked as a songwriter for fellow label artists and captured the attention of Akon, who recognized her vocal abilities, and signed her to his own label, Kon Live Distribution.
Released on August 19, 2008, her debut album, The Fame, reached number one in the UK, Canada, Austria, Germany and Ireland as well as accomplishing positions within the top-ten in numerous countries worldwide; in the United States, it peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart and topped Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Its first two singles, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face", co-written and co-produced with RedOne, became international number-one hits, topping the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States as well as the charts of other countries. The album, which later earned a total of six Grammy Award nominations, won the awards for Best Electronic/Dance Album and Best Dance Recording for "Poker Face". In early 2009, she embarked on her first headlining tour, The Fame Ball Tour. By the fourth quarter of the year, she had released her EP, The Fame Monster, along with the global chart-topping lead single "Bad Romance", as well as having embarked on her second headlining tour of the year, The Monster Ball Tour. Her second album, Born This Way, is scheduled for release in 2011.[2]
Lady Gaga is inspired by glam rock artists such as David Bowie and Queen, as well as pop singers such as Madonna and Michael Jackson. She has also stated fashion is a source of inspiration for her songwriting and performances. Gaga was ranked the 73rd Artist of the 2000–10 decade by Billboard.[3] As of August 2010, Gaga has sold more than 15 million albums and 51 million singles worldwide.[4][5] Both Time magazine and Forbes included Gaga in its annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world and the 100 Most Powerful and Influential celebrities in the world, respectively.[6][7] Forbes also placed her at number seven on their annual list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women.[8]
Contents [hide]
1 Life and career
1.1 1986–2004: Early life
1.2 2005–07: Career beginnings
1.3 2008–10: The Fame and The Fame Monster
1.4 2010–present: Born This Way
2 Musical style and influences
3 Public image
4 Discography
5 Tours
6 Awards and nominations
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links
Life and career
1986–2004: Early life
Lady Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta in New York City on March 28, 1986,[9] to an Italian American family, the eldest child of Joseph Germanotta, internet entrepreneur, and Cynthia (née Bissett).[10][11] She learned to play piano from the age of four, went on to write her first piano ballad at 13 and began performing at open mike nights by age 14.[12] At the age of 11, Gaga attended Convent of the Sacred Heart, a private Roman Catholic school on Manhattan's Upper East Side,[13][14] but has stressed that she does not come from a wealthy background, saying that her parents "both came from lower-class families, so we've worked for everything – my mother worked eight to eight out of the house, in telecommunications, and so did my father."[15] An avid thespian in high school musicals, Gaga portrayed lead roles as Adelaide in Guys and Dolls and Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.[16] She described her academic life in high school as "very dedicated, very studious, very disciplined" but also "a bit insecure" as she told in an interview, "I used to get made fun of for being either too provocative or too eccentric, so I started to tone it down. I didn’t fit in, and I felt like a freak."[17][18] Acquaintances dispute that she did not fit in school. "She had a core group of friends; she was a good student. She liked boys a lot, but singing was No. 1," recalled a former high school classmate.[19] Referring to her "expressive, free spirit", Gaga told Elle magazine "I'm left-handed!"[20]
At age 17, Gaga gained early admission to the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and lived in a NYU dorm on 11th Street. There she studied music and improved her songwriting skills by composing essays and analytical papers focusing on topics such as art, religion, social issues and politics.[12][21] Gaga felt that she was more creative than some of her classmates. "Once you learn how to think about art, you can teach yourself," she said. By the second semester of her sophomore year, she withdrew from the school to focus on her musical career.[22] Her father agreed to pay her rent for a year, on the condition that she re-enroll for Tisch if she was unsuccessful. "I left my entire family, got the cheapest apartment I could find, and ate shit until somebody would listen," she said.[16]
2005–07: Career beginnings
Gaga (right) performing with Lady Starlight (left) at "Lollapalooza 2007".Gaga had initially signed with Def Jam Recordings at the age of 19, although she was dropped by the label after only three months.[23] Shortly after, her former management company introduced her to songwriter and producer RedOne, whom they also managed.[24] The first song she produced with RedOne was "Boys Boys Boys",[24] a mash-up inspired by Mötley Crüe's "Girls, Girls, Girls" and AC/DC's "T.N.T."[25] She moved into an apartment on the Lower East Side and recorded a couple of songs with hip-hop singer Grandmaster Melle Mel for an audio book accompanying the children's book The Portal in the Park by Cricket Casey.[26] She also started the Stefani Germanotta Band with some friends from NYU. They recorded an EP of their ballads at a studio underneath a liquor store in New Jersey, becoming a local fixture at the downtown Lower East Side club scene.[16] She began experimenting with drugs soon after, while performing at neo-burlesque shows.[13] Her father did not understand the reason behind her drug intake and could not look at her for several months.[13][25] Music producer Rob Fusari, who helped her write some of her earlier songs, compared some of her vocal harmonies to that of Freddie Mercury.[27] Fusari helped create the moniker Gaga, after the Queen song "Radio Ga Ga". Gaga was in the process of trying to come up with a stage name when she received a text message from Fusari that read "Lady Gaga."[28] He explained,
Every day, when Stef came to the studio, instead of saying hello, I would start singing 'Radio Ga Ga'. That was her entrance song. [Lady Gaga] was actually a glitch; I typed 'Radio Ga Ga' in a text and it did an autocorrect so somehow 'Radio' got changed to 'Lady'. She texted me back, "That's it." After that day, she was Lady Gaga. She’s like, "Don't ever call me Stefani again."[28]
Gaga performing at "The Bazaar" in Atlanta, Georgia.She was known thereafter as Lady Gaga.[25] The New York Post, however, has reported that this story is incorrect, and that the name resulted from a marketing meeting.[19] Throughout 2007, Gaga collaborated with performance artist Lady Starlight, who helped create her onstage fashions.[29] The pair began playing gigs at downtown club venues like the Mercury Lounge, The Bitter End, and the Rockwood Music Hall, with their live performance art piece known as "Lady Gaga and the Starlight Revue."[30][31] Billed as "The Ultimate Pop Burlesque Rockshow", their act was a low-fi tribute to 1970s variety acts.[32][33] In August 2007, Gaga and Starlight were invited to play at the American Lollapalooza music festival.[34] The show was critically acclaimed, and their performance received positive reviews.[12][30] Having initially focused on avant-garde electronic dance music, Gaga found her musical niche when she began to incorporate pop melodies and the glam rock of David Bowie and Queen into her music.[35]
Fusari sent the songs he produced with Gaga to his friend, producer and record executive Vincent Herbert.[36] Herbert was quick to sign her to his label Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records, upon its establishment in 2007.[37] She credited Herbert as the man who discovered her, adding "I really feel like we made pop history, and we're gonna keep going".[36] Having already served as an apprentice songwriter under an internship at Famous Music Publishing, which was later acquired by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Gaga subsequently struck a music publishing deal with Sony/ATV.[38] As a result, she was hired to write songs for Britney Spears and labelmates New Kids on the Block, Fergie, and the Pussycat Dolls.[38] While Gaga was writing at Interscope, singer-songwriter Akon recognized her vocal abilities when she sang a reference vocal for one of his tracks in studio.[39] He then convinced Interscope-Geffen-A&M Chairman and CEO Jimmy Iovine to form a joint deal by having her also sign with his own label Kon Live Distribution[23] and later called her his "franchise player."[40] Gaga continued her collaboration with RedOne in the studio for a week on her debut album,[38] spawning the future singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face." She also joined the roster of Cherrytree Records, an Interscope imprint established by producer and songwriter Martin Kierszenbaum, after co-writing four songs with Kierszenbaum including the single "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)."[38]
2008–10: The Fame and The Fame Monster
By 2008, Gaga had relocated to Los Angeles, working closely with her record label to finalize her debut album The Fame.[25] She combined different genres on the album, "from Def Leppard drums and hand claps to metal drums on urban tracks".[23] The Fame received positive reviews from critics; according to the music review aggregation of Metacritic, it garnered an average score of 71/100.[41] The album peaked at number one in Austria, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland, and the top-five in Australia and the United States.[42][43] Worldwide, The Fame has sold over twelve million copies.[44] Its lead single "Just Dance", topped the charts in six countries—Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States—and later received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording.[45] The following single, "Poker Face", was an even greater success, reaching number-one in almost all major music markets in the world, including the United Kingdom and the United States.[46] It won the award for Best Dance Recording at the 52nd Grammy Awards, over nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The Fame was nominated for Album of the Year; it won the Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album.[47] Although her first concert tour happened as an opening act for fellow Interscope pop group, the reformed New Kids on the Block,[48] she ultimately headlined her own concert tour, The Fame Ball Tour, which began on March 2009, and was critically appreciated.[49]
Gaga at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.The cover of the annual "Hot 100" issue of Rolling Stone in May 2009 featured a semi-nude Gaga wearing only strategically placed plastic bubbles.[27][50] In the issue she said that while she was beginning her career in the New York club scene, she was romantically involved with a heavy metal drummer. She described their relationship and break-up, saying of it, "I was his Sandy, and he was my Danny [of Grease], and I just broke." He later became an inspiration behind some of the songs on The Fame.[50] She was nominated for a total of nine awards at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, winning the award for "Best New Artist", while her single "Paparazzi" won two awards for "Best Art Direction" and "Best Special Effects."[51] In October, Gaga received Billboard magazine's Rising Star of 2009 award.[52] She attended the Human Rights Campaign's "National Dinner" the same month, before marching in the National Equality March in Washington, D.C.[53][54] Gaga released The Fame Monster, a collection of eight songs that dealt with the darker side of fame as experienced by her over the course of 2008–2009, while travelling around the world and are expressed through a monster metaphor. Her second concert tour, The Monster Ball Tour, was announced in support of The Fame Monster and began in November 2009.[55] "Bad Romance" was released as the first single from the album and topped the charts in eighteen countries, while reaching the top-two in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.[56][57] "Speechless", a song from The Fame Monster, was performed at The 2009 Royal Variety Performance where Gaga met and sang for Queen Elizabeth II.[58]
Gaga performing in 2010 at The Monster Ball TourGaga was chosen as of one the "10 Most Fascinating People of 2009" by Barbara Walters during Walters' annual ABC News special. When interviewed by the journalist, the singer went to dismiss the claim that she is intersex as an urban legend, responding to a question on this issue by stating: "At first it was very strange and everyone sorta said, 'That's really quite a story!' But in a sense, I portray myself in a very androgynous way, and I love androgyny."[59] In January 2010, she was named chief creative officer for a line of imaging products for Polaroid, stating that she will create fashion, technology and photography products.[60] The second single from The Fame Monster, "Telephone", which features R&B singer Beyoncé, became her fourth UK number-one single.[61] In March, Rob Fusari sued Gaga's production company Mermaid Music LLC, claiming that he was entitled to a 20% share of its earnings. Gaga's lawyer Charles Ortner described the agreement with Fusari as "unlawful" and declined to comment.[62] In August, the New York Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit.[63] In April, it was reported that her music videos gained over one billion viral views, becoming one of the first artists to reach this milestone.[64] Later that month, Gaga was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people of the year.[65] While giving an interview to The Times, Gaga hinted at having Systemic lupus erythematosus, commonly referred to as lupus, which is a connective tissue disease.[66] She later confirmed with Larry King that she does not have lupus but "the results were borderline positive".[67] Gaga, with Elton John, is planning to release a duet called "Hello, Hello" for the soundtrack to the forthcoming animated Disney feature film Gnomeo and Juliet.[68] In September 2010, Gaga signed a deal with Coty, Inc. to create a fragrance.[69] It will be called "Monster" and is scheduled to launch in 2012.[70]
2010–present: Born This Way
By March 2010, in an interview with MTV United Kingdom, Gaga stated that she had begun work on her new studio album and already finished writing the core theme of it.[71] Three months later, in an interview with Rolling Stone, she stated that her second studio album was finished. She remarked: "It came so quickly. I've been working on it for months, and I feel very strongly that it's finished right now. Some artists take years. I don't. I write music every day."[72] She announced the title of the album, Born This Way, during her acceptance speech for Video of the Year at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.[73] With already two tracks confirmed by Gaga, "Born This Way", and "You and I"—the latter she has been performing during The Monster Ball Tour—the album is scheduled for release in 2011.[74]
Musical style and influences
Lady Gaga "Just Dance"
A 30-second sample of Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" featuring the chorus sung by Lady Gaga and Colby O'Donis in the range of B3 to C♯, backed by a synth marching beat. The song became her first international hit single.
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Gaga has been influenced by glam rock artists such as David Bowie and Queen, as well as pop music artists such as Madonna, Britney Spears and Michael Jackson.[23][75][76] The Queen song "Radio Ga Ga" inspired her stage name, "Lady Gaga".[19][77] She commented: "I adored Freddie Mercury and Queen had a hit called 'Radio Gaga'. That's why I love the name [...] Freddie was unique – one of the biggest personalities in the whole of pop music."[76] Madonna told Rolling Stone that she sees "[her]self in Lady Gaga."[78] In response to the comparisons between herself and Madonna, Gaga stated: "I don't want to sound presumptuous, but I've made it my goal to revolutionise pop music. The last revolution was launched by Madonna 25 years ago."[76] Actress and singer Grace Jones was also cited as an inspiration, along with Blondie singer Debbie Harry.[79][80][81]
Gaga's vocals have drawn frequent comparison to those of Madonna and Gwen Stefani, while the structure of her music is said to echo classic 1980s pop and 1990s Europop.[82] While reviewing her debut album The Fame, The Sunday Times asserted "in combining music, fashion, art and technology, Lady GaGa evokes Madonna, Gwen Stefani circa 'Hollaback Girl', Kylie Minogue 2001 or Grace Jones right now."[83] Similarly, The Boston Globe critic Sarah Rodman commented that she draws "obvious inspirations from Madonna to Gwen Stefani... in [her] girlish but sturdy pipes and bubbly beats."[84] Though her lyrics are said to lack intellectual stimulation, "[she] does manage to get you moving and grooving at an almost effortless pace."[85] Music critic Simon Reynolds wrote that "Everything about Gaga came from electroclash, except the music, which wasn't particularly 1980s, just ruthlessly catchy naughties pop glazed with Auto-Tune and undergirded with R&B-ish beats.[86] In early 2009, Gaga described M.I.A. as her "fellow hard working female art student," comparing herself to her and identifying with the musician's work ethic.[87] In 2010, M.I.A. stated "people say we’re similar...[but] none of her music’s reflective of how weird she wants to be or thinks she is. (She) models herself on Grace Jones and Madonna but the music sounds like 20 year-old Ibiza disco." Regarding the M.I.A. inspired song "Chillin" by Lady Gaga and Wale, she added that she felt Gaga had talent but that she was "the industry's last stab at making itself important."[88][89] Similarly, another of Gaga's inspirations, Grace Jones, said she was irritated by Gaga's imitation of her style, saying "I've seen some things she's worn that I've worn, and that does kind of piss me off,” Jones said, adding "I really don’t think of her at all. I go about my business. (I'd) just prefer to work with someone who is more original and someone who is not copying me, actually."[89]
Gaga wearing a plastic bubble dress while performing on The Fame Ball Tour.Gaga has identified fashion as a major influence.[13][22] She considers Donatella Versace her muse.[13] Gaga has her own creative production team called the Haus of Gaga, which she handles personally. The team creates many of her clothes, stage props, and hairdos.[90] Her love of fashion came from her mother, who she stated was "always very well kept and beautiful."[10] "When I'm writing music, I'm thinking about the clothes I want to wear on stage. It's all about everything altogether—performance art, pop performance art, fashion. For me, it's everything coming together and being a real story that will bring back the super-fan. I want to bring that back. I want the imagery to be so strong that fans will want to eat and taste and lick every part of us."[22] The Global Language Monitor named "Lady Gaga" as the Top Fashion Buzzword with her trademark "no pants" coming in at No. 3.[91] Entertainment Weekly put her outfits on its end of the decade "best-of" list, saying, "Whether it's a dress made of Muppets or strategically placed bubbles, Gaga's outré ensembles brought performance art into the mainstream."[92]
Critical reception of Gaga's music, fashion sense and persona are mixed. Her status as a role model, trailblazer and fashion icon is by turns affirmed and denied.[93][94][95][96] Gaga's albums have received mostly positive reviews,[41] with critics pointing out her unique place in pop music, the need for new movements in popular culture, the attention Gaga brings to important social issues, and the inherently subjective nature of her art.[97][98][99] Her role as a self-esteem booster for her fans is also lauded, as is her role in breathing life into the fashion industry.[100] Her performances are described as "highly entertaining and innovative"; in particular, the blood-spurting performance of "Paparazzi" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards was described as "eye-popping" by MTV.[101] She continued the "blood soaked" theme in The Monster Ball Tour, in which she wears a revealing leather corset and is "attacked" by a performer dressed in black who gnaws on her throat, causing "blood" to spurt down her chest, after which she lies "dying" in a pool of blood. Her performances of that scene in Manchester, England triggered protests from family groups and fans in the aftermath of a local tragedy, in which a taxi driver had murdered 12 people.[102] "What happened in Bradford is very fresh in people's minds and given all the violence which happened in Cumbria just hours earlier, it was insensitive," said Lynn Costello of Mothers Against Violence.[103] Chris Rock later defended her flamboyant, provocative behavior. "Well, she's Lady Gaga," he said. "She's not 'Lady Behave Yourself.' Do you want great behavior from a person named Gaga? Is this what you were expecting?"[104]
Gaga's treatment of her fans as "Little Monsters" has inspired additional criticism, due to the highly commercial nature of her music and image.[94] To some, this dichotomy contravenes the concept of outsider culture. Writing for The Guardian, Kitty Empire opined that the dichotomy "...allows the viewer to have a 'transgressive' experience without being required to think. At [her performance's] core, though, is the idea that Gaga is at one with the freaks and outcasts. The Monster Ball is where we can all be free. This is arrant nonsense, as the scads of people buying Gaga's cunningly commercial music are not limited to the niche worlds of drag queens and hip night creatures from which she draws her inspiration. But Gaga seems sincere."[105] Camille Paglia wrote a cover story "Lady Gaga and the death of sex" on September 12, 2010, in The Sunday Times[106] in which she asserts that Gaga "is more an identity thief than an erotic taboo breaker, a mainstream manufactured product who claims to be singing for the freaks, the rebellious and the dispossessed when she is none of those."[107]
Public image
Contrary to her outré style, the New York Post described her early look as like "a refugee from Jersey Shore" with "big black hair, heavy eye makeup and tight, revealing clothes."[19] Gaga is a natural brunette; she bleached her hair blonde because she was often mistaken for Amy Winehouse.[10] She often refers to her fans as her 'little monsters' and got a tattoo with that inscription as a tribute.[108] She has another six known tattoos, among them a peace symbol, which was inspired by John Lennon whom she stated was her hero,[77] and a curling German script on her left arm which quotes the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, her favorite philosopher, commenting that his "philosophy of solitude" spoke to her.[109] Toward the end of 2008, comparisons were made between the fashions of Lady Gaga and recording artist Christina Aguilera, noting similarities in their styling, hair, and make-up.[13] Aguilera later said she was "completely unaware of [Gaga]" and "didn't know if it [was] a man or a woman."[13] Gaga released a statement in which she welcomed the comparisons, due to the attention providing useful publicity, saying, "She's such a huge star and if anything I should send her flowers, because a lot of people in America didn't know who I was until that whole thing happened. It really put me on the map in a way."[110][111] Comparisons continued into 2010 when Aguilera released the music video of her single "Not Myself Tonight". Critics noted similarities between the song and its accompanying music video with Gaga's video for "Bad Romance".[112] There have also been similar comparisons made between Lady Gaga's style and that of fashion icon Dale Bozzio from the band Missing Persons. Some have considered their respective images to be strikingly parallel although fans of Missing Persons note that Bozzio had pioneered the look more than thirty years earlier.[113]
Gaga delivers a speech at the National Equality March, October 11, 2009.Gaga attributes much of her early success as a mainstream artist to her gay fans and is considered to be a rising gay icon.[114] Early in her career she had difficulty getting radio airplay, and stated, "The turning point for me was the gay community. I've got so many gay fans and they're so loyal to me and they really lifted me up. They'll always stand by me and I'll always stand by them. It's not an easy thing to create a fanbase."[115] She thanked FlyLife, a Manhattan-based LGBT marketing company with whom her label Interscope works, in the liner notes of The Fame, saying, "I love you so much. You were the first heartbeat in this project, and your support and brilliance means the world to me. I will always fight for the gay community hand in hand with this incredible team."[116] One of her first televised performances was in May 2008 at the NewNowNext Awards, an awards show aired by the LGBT television network Logo, where she sang her song "Just Dance".[117] In June of the same year, she performed the song again at the San Francisco Pride event.[118] After The Fame was released, she revealed that the song "Poker Face" was about her bisexuality. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she spoke about how her boyfriends tended to react to her bisexuality, saying "The fact that I'm into women, they're all intimidated by it. It makes them uncomfortable. They're like, 'I don't need to have a threesome. I'm happy with just you'."[50] When she appeared as a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in May 2009, she praised DeGeneres for being "an inspiration for women and for the gay community".[119] She proclaimed that the October 11, 2009, National Equality March rally on the national mall was "the single most important event of her career." As she exited, she left with an exultant "Bless God and bless the gays,"[53] similar to her 2009 MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech for Best New Artist a month earlier.[120] In September 2010, she spoke at a rally in favor of repealing the US military's Don't ask, don't tell policy, which prohibits lesbian, gay and bisexual people from serving openly,[121] and released an online video urging her fans to contact their Senators in an effort to get the policy overturned. Editors of The Advocate commented that she had become the "fierce advocate" for gays and lesbians[122] that future president Barack Obama had promised to be during his campaign.[123]
Gaga's influence on modern culture and society has provoked the University of South Carolina into offering a full-time course titled "Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame"[124] in the objective of unravelling "the sociologically relevant dimensions of the fame of Lady Gaga with respect to her music, videos, fashion, and other artistic endeavors".[125]
Discography
Main article: Lady Gaga discography
The Fame (2008)
Born This Way (2011)
Tours
The Fame Ball Tour (2009)
The Monster Ball Tour (2009–11)
dinsdag 9 november 2010
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981)[1] is an American pop musician and actor. He has won six Grammy Awards as well as two Emmy Awards. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez. Timberlake became famous in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the boy band 'N Sync, whose launch was financed by Lou Pearlman.
In 2002, he released his debut solo album, Justified, which sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. The album was a commercial success, spawning the hits "Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body". Timberlake continued his success with his second solo album, FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and produced the US number-one hit singles "SexyBack", "My Love", and "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around".
Timberlake's first two albums made him one of the most commercially successful singers in the world, each selling in excess of 7 million copies. Aside from music, he has also begun an acting career, while his other ventures include record label Tennman Records, fashion label William Rast, and the restaurants Destino and Southern Hospitality.
Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Music career
2.1 1995–2002: 'N Sync
2.2 2002–04: Justified and Super Bowl
2.3 2004–06: Collaborations and acting
2.4 2006–07: FutureSex/LoveSounds
2.5 2007–10: Collaborations and acting
2.6 Other work
3 Other ventures
3.1 Business
3.2 Charitable causes
4 Personal life
5 Discography
5.1 Studio albums
5.2 Extended plays
5.3 DVDs
6 Tours
7 Filmography
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
Early life
Timberlake was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Lynn Harless (née Bomar) and Randall Timberlake.[1] Timberlake is of English descent, and has also claimed unconfirmed American Indian ancestry.[2] His paternal grandfather, Charles L. Timberlake, was a Baptist minister, and Timberlake was raised Baptist, though now considers himself more "spiritual than religious".[3]
Timberlake's parents divorced in 1985, and both have remarried. His mother, who now runs an entertainment company called Just-in Time Entertainment, remarried to Paul Harless, a banker, when her son was five. His father, a choir director at a Baptist church, has two children, Jonathan (born c. 1993) and Steven Robert (born August 14, 1998), from his second marriage to Lisa Perry. Timberlake's half-sister, Laura Katherine, died shortly after birth on May 14, 1997, and is mentioned in his acknowledgments in the album *NSYNC as "My Angel in Heaven."[4] Timberlake grew up in Shelby Forest, a middle class crime-free suburb between Memphis and Millington. His first attempts at a singing career were country music songs on Star Search as "Justin Randall."[5]
In 1993, Timberlake joined the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club. His castmates included future girlfriend and pop superstar Britney Spears, future tourmate Christina Aguilera, and future bandmate JC Chasez.[6] The show ended in 1994, but late in 1995 Timberlake recruited Chasez to be in an all-male singing group organized by boy band manager Lou Pearlman[7] that eventually became 'N Sync.
Music career
1995–2002: 'N Sync
Main article: 'N Sync
Timberlake and JC Chasez were the two lead singers of the popular 1990s boy band 'N Sync.[8] The group formed in 1995, started its career 1996 in Europe, and hit it big in the United States in 1998 with the U.S. release of its debut album *NSYNC, which sold 11 million copies.[9] The album included a number of hit singles, including "Tearin' Up My Heart". For the next two years, encouraged by similar developments with the Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync engaged in a lengthy legal battle with manager Lou Pearlman. Eventually the band signed with Jive Records.[10] In March 2000, 'N Sync released a long-awaited album, No Strings Attached, which became the fastest-selling album of all time with 2.4 million copies sold in its first week[11] and produced a #1 single, "It's Gonna Be Me". The release was followed by the band's third album, Celebrity, which was the second-fastest selling album of all time. In 2002, after the completion of a Celebrity Tour and the release of "Girlfriend", the third single from Celebrity, the group decided to take time off, at which point Timberlake began work on his first solo album and the group went into a hiatus. In its lifetime, 'N Sync was internationally famous and performed at the Academy Awards,[12] the Olympics,[13] and the Super Bowl,[14] as well as selling more than 50 million copies worldwide,[15] becoming the third-best selling boy band in history.[16]
In late 1999, Timberlake made his acting debut in the Disney Channel movie Model Behavior. He played Jason Sharpe, a model who falls in love with a waitress after mistaking her for another model. It was released on March 12, 2000.[17]
As a member of 'N Sync, Timberlake developed into a major celebrity in his own right in addition to achieving respect as a musician, since he was the writer or co-writer of all three singles from Celebrity. The rise of his own stardom and the general decline in the popularity of boy bands led to the dissolution of 'N Sync. Band member Lance Bass has stated that he believes the group is finished,[18] and is openly critical of Timberlake's actions in his memoir Out of Sync. On the other hand, Chris Kirkpatrick remarked in August 2008 that the five remain friends, and he believed a reunion was possible:[19] he repeated that opinion in October 2009.[20] In September 2008, Bass also made conciliatory comments.[21]
2002–04: Justified and Super Bowl
See also: Justified and Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy
In August 2002, after months of recording Justified, his debut solo album, Timberlake performed at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards. He premiered his first single, "Like I Love You", a sparse dance track produced by The Neptunes.[22] The song reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.[23] Following the single, Timberlake released Justified on November 5, 2002.[24] The album sold fewer copies than previous 'N Sync efforts. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 439,000 copies in its first week of release. It eventually went on to sell more than three million copies in the U.S. and more than seven million copies worldwide.[25] The album also received critical acclaim, thanks to its heavy R&B influence provided by hip-hop producers The Neptunes and Timbaland.[26] It spun off hits throughout late 2002 and 2003, including the top ten singles "Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body".[23] Timberlake supported the album by co-headlining the Justified/Stripped Tour with Christina Aguilera in the summer of 2003.[27] At the end of the year, Timberlake recorded a song entitled "I'm Lovin' It". It was used by McDonald's as the theme to its "I'm Lovin' It" campaign. The deal with McDonald's earned Timberlake an estimated $6 million. A tour entitled Justified and Lovin' It Live was included with the deal as well.[28] Timberlake was featured on Nelly's song, "Work It", which was remixed and included on Nelly's 2003 remix album.[29]
In February 2004, during the halftime show of the Super Bowl XXXVIII broadcast on the CBS television network, Timberlake performed with Janet Jackson before a television audience of more than 140 million viewers. At the end of the performance, as the song drew to a close, Timberlake tore off a part of Jackson's black leather costume in a "costume reveal" meant to accompany a portion of the song lyrics. According to CBS, "both Jackson and Timberlake had confirmed they planned it 'independently and clandestinely' without informing anyone."[30] Part of the costume detached, and Jackson's breast was briefly exposed.[31] Timberlake apologized for the incident, stating he was "sorry that anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the halftime performance of the Super Bowl...."[32] The phrase "wardrobe malfunction" has since been used by the media to refer to the incident and has entered pop culture.[33] As a result of the controversy, Timberlake and Jackson were threatened with exclusion from the 2004 Grammy Awards unless they agreed to apologize on screen at the event.[34] Timberlake attended and issued a scripted apology when accepting the first of two Grammy Awards he received that night (Best Pop Vocal Album for Justified and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Cry Me a River").[35] He had also been nominated for Album of the Year for Justified, Record of the Year for "Cry Me a River", and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Where Is the Love?" with The Black Eyed Peas.[36] In 2004 American Idol judge Simon Cowell described Timberlake in People Magazine as "just some white kid who's tried to act black over the last several years".
2004–06: Collaborations and acting
After the Super Bowl controversy, Timberlake put his recording career on hold to act in several films, having starred in a few feature films earlier in his music career.[6] The first role he took during this time was as a journalist in the thriller Edison Force, which was filmed in 2004 and received a direct-to-video release on July 18, 2006.[37] He also appeared in the films Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan, Richard Kelly's Southland Tales, and voiced Prince Artie Pendragon in the animated film Shrek the Third, released on May 18, 2007.[38] He also appeared as a young Elton John, in the video for John's song "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore".[39] Timberlake was considered to play the role of Roger Davis in the film version of the rock musical Rent, but director Chris Columbus had insisted that only the original Broadway members could convey the true meaning of Rent.[40]
He continued to record with other artists. After "Where Is the Love?", he again collaborated with the Black Eyed Peas on the 2005 track "My Style" from their album Monkey Business.[41] When recording the 2005 single "Signs" with Snoop Dogg, Timberlake discovered a throat condition.[42] Nodules were subsequently removed from his throat in an operation that took place on May 5, 2005.[43] He was advised not to sing or speak loudly for at least a few months.[44] In the summer of 2005, Timberlake started his own record company, JayTee Records.[45]
Timberlake made a cameo in the video for Nelly Furtado and Timbaland's single "Promiscuous", released on May 3, 2006.
2006–07: FutureSex/LoveSounds
Timberlake at a concert in St. Paul, Minnesota (2007)Timberlake released his second solo album, FutureSex/LoveSounds, on September 12, 2006.[46] The album, which Timberlake created in 2005, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 684,000 copies its first week.[46] It is the biggest album for pre-orders on iTunes, and beat Coldplay's record for the biggest one-week sales of a digital album.[47] The album was produced by Timbaland and Danja (who produced a bulk of the album), will.i.am, Rick Rubin and Timberlake himself, and features guest vocals by Snoop Dogg, Three 6 Mafia, T.I. and will.i.am.[48] A studio representative described it as being "all about sexiness" and aiming for "an adult feel".[43]
The album's lead single, "SexyBack", was performed by Timberlake at the opening of the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for seven consecutive weeks.[49] "My Love", the album's second single, also produced by Timbaland and featuring rapper T.I., reached number one on the Hot 100, as did third single "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around Interlude". The song is reported to have been inspired by the break-up of his childhood friend and business partner, Trace Ayala, with actress Elisha Cuthbert.[50] In October 2006, Timberlake said that he would focus on his music career rather than his film roles, specifying that leaving the music industry would be a "dumb thing to do at this point".[49] He was the special guest performer at the 2006 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show for being where he sang SexyBack. In January 2007, Timberlake embarked on the FutureSex/LoveShow tour. "Summer Love/Set the Mood Prelude" was the fourth U.S. single off the album, and the next single in the UK was "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows Interlude". The song "Give It to Me", a Timbaland single on which Timberlake guests with Nelly Furtado, reached the Hot 100 number-one spot.[51]
In February 2008, Timberlake was awarded two Grammy Awards. At the 50th Grammy Awards Ceremony, Timberlake won the Male Pop Performance Award for "What Goes Around...Comes Around", and the Dance Recording Award for "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows".[52]
2007–10: Collaborations and acting
In April 2007, Timberlake was seen entering a London studio with Madonna, thus confirming rumors that he was collaborating with her.[53] A song "4 Minutes", was first played by Timbaland at Philadelphia's Jingle Ball on December 17, 2007.[54] When released on March 17, 2008, "4 Minutes" was revealed to be a duet between Timberlake and Madonna, with backing vocals by Timbaland. It was lead single from Madonna's eleventh studio album Hard Candy, which featured four other song-writing collaborations with Timberlake. The single was an international hit, topping the charts in over 21 countries worldwide.[55] Timberlake also appears in the music video, which was directed by Jonas & François. On March 30, 2008, Timberlake performed the song at Madonna's Hard Candy Promo Show at Roseland Ballroom in New York City.[56] On November 6, 2008, Timberlake performed the song with Madonna on the Los Angeles stop of her Sticky & Sweet Tour.[57]
Around June 2007 Timberlake co-wrote, produced and provided vocals for the songs "Nite Runner" and "Falling Down" for Duran Duran's album Red Carpet Massacre, released on November 13, 2007. "Falling Down" had been released as a single in the UK on the previous day.[58]
Also in 2007, Timberlake made an appearance on 50 Cent's third album, Curtis. Timberlake, along with Timbaland, is featured on a track called "Ayo Technology", which was the album's fourth single. Also, another possible collaboration was to occur with Lil Wayne for his album Tha Carter III with Nelly Furtado and Timbaland.[59]
With the wrapping up of the FutureSex/LoveSounds tour of Australasia and the Middle East in November 2007, Timberlake resumed his film career. Projects underway early in 2008 were starring roles in Mike Myers' comedy The Love Guru (released June 20, 2008) and Mike Meredith's drama The Open Road (released August 28, 2009). In March 2008 it was announced that he was be an executive producer in an American adaptation of the hit Peruvian comedy My Problem with Women for NBC.[60]
On November 20, 2008, TV Guide reported that Timberlake’s next single, "Follow My Lead", which also featured vocals by Timberlake’s protégée, former YouTube star Esmee Denters, would be available for exclusive download through MySpace. All proceeds would go to Shriners Hospitals for Children, a charity dedicated to improving pediatric care for sick children.[61]
In 2008 a collaboration between Timberlake and T.I., "Dead and Gone" featured on T.I.'s sixth studio album, Paper Trail, and was released as its fourth single late in 2009. In November 2008, it was confirmed that Timberlake would make a guest appearance and produce some tracks on R&B/pop singer Ciara's upcoming album Fantasy Ride due out May 5, 2009. Timberlake featured on Ciara's second single "Love Sex Magic", the video being shot on February 20, 2009.[62] The single became a worldwide hit, reaching the top ten in numerous countries and peaking at number one in several countries including Taiwan, India, and Turkey. The single was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 52nd Grammy Awards.
Timberlake and his production team The Y's, along with Mike Elizondo, produced and co-wrote the song "Don't Let Me Down" for Leona Lewis's second studio album, Echo, released (in the US) on November 17, 2009.
Timberlake also co-wrote and performed on "Carry Out", the third single from Timbaland's album Shock Value II, released on December 1, 2009.[63]
Timberlake appeared at the 2010 MTV VMAs on Sept. 12, 2010.[64]
Other work
Near the end of 2002, Timberlake was the first celebrity to appear on Punk'd, a "candid camera" type show created by Ashton Kutcher to trick celebrities.[65] Timberlake, who cried during the episode, later admitted to being under the influence of marijuana when he was pranked.[66] Three episodes later, he set up Kelly Osbourne to be "punk'd", thus making him the first celebrity to appear on the show more than once.[67] Timberlake later spoofed Ashton Kutcher and Punk'd in a 2003 episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live.[68]
Timberlake has hosted many music events, including the European MTV Music Awards in 2006. On December 16, 2006, Timberlake hosted Saturday Night Live, doing double duty as both host and musical guest for the second time. During this appearance, he and Andy Samberg performed an R&B song for a skit entitled "Dick in a Box", which some radio stations have aired as an unofficial single from Timberlake and has become one of the most viewed videos on YouTube. On May 9, 2009, he appeared in another SNL Digital Short opposite Samberg, Susan Sarandon and Patricia Clarkson entitled "Motherlover", a quasi-sequel to "Dick in a Box".[69]
Timberlake appeared on Jimmy Fallon's debut as host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on March 2, 2009.[70]
In 2004, ABC hired Timberlake to write a song for its NBA coverage.
Timberlake is the executive producer on the MTV reality series The Phone, which premiered on April 21, 2009. According to People Magazine, the series "thrusts contestants into a heart-stopping action adventure worthy of a summer blockbuster. In six hour-long episodes, a mysterious stranger on the phone invites four strangers into the dangerous game. If they accept, they're paired into two teams and dared to perform physical and mental challenges reminiscent of Matt Damon's The Bourne Identity or Shia LaBeouf's Eagle Eye."[71]
Other ventures
Business
Timberlake has co-owned or provided celebrity endorsement for three restaurants in the United States: "Chi" opened in West Hollywood, California in 2003,[72] and "Destino" and "Southern Hospitalty" in New York opened in 2006 and 2007, respectively.[73] He also has his own brand of tequila called 901; the name comes in part from the area code of his hometown of Memphis.[74]
In 2005, Timberlake launched the William Rast clothing line with childhood friend Juan ("Trace") Ayala. The 2007 line contained cord jackets, cashmere sweaters, jeans and polo shirts.[75] The pair reports inspiration from fellow Memphis native Elvis Presley: "Elvis is the perfect mixture of Justin and I," Ayala says. "You can go back and see pictures of him in cowboy boots and a cowboy hat and a nice button-down shirt, but then again you can see him in a tux and a collared shirt with rhinestones on it and slacks. We like to think 'If he was alive today, what would he be wearing?'"[76] Target has announced that a William Rast collection, including denim, outerwear and sportswear for men and women, would launch in December and be available for a month.[77]
Timberlake provides celebrity endorsement for many commercial products, this aspect of his business being managed by IMG Sports & Entertainment since April 2008.[78] Major endorsements in 2009 included Sony electronic products,[79] Givenchy's men's fragrance "Play",[80] Audi's "A1",[81] and Callaway Golf Company products.[82][83]
An avid amateur golfer, in 2007 Timberlake purchased the run-down Big Creek Golf Course in his home town of Millington, Tennessee, which he redeveloped as the eco-friendly Mirimichi Golf Course at a cost of some $US16 million. It was reopened on 25 July 2009 but closed again on 15 January 2010 for further improvements expected to take six months.[84]
Charitable causes
Timberlake has been active in several charitable pursuits, initially through 'N Sync's "Challenge for the Children" aimed at a range of charities, and since 2001 through his "Justin Timberlake Foundation," which initially funded music education programs in schools, but now has a much broader agenda.[85] In October 2005, the Grammy Association presented Timberlake with an award for his humanitarian efforts in Tennessee, alongside writer/director Craig Brewer, also a Memphis native.[86]
In November 2007 he donated $A100,000 from takings from his Australian tour to Wildlife Warriors founded by the late Steve Irwin.[87] On March 23, 2008, he donated $100,000 to the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum and another $100,000 to the Memphis Music Foundation.[88]
On November 12, 2007, the PGA Tour announced that Timberlake, an avid golfer who plays to a 6 handicap,[89] would become the host of the tour's Las Vegas tournament starting in 2008. With Timberlake's agreement to host the tournament, its name was changed to the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He played in the celebrity pro-am on the day before the competitive tournament and hosted a charity concert during the week of the tournament.[90] The activity was a success, and was repeated in 2009. A review of the value of celebrities to fundraising concluded that Timberlake's contribution to Shriners Hospitals for Children was the single most valuable celebrity endorsement in the US during 2009, and worth over $US9 million.[91]
Personal life
Timberlake golfing in 2006.Early in 1999, Timberlake began what eventually became a high-profile celebrity relationship with fellow pop singer Britney Spears, with whom he had worked on the New Mickey Mouse Club. This ended abruptly in March 2002, amidst tabloid press speculation on Spears' infidelity with choreographer Wade Robson, a mutual friend of Spears and Timberlake. Lynn Harless says as a mother she too was devastated regarding the break-up, but to this day speaks warmly of Spears, "Britney grew up on my living room floor. I still love her to death. They (Justin and Britney) were together 10 or 11 years and had, from day one, instant chemistry between them. She's a sweet girl. I just hate what she's going through now." The breakup influenced the lyrics and theme of Timberlake's hit "Cry Me A River", one of the most popular singles from Justified.[92]
Post-Spears, Timberlake has generally refused to discuss his personal life with the media, as a result of which his relationships have been the subject of much speculation in the tabloid and celebrity press. He was involved with singer-actress Stacy Ferguson prior to 2001.[93] He was romantically linked with actress-dancer Jenna Dewan (in mid-2002)[94] and actress-singer Alyssa Milano (between September and October 2002).[94] Timberlake began dating actress Cameron Diaz soon after they met at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in April 2003. Regular rumours of break-ups reported in the tabloid press were either ignored or occasionally denied.[95][96] On the December 16, 2006 episode of Saturday Night Live, Diaz introduced Timberlake as the night's musical guest, and the couple officially split shortly afterwards. After the tabloid press alleged an affair between Timberlake and Scarlett Johansson, with whom he had shot the video for his single "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around Interlude",[97] Diaz and Timberlake issued a joint statement on January 11, 2007:[98]
“ It has always been our preference not to comment on the status of our relationship, but, out of respect for the time we've spent together, we feel compelled to do so now, in light of recent speculation and the number of inaccurate stories that are being reported by the media. We have, in fact, ended our romantic relationship and have done so mutually and as friends, with continued love and respect for one another.[99] ”
Later in January 2007 Timberlake was linked to Jessica Biel when pictures surfaced of the two snowboarding in Park City, Utah during the Sundance Film Festival. On May 12, 2007 romantic pictures of Timberlake and Biel on multiple dates were published.[100][101] In the August 9–15, 2008 edition of Heat magazine, when Timberlake was asked to describe his perfect woman, he replied "About 5ft.7in.-5ft.8in., nice butt, Midwestern American, kind-of-German last name, green eyes, big pouty lips, fair skin, ahhh....sinewy bod..."[102] However, during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on June 11, 2008 when Jay Leno questioned him about anything related to rumors of engagement and pregnancy, Timberlake jokingly responded that he "is engaging in a conversation with Leno" and "everybody in general can get pregnant."[103]
Timberlake was given Sexiest Man titles by Teen People and Cosmopolitan magazines.[104] On February 17, 2009, Timberlake was named the "Most Stylish Man in America" by GQ magazine.[105]
Timberlake is also a fan of English Football Club Manchester United.[106][107]
Discography
Main article: Justin Timberlake discography
Studio albums
2002: Justified
2006: FutureSex/LoveSounds
Extended plays
2003: Justin & Christina
DVDs
2003: Justified: The Videos
2003: Live from London
2007: Futuresex/Loveshow – Live from Madison Square Garden
Tours
2003: Justified/Stripped Tour
2003/2004: Justified and Lovin' It Live
2007: FutureSex/LoveShow
Filmography
Film
Year Film Role Notes
2000 Longshot Valet
Model Behavior Jason Sharpe TV film
2001 On the Line Make-up artist Uncredited cameo
2005 Edison Josh Pollack
2006 Alpha Dog Frankie Ballenbacher
Black Snake Moan Ronnie
2007 Shrek the Third Artie Pendragon Voice role
Southland Tales Pvt Pilot Abilene
2008 The Love Guru Jacques "Le Coq" Grande
2009 The Open Road Carlton Garrett
2010 Shrek Forever After Artie Pendragon Voice role, deleted scene
The Social Network Sean Parker
Yogi Bear Boo-Boo Bear Set for release December 17
2011 Bad Teacher Scott Post-production
I'm.Mortal Will Salas Filming
Friends with Benefits Dylan Filming
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1993–1995 The Mickey Mouse Club himself
1999 Touched by an Angel Street performer "Voice of an Angel"
2005–present Saturday Night Live Himself/Several roles Four episodes
In 2002, he released his debut solo album, Justified, which sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. The album was a commercial success, spawning the hits "Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body". Timberlake continued his success with his second solo album, FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and produced the US number-one hit singles "SexyBack", "My Love", and "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around".
Timberlake's first two albums made him one of the most commercially successful singers in the world, each selling in excess of 7 million copies. Aside from music, he has also begun an acting career, while his other ventures include record label Tennman Records, fashion label William Rast, and the restaurants Destino and Southern Hospitality.
Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Music career
2.1 1995–2002: 'N Sync
2.2 2002–04: Justified and Super Bowl
2.3 2004–06: Collaborations and acting
2.4 2006–07: FutureSex/LoveSounds
2.5 2007–10: Collaborations and acting
2.6 Other work
3 Other ventures
3.1 Business
3.2 Charitable causes
4 Personal life
5 Discography
5.1 Studio albums
5.2 Extended plays
5.3 DVDs
6 Tours
7 Filmography
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
Early life
Timberlake was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Lynn Harless (née Bomar) and Randall Timberlake.[1] Timberlake is of English descent, and has also claimed unconfirmed American Indian ancestry.[2] His paternal grandfather, Charles L. Timberlake, was a Baptist minister, and Timberlake was raised Baptist, though now considers himself more "spiritual than religious".[3]
Timberlake's parents divorced in 1985, and both have remarried. His mother, who now runs an entertainment company called Just-in Time Entertainment, remarried to Paul Harless, a banker, when her son was five. His father, a choir director at a Baptist church, has two children, Jonathan (born c. 1993) and Steven Robert (born August 14, 1998), from his second marriage to Lisa Perry. Timberlake's half-sister, Laura Katherine, died shortly after birth on May 14, 1997, and is mentioned in his acknowledgments in the album *NSYNC as "My Angel in Heaven."[4] Timberlake grew up in Shelby Forest, a middle class crime-free suburb between Memphis and Millington. His first attempts at a singing career were country music songs on Star Search as "Justin Randall."[5]
In 1993, Timberlake joined the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club. His castmates included future girlfriend and pop superstar Britney Spears, future tourmate Christina Aguilera, and future bandmate JC Chasez.[6] The show ended in 1994, but late in 1995 Timberlake recruited Chasez to be in an all-male singing group organized by boy band manager Lou Pearlman[7] that eventually became 'N Sync.
Music career
1995–2002: 'N Sync
Main article: 'N Sync
Timberlake and JC Chasez were the two lead singers of the popular 1990s boy band 'N Sync.[8] The group formed in 1995, started its career 1996 in Europe, and hit it big in the United States in 1998 with the U.S. release of its debut album *NSYNC, which sold 11 million copies.[9] The album included a number of hit singles, including "Tearin' Up My Heart". For the next two years, encouraged by similar developments with the Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync engaged in a lengthy legal battle with manager Lou Pearlman. Eventually the band signed with Jive Records.[10] In March 2000, 'N Sync released a long-awaited album, No Strings Attached, which became the fastest-selling album of all time with 2.4 million copies sold in its first week[11] and produced a #1 single, "It's Gonna Be Me". The release was followed by the band's third album, Celebrity, which was the second-fastest selling album of all time. In 2002, after the completion of a Celebrity Tour and the release of "Girlfriend", the third single from Celebrity, the group decided to take time off, at which point Timberlake began work on his first solo album and the group went into a hiatus. In its lifetime, 'N Sync was internationally famous and performed at the Academy Awards,[12] the Olympics,[13] and the Super Bowl,[14] as well as selling more than 50 million copies worldwide,[15] becoming the third-best selling boy band in history.[16]
In late 1999, Timberlake made his acting debut in the Disney Channel movie Model Behavior. He played Jason Sharpe, a model who falls in love with a waitress after mistaking her for another model. It was released on March 12, 2000.[17]
As a member of 'N Sync, Timberlake developed into a major celebrity in his own right in addition to achieving respect as a musician, since he was the writer or co-writer of all three singles from Celebrity. The rise of his own stardom and the general decline in the popularity of boy bands led to the dissolution of 'N Sync. Band member Lance Bass has stated that he believes the group is finished,[18] and is openly critical of Timberlake's actions in his memoir Out of Sync. On the other hand, Chris Kirkpatrick remarked in August 2008 that the five remain friends, and he believed a reunion was possible:[19] he repeated that opinion in October 2009.[20] In September 2008, Bass also made conciliatory comments.[21]
2002–04: Justified and Super Bowl
See also: Justified and Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy
In August 2002, after months of recording Justified, his debut solo album, Timberlake performed at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards. He premiered his first single, "Like I Love You", a sparse dance track produced by The Neptunes.[22] The song reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.[23] Following the single, Timberlake released Justified on November 5, 2002.[24] The album sold fewer copies than previous 'N Sync efforts. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 439,000 copies in its first week of release. It eventually went on to sell more than three million copies in the U.S. and more than seven million copies worldwide.[25] The album also received critical acclaim, thanks to its heavy R&B influence provided by hip-hop producers The Neptunes and Timbaland.[26] It spun off hits throughout late 2002 and 2003, including the top ten singles "Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body".[23] Timberlake supported the album by co-headlining the Justified/Stripped Tour with Christina Aguilera in the summer of 2003.[27] At the end of the year, Timberlake recorded a song entitled "I'm Lovin' It". It was used by McDonald's as the theme to its "I'm Lovin' It" campaign. The deal with McDonald's earned Timberlake an estimated $6 million. A tour entitled Justified and Lovin' It Live was included with the deal as well.[28] Timberlake was featured on Nelly's song, "Work It", which was remixed and included on Nelly's 2003 remix album.[29]
In February 2004, during the halftime show of the Super Bowl XXXVIII broadcast on the CBS television network, Timberlake performed with Janet Jackson before a television audience of more than 140 million viewers. At the end of the performance, as the song drew to a close, Timberlake tore off a part of Jackson's black leather costume in a "costume reveal" meant to accompany a portion of the song lyrics. According to CBS, "both Jackson and Timberlake had confirmed they planned it 'independently and clandestinely' without informing anyone."[30] Part of the costume detached, and Jackson's breast was briefly exposed.[31] Timberlake apologized for the incident, stating he was "sorry that anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the halftime performance of the Super Bowl...."[32] The phrase "wardrobe malfunction" has since been used by the media to refer to the incident and has entered pop culture.[33] As a result of the controversy, Timberlake and Jackson were threatened with exclusion from the 2004 Grammy Awards unless they agreed to apologize on screen at the event.[34] Timberlake attended and issued a scripted apology when accepting the first of two Grammy Awards he received that night (Best Pop Vocal Album for Justified and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Cry Me a River").[35] He had also been nominated for Album of the Year for Justified, Record of the Year for "Cry Me a River", and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Where Is the Love?" with The Black Eyed Peas.[36] In 2004 American Idol judge Simon Cowell described Timberlake in People Magazine as "just some white kid who's tried to act black over the last several years".
2004–06: Collaborations and acting
After the Super Bowl controversy, Timberlake put his recording career on hold to act in several films, having starred in a few feature films earlier in his music career.[6] The first role he took during this time was as a journalist in the thriller Edison Force, which was filmed in 2004 and received a direct-to-video release on July 18, 2006.[37] He also appeared in the films Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan, Richard Kelly's Southland Tales, and voiced Prince Artie Pendragon in the animated film Shrek the Third, released on May 18, 2007.[38] He also appeared as a young Elton John, in the video for John's song "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore".[39] Timberlake was considered to play the role of Roger Davis in the film version of the rock musical Rent, but director Chris Columbus had insisted that only the original Broadway members could convey the true meaning of Rent.[40]
He continued to record with other artists. After "Where Is the Love?", he again collaborated with the Black Eyed Peas on the 2005 track "My Style" from their album Monkey Business.[41] When recording the 2005 single "Signs" with Snoop Dogg, Timberlake discovered a throat condition.[42] Nodules were subsequently removed from his throat in an operation that took place on May 5, 2005.[43] He was advised not to sing or speak loudly for at least a few months.[44] In the summer of 2005, Timberlake started his own record company, JayTee Records.[45]
Timberlake made a cameo in the video for Nelly Furtado and Timbaland's single "Promiscuous", released on May 3, 2006.
2006–07: FutureSex/LoveSounds
Timberlake at a concert in St. Paul, Minnesota (2007)Timberlake released his second solo album, FutureSex/LoveSounds, on September 12, 2006.[46] The album, which Timberlake created in 2005, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 684,000 copies its first week.[46] It is the biggest album for pre-orders on iTunes, and beat Coldplay's record for the biggest one-week sales of a digital album.[47] The album was produced by Timbaland and Danja (who produced a bulk of the album), will.i.am, Rick Rubin and Timberlake himself, and features guest vocals by Snoop Dogg, Three 6 Mafia, T.I. and will.i.am.[48] A studio representative described it as being "all about sexiness" and aiming for "an adult feel".[43]
The album's lead single, "SexyBack", was performed by Timberlake at the opening of the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for seven consecutive weeks.[49] "My Love", the album's second single, also produced by Timbaland and featuring rapper T.I., reached number one on the Hot 100, as did third single "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around Interlude". The song is reported to have been inspired by the break-up of his childhood friend and business partner, Trace Ayala, with actress Elisha Cuthbert.[50] In October 2006, Timberlake said that he would focus on his music career rather than his film roles, specifying that leaving the music industry would be a "dumb thing to do at this point".[49] He was the special guest performer at the 2006 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show for being where he sang SexyBack. In January 2007, Timberlake embarked on the FutureSex/LoveShow tour. "Summer Love/Set the Mood Prelude" was the fourth U.S. single off the album, and the next single in the UK was "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows Interlude". The song "Give It to Me", a Timbaland single on which Timberlake guests with Nelly Furtado, reached the Hot 100 number-one spot.[51]
In February 2008, Timberlake was awarded two Grammy Awards. At the 50th Grammy Awards Ceremony, Timberlake won the Male Pop Performance Award for "What Goes Around...Comes Around", and the Dance Recording Award for "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows".[52]
2007–10: Collaborations and acting
In April 2007, Timberlake was seen entering a London studio with Madonna, thus confirming rumors that he was collaborating with her.[53] A song "4 Minutes", was first played by Timbaland at Philadelphia's Jingle Ball on December 17, 2007.[54] When released on March 17, 2008, "4 Minutes" was revealed to be a duet between Timberlake and Madonna, with backing vocals by Timbaland. It was lead single from Madonna's eleventh studio album Hard Candy, which featured four other song-writing collaborations with Timberlake. The single was an international hit, topping the charts in over 21 countries worldwide.[55] Timberlake also appears in the music video, which was directed by Jonas & François. On March 30, 2008, Timberlake performed the song at Madonna's Hard Candy Promo Show at Roseland Ballroom in New York City.[56] On November 6, 2008, Timberlake performed the song with Madonna on the Los Angeles stop of her Sticky & Sweet Tour.[57]
Around June 2007 Timberlake co-wrote, produced and provided vocals for the songs "Nite Runner" and "Falling Down" for Duran Duran's album Red Carpet Massacre, released on November 13, 2007. "Falling Down" had been released as a single in the UK on the previous day.[58]
Also in 2007, Timberlake made an appearance on 50 Cent's third album, Curtis. Timberlake, along with Timbaland, is featured on a track called "Ayo Technology", which was the album's fourth single. Also, another possible collaboration was to occur with Lil Wayne for his album Tha Carter III with Nelly Furtado and Timbaland.[59]
With the wrapping up of the FutureSex/LoveSounds tour of Australasia and the Middle East in November 2007, Timberlake resumed his film career. Projects underway early in 2008 were starring roles in Mike Myers' comedy The Love Guru (released June 20, 2008) and Mike Meredith's drama The Open Road (released August 28, 2009). In March 2008 it was announced that he was be an executive producer in an American adaptation of the hit Peruvian comedy My Problem with Women for NBC.[60]
On November 20, 2008, TV Guide reported that Timberlake’s next single, "Follow My Lead", which also featured vocals by Timberlake’s protégée, former YouTube star Esmee Denters, would be available for exclusive download through MySpace. All proceeds would go to Shriners Hospitals for Children, a charity dedicated to improving pediatric care for sick children.[61]
In 2008 a collaboration between Timberlake and T.I., "Dead and Gone" featured on T.I.'s sixth studio album, Paper Trail, and was released as its fourth single late in 2009. In November 2008, it was confirmed that Timberlake would make a guest appearance and produce some tracks on R&B/pop singer Ciara's upcoming album Fantasy Ride due out May 5, 2009. Timberlake featured on Ciara's second single "Love Sex Magic", the video being shot on February 20, 2009.[62] The single became a worldwide hit, reaching the top ten in numerous countries and peaking at number one in several countries including Taiwan, India, and Turkey. The single was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 52nd Grammy Awards.
Timberlake and his production team The Y's, along with Mike Elizondo, produced and co-wrote the song "Don't Let Me Down" for Leona Lewis's second studio album, Echo, released (in the US) on November 17, 2009.
Timberlake also co-wrote and performed on "Carry Out", the third single from Timbaland's album Shock Value II, released on December 1, 2009.[63]
Timberlake appeared at the 2010 MTV VMAs on Sept. 12, 2010.[64]
Other work
Near the end of 2002, Timberlake was the first celebrity to appear on Punk'd, a "candid camera" type show created by Ashton Kutcher to trick celebrities.[65] Timberlake, who cried during the episode, later admitted to being under the influence of marijuana when he was pranked.[66] Three episodes later, he set up Kelly Osbourne to be "punk'd", thus making him the first celebrity to appear on the show more than once.[67] Timberlake later spoofed Ashton Kutcher and Punk'd in a 2003 episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live.[68]
Timberlake has hosted many music events, including the European MTV Music Awards in 2006. On December 16, 2006, Timberlake hosted Saturday Night Live, doing double duty as both host and musical guest for the second time. During this appearance, he and Andy Samberg performed an R&B song for a skit entitled "Dick in a Box", which some radio stations have aired as an unofficial single from Timberlake and has become one of the most viewed videos on YouTube. On May 9, 2009, he appeared in another SNL Digital Short opposite Samberg, Susan Sarandon and Patricia Clarkson entitled "Motherlover", a quasi-sequel to "Dick in a Box".[69]
Timberlake appeared on Jimmy Fallon's debut as host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on March 2, 2009.[70]
In 2004, ABC hired Timberlake to write a song for its NBA coverage.
Timberlake is the executive producer on the MTV reality series The Phone, which premiered on April 21, 2009. According to People Magazine, the series "thrusts contestants into a heart-stopping action adventure worthy of a summer blockbuster. In six hour-long episodes, a mysterious stranger on the phone invites four strangers into the dangerous game. If they accept, they're paired into two teams and dared to perform physical and mental challenges reminiscent of Matt Damon's The Bourne Identity or Shia LaBeouf's Eagle Eye."[71]
Other ventures
Business
Timberlake has co-owned or provided celebrity endorsement for three restaurants in the United States: "Chi" opened in West Hollywood, California in 2003,[72] and "Destino" and "Southern Hospitalty" in New York opened in 2006 and 2007, respectively.[73] He also has his own brand of tequila called 901; the name comes in part from the area code of his hometown of Memphis.[74]
In 2005, Timberlake launched the William Rast clothing line with childhood friend Juan ("Trace") Ayala. The 2007 line contained cord jackets, cashmere sweaters, jeans and polo shirts.[75] The pair reports inspiration from fellow Memphis native Elvis Presley: "Elvis is the perfect mixture of Justin and I," Ayala says. "You can go back and see pictures of him in cowboy boots and a cowboy hat and a nice button-down shirt, but then again you can see him in a tux and a collared shirt with rhinestones on it and slacks. We like to think 'If he was alive today, what would he be wearing?'"[76] Target has announced that a William Rast collection, including denim, outerwear and sportswear for men and women, would launch in December and be available for a month.[77]
Timberlake provides celebrity endorsement for many commercial products, this aspect of his business being managed by IMG Sports & Entertainment since April 2008.[78] Major endorsements in 2009 included Sony electronic products,[79] Givenchy's men's fragrance "Play",[80] Audi's "A1",[81] and Callaway Golf Company products.[82][83]
An avid amateur golfer, in 2007 Timberlake purchased the run-down Big Creek Golf Course in his home town of Millington, Tennessee, which he redeveloped as the eco-friendly Mirimichi Golf Course at a cost of some $US16 million. It was reopened on 25 July 2009 but closed again on 15 January 2010 for further improvements expected to take six months.[84]
Charitable causes
Timberlake has been active in several charitable pursuits, initially through 'N Sync's "Challenge for the Children" aimed at a range of charities, and since 2001 through his "Justin Timberlake Foundation," which initially funded music education programs in schools, but now has a much broader agenda.[85] In October 2005, the Grammy Association presented Timberlake with an award for his humanitarian efforts in Tennessee, alongside writer/director Craig Brewer, also a Memphis native.[86]
In November 2007 he donated $A100,000 from takings from his Australian tour to Wildlife Warriors founded by the late Steve Irwin.[87] On March 23, 2008, he donated $100,000 to the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum and another $100,000 to the Memphis Music Foundation.[88]
On November 12, 2007, the PGA Tour announced that Timberlake, an avid golfer who plays to a 6 handicap,[89] would become the host of the tour's Las Vegas tournament starting in 2008. With Timberlake's agreement to host the tournament, its name was changed to the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He played in the celebrity pro-am on the day before the competitive tournament and hosted a charity concert during the week of the tournament.[90] The activity was a success, and was repeated in 2009. A review of the value of celebrities to fundraising concluded that Timberlake's contribution to Shriners Hospitals for Children was the single most valuable celebrity endorsement in the US during 2009, and worth over $US9 million.[91]
Personal life
Timberlake golfing in 2006.Early in 1999, Timberlake began what eventually became a high-profile celebrity relationship with fellow pop singer Britney Spears, with whom he had worked on the New Mickey Mouse Club. This ended abruptly in March 2002, amidst tabloid press speculation on Spears' infidelity with choreographer Wade Robson, a mutual friend of Spears and Timberlake. Lynn Harless says as a mother she too was devastated regarding the break-up, but to this day speaks warmly of Spears, "Britney grew up on my living room floor. I still love her to death. They (Justin and Britney) were together 10 or 11 years and had, from day one, instant chemistry between them. She's a sweet girl. I just hate what she's going through now." The breakup influenced the lyrics and theme of Timberlake's hit "Cry Me A River", one of the most popular singles from Justified.[92]
Post-Spears, Timberlake has generally refused to discuss his personal life with the media, as a result of which his relationships have been the subject of much speculation in the tabloid and celebrity press. He was involved with singer-actress Stacy Ferguson prior to 2001.[93] He was romantically linked with actress-dancer Jenna Dewan (in mid-2002)[94] and actress-singer Alyssa Milano (between September and October 2002).[94] Timberlake began dating actress Cameron Diaz soon after they met at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in April 2003. Regular rumours of break-ups reported in the tabloid press were either ignored or occasionally denied.[95][96] On the December 16, 2006 episode of Saturday Night Live, Diaz introduced Timberlake as the night's musical guest, and the couple officially split shortly afterwards. After the tabloid press alleged an affair between Timberlake and Scarlett Johansson, with whom he had shot the video for his single "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around Interlude",[97] Diaz and Timberlake issued a joint statement on January 11, 2007:[98]
“ It has always been our preference not to comment on the status of our relationship, but, out of respect for the time we've spent together, we feel compelled to do so now, in light of recent speculation and the number of inaccurate stories that are being reported by the media. We have, in fact, ended our romantic relationship and have done so mutually and as friends, with continued love and respect for one another.[99] ”
Later in January 2007 Timberlake was linked to Jessica Biel when pictures surfaced of the two snowboarding in Park City, Utah during the Sundance Film Festival. On May 12, 2007 romantic pictures of Timberlake and Biel on multiple dates were published.[100][101] In the August 9–15, 2008 edition of Heat magazine, when Timberlake was asked to describe his perfect woman, he replied "About 5ft.7in.-5ft.8in., nice butt, Midwestern American, kind-of-German last name, green eyes, big pouty lips, fair skin, ahhh....sinewy bod..."[102] However, during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on June 11, 2008 when Jay Leno questioned him about anything related to rumors of engagement and pregnancy, Timberlake jokingly responded that he "is engaging in a conversation with Leno" and "everybody in general can get pregnant."[103]
Timberlake was given Sexiest Man titles by Teen People and Cosmopolitan magazines.[104] On February 17, 2009, Timberlake was named the "Most Stylish Man in America" by GQ magazine.[105]
Timberlake is also a fan of English Football Club Manchester United.[106][107]
Discography
Main article: Justin Timberlake discography
Studio albums
2002: Justified
2006: FutureSex/LoveSounds
Extended plays
2003: Justin & Christina
DVDs
2003: Justified: The Videos
2003: Live from London
2007: Futuresex/Loveshow – Live from Madison Square Garden
Tours
2003: Justified/Stripped Tour
2003/2004: Justified and Lovin' It Live
2007: FutureSex/LoveShow
Filmography
Film
Year Film Role Notes
2000 Longshot Valet
Model Behavior Jason Sharpe TV film
2001 On the Line Make-up artist Uncredited cameo
2005 Edison Josh Pollack
2006 Alpha Dog Frankie Ballenbacher
Black Snake Moan Ronnie
2007 Shrek the Third Artie Pendragon Voice role
Southland Tales Pvt Pilot Abilene
2008 The Love Guru Jacques "Le Coq" Grande
2009 The Open Road Carlton Garrett
2010 Shrek Forever After Artie Pendragon Voice role, deleted scene
The Social Network Sean Parker
Yogi Bear Boo-Boo Bear Set for release December 17
2011 Bad Teacher Scott Post-production
I'm.Mortal Will Salas Filming
Friends with Benefits Dylan Filming
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1993–1995 The Mickey Mouse Club himself
1999 Touched by an Angel Street performer "Voice of an Angel"
2005–present Saturday Night Live Himself/Several roles Four episodes
T.I
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. (born September 25, 1980), better known by his stage name T.I. or T.I.P., is an American recording artist, film & music producer, and occasional actor. He is the founder and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of Grand Hustle Records.[1][2]
Contents [hide]
1 Biography
1.1 1980–2000: Early life and career beginnings
1.2 2001–02: I'm Serious
1.3 2003–05: Trap Muzik and Urban Legend
1.4 2006–07: King, T.I. vs. T.I.P. and federal weapons charges
1.5 2008–09: Paper Trail and jail sentence
1.6 2010–present: No Mercy and drug charges
2 Other ventures
2.1 Acting career
2.2 Music and film producing
2.3 Community work
2.4 Business ventures
3 Controversy
3.1 Ludacris
3.2 Lil' Flip
3.3 Shawty Lo
4 Personal life
4.1 Family
4.2 Rescue of suicidal man
5 Discography
6 Filmography
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
Biography
1980–2000: Early life and career beginnings
T.I. was born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. on September 25, 1980, in Riverdale, Atlanta, Georgia, the son of the late Clifford "Buddy" Harris Sr. and Violeta Morgan.[3][4] He was raised by his grandparents in Bankhead, Atlanta, Georgia. His father lived in New York and he would often go up there to visit him. His father suffered from Alzheimer's and later died from the disease.[5] T.I. began rapping at age nine.[5] He attended Douglass High School, but later dropped out. As a teenager, he was a drug dealer.[6][7] He was once known as Rubber Band Man, a reference to the custom of wearing rubber bands around the wrist to denote wealth in terms of drugs or money.[8] By age 14, he had been arrested several times.[5] He was nicknamed "Tip" after his paternal great-grandfather.[9] Kawan "KP" Prather, a record executive, discovered and signed T.I. when he was a teenager.[10] Upon signing with Arista Records subsidiary LaFace Records in 2001, he shortened his name to T.I. out of respect for label mate Q-Tip.[11]
2001–02: I'm Serious
T.I. released his debut album, I'm Serious, in October 2001 through Arista Records.[12] The album spawned the eponymous single, which featured Jamaican reggae entertainer Beenie Man. His debut single, "I'm Serious," was released on June 26, 2001. The single received little airplay and failed to chart. The album included guests appearances from Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes (who called him "the Jay-Z of the South"),[13] Jazze Pha, Too Short, Bone Crusher, Lil Jon, Pastor Troy, P$C and Youngbloodz. The album featured production from The Neptunes, DJ Toomp, Madvac, and The Grand Hustle Team. Despite the album's guests appearances and production team, the album peaked at number 98 and only sold 163,000 copies in the United States.[14] Critics pointed to the fact that many of the tracks sounded the same and that a few were blatant rip-offs.[15] Other critics commented saying, "T.I. claims to be the king of the South, but fails to show and prove. He does, however, have potential. If his talent ever matches his confidence, he may be headed for stardom."[16]
Due to the poor commercial reception of the album, T.I. was dropped from Arista Records.[12] He then formed Grand Hustle Entertainment and started releasing several mixtapes with the assistance of DJ Drama.[12] He resurfaced in the summer of 2003 with fellow Atlanta rapper and former label-mate Bone Crusher's song "Never Scared." His mixtapes and mainstream exposure from "Never Scared" eventually recaptured major label attention and he signed a joint venture deal with Atlantic Records.[17][18]
2003–05: Trap Muzik and Urban Legend
T.I. released his second album Trap Muzik on August 19, 2003 through Grand Hustle Records; it debuted at number four and sold 109,000 copies in its first week.[19] It spawned the singles "24s", "Be Easy", "Rubberband Man", and "Let's Get Away". The album featured guest appearances by Eightball & MJG, Jazze Pha, Bun B and Macboney and was produced by Jazze Pha, Kanye West, David Banner, Madvac and DJ Toomp. In March 2004, a warrant was issued for T.I.'s arrest after he violated his probation of a 1997 drug conviction.[20] He was sentenced to three years in prison.[21] While imprisoned in Cobb County, Georgia, he filmed an unauthorized music video.[22] One month later, he was allowed a work release program.[23]
Mug shot of T.I. taken after his arrest in Tampa in 2003T.I. was on probation stemming from a 1998 conviction for violating a state controlled substances act and for giving false information. After being released on probation, he earned a litany of probation violations in several counties around Georgia for offenses ranging from possession of a firearm to possession of marijuana.[21] In 2006, after appearing in an Atlanta court on (May 10) and having charges that he threatened a man outside a strip club last year dropped for lack of evidence, T.I. was arrested on an outstanding probation violation warrant from Florida. The warrant claimed that T.I. did not complete the required number of community service hours he was sentenced for a 2003 assault of a female sheriff deputy at University Mall in Tampa. T.I. was detained by several mall Security Guards at the time of the incident. According to WSB-TV Atlanta, the rapper’s attorney said that the problem was nothing more than a "technical matter" between Georgia and Florida. The confusion arose because T.I. was also sentenced to community service in Georgia for driving with a suspended license, for which he did complete 75 hours of community service in his home state. The rapper was released on bail shortly after being arrested, and was expected to surrender to Florida state authorities the following week to resolve the matter.[24]
T.I. released his third studio album, Urban Legend, in November 2004. It debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200, selling 193,000 copies in its first week.[19] The album's official lead single, "Bring Em Out", was released in January 2005 and became his first top ten hit, peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, while the second single "U Don't Know Me" peaked at number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot 100. His third single "ASAP" reached number 75 on the U.S. charts,[25] number 18 on the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop charts[25] and number 14 on the Rap chart.[25] T.I. created a video for "ASAP"/"Motivation". However, "Motivation" only made it to number 62 on the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart.[25] He was featured in Destiny's Child's 2004 single "Soldier" along with Lil Wayne, peaking at number three on the U.S. Hot 100 and the U.S. R&B Charts.[26]
In 2006, T.I. received two Grammy Award nominations for Best Song Collaboration ("Soldier" w/ Destiny's Child & Lil Wayne) and Best Rap Solo Performance for "U Don't Know Me" at The 48th Grammy Awards. That same year he won Rap Artist of the Year, Rap Album Of The Year, Rap Album Artist Of The Year, Rap Song Artist of the Year and Video Clip Artist of the Year on the Billboard Music Award and Best Male Hip-Hop Artist on the BET Awards.
2006–07: King, T.I. vs. T.I.P. and federal weapons charges
T.I.'s fourth album, King, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart in the first half of 2006, selling 522,000 copies in its first week.[27] T.I. released "Front Back" and "Ride with Me" as a promotional singles prior to the release of the album. The singles garnered little attention, but helped to promote not only the album, but also ATL. The album also included the singles, "What You Know," "Why You Wanna," and "Live in the Sky," plus a remix of "Top Back." King earned numerous awards and nominations including a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album. He was also featured in the single "Shoulder Lean" by Young Dro reaching the top ten on the U.S. Hot 100 and #1 on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Tracks.
T.I. at the 2006 Summer Jam concert in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"What You Know" won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance and was nominated for Best Rap Song at the 49th Grammy Awards.[28] Also that year, T.I. collaborated with Justin Timberlake for "My Love," which proved to be a worldwide hit, and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with Justin Timberlake at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards[28] and also won Best Male Hip-Hop Artist at the BET Awards for the second straight time. He then served as a featured performer on "We Takin' Over" by DJ Khaled also featuring Akon, Fat Joe, Rick Ross, Birdman and Lil Wayne.
T.I. released his fifth album, T.I. vs. T.I.P., on July 3, 2007. The first single from the album was "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)," which was produced by Mannie Fresh and was released to radio stations on April 17, 2007. The second single, "You Know What It Is" featuring Wyclef Jean, was released June 12, 2007. T.I. vs. T.I.P. sold 468,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was T.I.'s second chart-topper in a row: King opened at number one on the Billboard 200 with 522,000 copies in late March 2006.[29] The album included guest performances by Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Wyclef Jean, Nelly, and Eminem, and production by Eminem, Jeff Bass, Mannie Fresh, Grand Hustle, The Runners, Just Blaze, Wyclef Jean and Danja. Absent from this album's production lineup were T.I.'s longtime producer DJ Toomp and The Neptunes. In October 2007, T.I. released his third single, "Hurt," featuring Busta Rhymes and Alfamega.
On October 13, 2007, federal authorities arrested T.I. four hours before the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.[30] He was charged with two felonies — possession of three unregistered machine guns and two silencers, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. The arrest was made in the parking lot of a downtown shopping center, which a witness identified as the Walgreens drug store at the corner of North and Piedmont Avenues. T.I. was arrested after allegedly trying to purchase the guns from a "cooperating witness" with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. According to federal officials, the witness had been cooperating with authorities a few days prior to the T.I. arrest, when the cooperating witness was arrested on charges of trying to purchase guns from a federal agent. The witness had been working as T.I.'s bodyguard since July, authorities said.[31][32] T.I. walked out of the Atlanta United States District Court after appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan J. Baverman on October 26, 2007. Judge Alan J. Baverman required T.I. post a $3 million bond, $2 million in cash and $1 million in equity on property he owns. The rapper was required to remain at home except for medical appointments and court appearances. The only people allowed to live with him were his girlfriend and children. Visitors were required to be approved by the court.
2008–09: Paper Trail and jail sentence
T.I.'s suppression hearing was scheduled for February 19, 2008. The performer later pleaded guilty to U.S. federal weapons charges. He was sentenced to an undefined prison sentence, a year of house arrest and 1,500 hours of community service. In an interview with MTV about serving jail time, T.I. stated, "Presumably, while I'm there, I'll be able to strategize my comeback." He went on to say that he would not "just be sitting still doing nothing".[33] At that time T.I. collaborated with Mariah Carey on the "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" remix, peaking at number 58 on the U.S. Hot 100 and number 36 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Whatever You Like (2008)
T.I.'s second single from his sixth studio album Paper Trail.
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While under house arrest, T.I. began writing lyrics down on paper for his following album.[34] The first promotional single from the album, "No Matter What," was released in April 2008. The music video was released on June 2008 on MTV's FN Premieres. The second promotional single was "Swing Ya Rag" which was produced by and featured Swizz Beatz.[35] The official lead single was "Whatever You Like," was released on July 2008, and became his most successful single of his career so far, breaking the record for the highest jump to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, jumping from number 71 to number one. Also becoming T.I.'s first solo number one on the chart. He released his sixth album, Paper Trail, in September 2008. The title of the album refers to the lyrics he had written down on paper. Like many other rappers, T.I. abandoned this style of rapping after his debut album I'm Serious by just memorizing lyrics. His representative explain that T.I. wanted to "take more time to really put something down [this time]".[36] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 selling 568,000 copies in the United States.[37]
The second single from the album, "Swagga Like Us", featuring Kanye West, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne, debuted and peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. With the third single "Live Your Life" featuring Rihanna, T.I. broke his own record on the Billboard Hot 100 when it jumped from number 80 to the number one.[37] The fourth single "Dead and Gone", featuring Justin Timberlake, peaked at number two for five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually going on to be nominated during the 52nd Grammy Awards for both "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" and "Best Rap Song". During the 51st Grammy Awards, he was nominated for four Grammy Awards, eventually winning Best Rap Performance by a Duo Or a Group for "Swagga Like Us". "Remember Me", featuring Mary J. Blige, was released digitally on July 7, 2009. It was the planned first single off the re-release of T.I.'s sixth studio album, "Paper Trail", but the re-release was eventually shelved. The single peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. On October 6, "Hell of a Life" was released digitally and went on to peak at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2009, T.I. appeared as himself on an episode of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. On the episode, he took the comedienne to Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles in LA and gave her a lesson on how to "swagger."[38]
On November 21, 2008, T.I. testified in the murder trial of a member of his entourage and a close friend, Philant Johnson (1980–2006), who was murdered in a shooting that occurred after a post-concert party at a club. T.I. has dedicated several songs to Johnson, from the single version of "Live in the Sky" to his more recent hit "Dead and Gone" where Johnson's grave can be seen in the video.[39]
On March 27, 2009, U.S. District Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr. sentenced T.I. to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay $100,300 for federal weapons charges; T.I. had his sentence reduced from a maximum 10 years and a $250,000 fine with a plea bargain.[40][41] On May 26, 2009, T.I. began serving his sentence in Forrest City, Arkansas.[42] Two days prior to being imprisoned, T.I. performed a farewell concert at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.[43] T.I. was released from FCC Forrest City on December 22, 2009[44] and was moved into a halfway house in Atlanta.[45] T.I. had the Federal Bureau of Prisons ID 59458-019 and was released from CCM Atlanta on March 26, 2010.[46] Since being released from prison, he is subject to an audit of his finances, drug counseling, DNA testing, and random searches of his property.[47]
2010–present: No Mercy and drug charges
On March 26, 2010, T.I. was released from the halfway house.[48] He is also currently in the studio working on his seventh studio album titled No Mercy (formerly King Uncaged).[49] Jim Jonsin, the producer who previously worked with him on his single, "Whatever You Like" and R&B singer Trey Songz, are scheduled to work on the project..
In February 2010, T.I. made his first public appearance since prison, stepping out with fiancée Tameka "Tiny" Cottle in support of her Alzheimer's research fundraiser "For the Love of Our Fathers" at Atlanta's Opera venue. "I am very well, very happy to be seen," said T.I., who joined Cottle onstage at the end of the benefit.[50] T.I. released a new street single titled "I'm Back" on March 8, 2010.[51] The single peaked at #44 on Billboard's Hot 100 charts.
On May 13, 2010, T.I. appeared on Larry King Live to discuss with Larry King about his nine month prison term on federal gun charges and other topics.[52] T.I. released a promotional soundtrack single entitled, "Yeah Ya Know (Takers)" on May 24. The song is set to appear on the official soundtrack for Takers and his album.[53] It made a debut at #44 on Billboard Hot 100 and number 68 on Canadian Hot 100. His official single off the album entitled; "Got Your Back" which also features American R&B singer Keri Hilson was released on June 1. It debuted at number 38 on Billboard Hot 100 and 48 on Canadian Hot 100.
On May 27, 2010, T.I. released a mixtape entitled "Fuck a Mixtape"; the move was somewhat controversial, due to its title with many feeling he was insulting the Mixtape format. T.I. has addressed the issue by stating that it was a response to all the people who told him to just focus on an album and not on a mixtape. T.I. further defended his decision to release a mixtape by saying:
"I already have 60, 70 songs. A lot of these songs are period pieces that speak volumes to what's going on right now. If I hold onto them next year or the year after, they'll be dated, because my life will be in another direction. If I'm not gonna put it on the album — and they all can't make the album — then they might as well have another platform to present it to the world".[54]
On September 1, 2010, T.I. and his wife Tiny were arrested on drug charges in Los Angeles.[55] The arrest for drug charges led to T.I. being sentenced on October 15, 2010 to 11 months in prison for violating the terms of his probation, specifically for possessing ecstasy, testing positive for opiates and associating with a convicted felon. On October 25, the drug charges against T.I. were dropped.[56]
He released a new song entitled, "Get Back Up" featuring Chris Brown on the same day that he was sentenced back to prison for violating the terms of his probation.[57] T.I. and B.o.B. surprised the students at Emory University in Atlanta, GA with an unexpected performance. He told the crowd that he would be back "10 months and 3 weeks.[58] On November 1, T.I. reported to the Forrest City Federal Facility to serve his 11-month sentence.[59]
Other ventures
Acting career
In 2006 T.I. starred in his first film, ATL. The other cast members included Lauren London, Antoine Patton, Evan Ross, Mykelti Williamson, Jason Weaver, and Keith David. The movie was written by Tina Gordon Chism and Antwone Fisher, produced by Timothy M. Bourne, Tionne Watkins, and Will Smith, and directed by Christopher Robinson. T.I. played the character Rashad Swann, an orphaned 17-year-old senior in high school. In its opening weekend, the film grossed a total of $11.5 million, ranking third in the United States box office, and went on to gross $21.2 million.[60]
He also appeared in American Gangster as Stevie Lucas, Drug Kingpin Frank Lucas' nephew.[61]
T.I. starred in the crime heist film Takers (originally called Bone Deep) as Ghost. The film was directed by John Luessenhop and was produced by William Packer, Michael Ealy, Tom Lassally, Jason Geter, Gary Gilbert and T.I. himself. The film was released on August 27, 2010 through Grand Hustle Films and Rainforest Films distributed by Screen Gems. The film also includes Chris Brown, Idris Elba, Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, and Zoe Saldana. Takers debuted at number one at the American box office at 20.5 million in its opening weekend.[62]
Music and film producing
T.I. was co-executive producer of B.G.'s upcoming album and making beats for artists like Mariah Carey, Cassidy, Rick Ross, Maino, B.o.B., Yung Joc, Young Dro, and himself.[63] He also executive produced the soundtrack to the film Hustle & Flow and released the collection through his record label.[64]
T.I. also a songwriter. He has credits from Diddy, Dr. Dre, and Bow Wow.
T.I. launched his film company, Grand Hustle Films. Late 2007, T.I. linked up with Los Angeles-based production company 828 Entertainment to executive produce a new reality show titled Life on Mars which chronicles the life of young prodigy music producer LaMar "MARS" Edwards.[65][66] T.I. partnered 828 Entertainment with his company Grand Hustle Records to produce a slate of both television and film projects. He also created a reality show on MTV called "T.I.'s Road to Redemption".
Community work
In addition to helping with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, T.I. worked with troubled youths at Paulding Detention Center in Atlanta, provided scholarships for single parent families at Boys and Girls Clubs, and headlined the Boost Mobile Rockcorps concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall, which featured such performers as Fat Joe, Slim Thug, and Kanye West, and was held exclusively for community service volunteers. As part of his community service time, T.I. has come to a number of middle-grade and high schools in Georgia, where he speaks with the students in an assembly holding a positive message, while maintaining a philathropic view about morals and growing up in the same areas as himself. In June 2005, The Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes Foundation, named for the deceased member of multi-platinum female group TLC, and Atlanta's V-103 honored T.I. with the 2005 Lisa Lopes Award for groundbreaking achievements in music and community service which was court ordered. With this steady list of growing accomplishments T.I. is being recognized as the "Jay-Z of the South," according to Pharrell Williams of multi-platinum production team The Neptunes.[67]
T.I.'s night club, Club Crucial, hosted a giveaway of 200 bicycles to neighborhood children in the Boys and Girls Club with V-103 announcer Greg Street.[68]
Business ventures
Forbes Magazine announced its first ever Hip-Hop Cash Kings list early 2007 with list of the top 20 hip-hop earning artists for the previous business year. T.I. was listed on their list three times.[69][70][71]
T.I. opened his own nightclub, Club Crucial in Bankhead, Atlanta. It is considered one of the most popular clubs in Atlanta and features full entertainment centers with large flat screen TVs, pool rooms, VIP rooms, food, etc. Celebrities such as Monica, Big Boi, Mike Epps, Shawty Lo make appearances there. The club also hosts weekly events such as Monday night Open Mic Night, Free Fridays, and Celebrity Saturdays where local hip-hop artists are known to come perform their songs at the club.[72]
Chevrolet secured an endorsement deal with T.I. earlier in 2007 to promote their line of cars, with a focus on the new Impala. Due to his arrest for federal gun charges, he was on the verge of losing his deal with the company.[73]
T.I. had an endorsement with a social networking website focusing on the hip-hop culture named StreetCred. The website was founded in 2007 by investment banker Rocky Williform. Celebrities such as Diddy, Lil Kim, and Jeezy had accounts on the website. As of 2008, the website was temporarily shut down until further notice.
On June 29, T.I. was named Global Creative Consultant of Rémy Martin Cognac. XXL Magazine revealed that the partnership will include collaborative projects and a focus on continuing the philanthropic works of his K.I.N.G. Foundation. He also announced on Chelsea Lately that he will be releasing his own signature brand of the liquor.[74]
T.I. lost his endorsement deal with Axe body spray after his arrest for drug possession.[75]
Controversy
Ludacris
The beef originally started when T.I. saw Disturbing tha Peace rapper I-20's video. In the video, a guy was wearing a shirt with the words "Trap House."[citation needed] The guy was getting beat up and stomped in the video. T.I. thought it said "Trap Muzik". Former G-Unit artist Young Buck asked fellow Southern rappers T.I. and Ludacris to appear on his new record on the track "Stomp". T.I. recorded a verse, which contained a line that Young Buck considered to be a subliminal diss towards Ludacris "Me gettin' beat down?/That's ludicrous/". Young Buck spoke to Ludacris about the verse, to maintain his neutrality in the beef. Ludacris then recorded the verse that can be found on the album.[76] T.I's record company wanted Ludacris to change his verse before they sanctioned it but Ludacris refused and T.I. was therefore replaced by Game on the album version.
On June 24, 2007 at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, California, T.I. was involved in a brawl. During a luncheon held by Kevin Liles of Warner Music Group (parent company of T.I.'s label, Atlantic Records), the MC got into a fight with Ludacris' manager Chaka Zulu. According to witnesses, T.I. punched Zulu in the face and choked him and a small, brief melee ensued.[77]
T.I. brought home the award for Best Hip-Hop Artist at the BET Awards, and took the opportunity to apologize for his scuffle with Disturbing tha Peace executive Chaka Zulu earlier in the week. While accepting his award, he expressed regret over the situation. "They say it's a fine line between brilliance and insanity," he said, in an apparent reference to his troublesome alter ego, T.I.P. During the broadcast, cameras showed his onetime rival Ludacris smiling in the audience. The audience stood up and clapped for T.I.[78]
The two rappers have resolved the beef and have collaborated on two songs: "Wish You Would" off Ludacris's sixth studio album, Theater of the Mind, and "On Top of the World" off T.I.'s sixth studio album, Paper Trail. The original version of the latter had Kanye West.
Lil' Flip
According to AllHipHop,[79] T.I. and Lil' Flip had an altercation in Lil' Flip's neighborhood, the Cloverland section of Houston. It has been said that T.I. went there to create a DVD exposing Lil' Flip to be a fraud. When T.I. went to Cloverland with his entourage, he was met by Flip and his people. Then it was said a fight broke out with one of the members of Lil Flip's entourage started swinging on T.I. until one of T.I.'s bodyguards started shooting. The same day T.I. went on a Houston, Texas radio station talking about the altercation. He revealed that he had the tape and he was going to release it with an upcoming mixtape, but that didn't happen because James Prince stopped him from distributing the tape. It is unknown whether T.I. still has the tape or not. The feud was squashed by Rap-a-Lot's Prince after having them sit down and resolve their feud. The feud was documented by the Houston Press.[80]
Shawty Lo
In 2008, T.I. was involved in a highly publicized feud with Shawty Lo. The feud was characterized by Shawty Lo's track Dunn Dunn, and T.I.'s reply What Up, What's Haapnin. The song Dunn Dunn appears to question T.I.'s roots in Bankhead. The music video for What Up, What's Haapnin was shot in Shawty Lo's housing project Bowen Homes, an apparent diss towards Shawty Lo. In an interview, T.I. insisted that his song No Matter What was only partially aimed at Shawty Lo.[81]
The beef reached its climax at the November 2008 Dirty Awards where the entourages of both artists clashed during the ceremony, forcing it to be shut down.[82] Two incidents forced police to use pepper-spray and evacuate the audience.[83]
The beef was publicly squashed on March 7, 2009, when Shawty Lo and T.I. appeared on-stage together at Club Crucial in Bankhead, for T.I.'s farewell concert.[84][85] After this performance, T.I. gave an interview to MTV, in which he stated that the feud with Shawty Lo was exaggerated by the media, and was not a 'beef'.[86]
Personal life
Family
T.I. has been in a relationship with former Xscape member Tameka "Tiny" Cottle since 2001.[9] The couple married on July 30, 2010 in Miami Beach, Florida.[87][88] Together, they have two sons: Clifford "King" Joseph Harris III, born August 25, 2004,[9][89] and Major Philant Harris, born May 16, 2008.[90][91] Their daughter Lelah Amore Harris was stillborn on March 22, 2007, six months into a complicated pregnancy.[92]
In addition, T.I. has two sons with ex-girlfriend Lashon Dixon: Domani Uriah, born in 2000, and Messiah Ya'Majesty, born in 2001. T.I. also has a daughter named Deyjah Imani, born in 2001, from another relationship.[6][93]
Through his marriage to Cottle, T.I. has one stepdaughter, Zonnique Pullins, born in 1996 to Cottle and Zonnie Zebo Pullins.[94][94][95][96]
Rescue of suicidal man
T.I. has been praised for helping a twenty-four year old suicidal man in Atlanta named Joshua Starks, convincing the man not to go through with jumping from a 22-story building.[97] On October 13, 2010, T.I. reportedly heard about the situation on the radio and drove to the scene at Atlanta's 400 Colony Square Building.[98] He drove to the site, and asked the police if he could help Starks. T.I. then talked to the man, and convinced him to not jump. Afterwards, T.I. stated "For one, I'm not taking any credit. I didn't do it... I could've just as well came down there and it could have been resolved in another way. The fact of the matter is that God put me in a position to help, and I can't take any credit for that."[99]
Discography
Main article: T.I. discography
2001: I'm Serious
2003: Trap Muzik
2004: Urban Legend
2006: King
2007: T.I. vs. T.I.P.
2008: Paper Trail
2010: No Mercy [100]
Filmography
Film
Year Film Role Notes
2006 ATL Rashad Swann Main Role
2007 American Gangster Stevie Lucas Minor Role
2008 For Sale Omar Burgess Main Role
2010 Takers Ghost[101] Main Role and Executive Producer. Debuted at #1 at the American box office.
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2005 The O.C. Himself "The Return of the Nana" (season 2, episode 21)
2008 Entourage Himself "The All Out Fall Out" (season 5, episode 3)
2009 T.I.'s Road to Redemption Himself Starred in all episodes
Behind the Music Himself Aired on October 8, 2009.
Contents [hide]
1 Biography
1.1 1980–2000: Early life and career beginnings
1.2 2001–02: I'm Serious
1.3 2003–05: Trap Muzik and Urban Legend
1.4 2006–07: King, T.I. vs. T.I.P. and federal weapons charges
1.5 2008–09: Paper Trail and jail sentence
1.6 2010–present: No Mercy and drug charges
2 Other ventures
2.1 Acting career
2.2 Music and film producing
2.3 Community work
2.4 Business ventures
3 Controversy
3.1 Ludacris
3.2 Lil' Flip
3.3 Shawty Lo
4 Personal life
4.1 Family
4.2 Rescue of suicidal man
5 Discography
6 Filmography
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
Biography
1980–2000: Early life and career beginnings
T.I. was born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. on September 25, 1980, in Riverdale, Atlanta, Georgia, the son of the late Clifford "Buddy" Harris Sr. and Violeta Morgan.[3][4] He was raised by his grandparents in Bankhead, Atlanta, Georgia. His father lived in New York and he would often go up there to visit him. His father suffered from Alzheimer's and later died from the disease.[5] T.I. began rapping at age nine.[5] He attended Douglass High School, but later dropped out. As a teenager, he was a drug dealer.[6][7] He was once known as Rubber Band Man, a reference to the custom of wearing rubber bands around the wrist to denote wealth in terms of drugs or money.[8] By age 14, he had been arrested several times.[5] He was nicknamed "Tip" after his paternal great-grandfather.[9] Kawan "KP" Prather, a record executive, discovered and signed T.I. when he was a teenager.[10] Upon signing with Arista Records subsidiary LaFace Records in 2001, he shortened his name to T.I. out of respect for label mate Q-Tip.[11]
2001–02: I'm Serious
T.I. released his debut album, I'm Serious, in October 2001 through Arista Records.[12] The album spawned the eponymous single, which featured Jamaican reggae entertainer Beenie Man. His debut single, "I'm Serious," was released on June 26, 2001. The single received little airplay and failed to chart. The album included guests appearances from Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes (who called him "the Jay-Z of the South"),[13] Jazze Pha, Too Short, Bone Crusher, Lil Jon, Pastor Troy, P$C and Youngbloodz. The album featured production from The Neptunes, DJ Toomp, Madvac, and The Grand Hustle Team. Despite the album's guests appearances and production team, the album peaked at number 98 and only sold 163,000 copies in the United States.[14] Critics pointed to the fact that many of the tracks sounded the same and that a few were blatant rip-offs.[15] Other critics commented saying, "T.I. claims to be the king of the South, but fails to show and prove. He does, however, have potential. If his talent ever matches his confidence, he may be headed for stardom."[16]
Due to the poor commercial reception of the album, T.I. was dropped from Arista Records.[12] He then formed Grand Hustle Entertainment and started releasing several mixtapes with the assistance of DJ Drama.[12] He resurfaced in the summer of 2003 with fellow Atlanta rapper and former label-mate Bone Crusher's song "Never Scared." His mixtapes and mainstream exposure from "Never Scared" eventually recaptured major label attention and he signed a joint venture deal with Atlantic Records.[17][18]
2003–05: Trap Muzik and Urban Legend
T.I. released his second album Trap Muzik on August 19, 2003 through Grand Hustle Records; it debuted at number four and sold 109,000 copies in its first week.[19] It spawned the singles "24s", "Be Easy", "Rubberband Man", and "Let's Get Away". The album featured guest appearances by Eightball & MJG, Jazze Pha, Bun B and Macboney and was produced by Jazze Pha, Kanye West, David Banner, Madvac and DJ Toomp. In March 2004, a warrant was issued for T.I.'s arrest after he violated his probation of a 1997 drug conviction.[20] He was sentenced to three years in prison.[21] While imprisoned in Cobb County, Georgia, he filmed an unauthorized music video.[22] One month later, he was allowed a work release program.[23]
Mug shot of T.I. taken after his arrest in Tampa in 2003T.I. was on probation stemming from a 1998 conviction for violating a state controlled substances act and for giving false information. After being released on probation, he earned a litany of probation violations in several counties around Georgia for offenses ranging from possession of a firearm to possession of marijuana.[21] In 2006, after appearing in an Atlanta court on (May 10) and having charges that he threatened a man outside a strip club last year dropped for lack of evidence, T.I. was arrested on an outstanding probation violation warrant from Florida. The warrant claimed that T.I. did not complete the required number of community service hours he was sentenced for a 2003 assault of a female sheriff deputy at University Mall in Tampa. T.I. was detained by several mall Security Guards at the time of the incident. According to WSB-TV Atlanta, the rapper’s attorney said that the problem was nothing more than a "technical matter" between Georgia and Florida. The confusion arose because T.I. was also sentenced to community service in Georgia for driving with a suspended license, for which he did complete 75 hours of community service in his home state. The rapper was released on bail shortly after being arrested, and was expected to surrender to Florida state authorities the following week to resolve the matter.[24]
T.I. released his third studio album, Urban Legend, in November 2004. It debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200, selling 193,000 copies in its first week.[19] The album's official lead single, "Bring Em Out", was released in January 2005 and became his first top ten hit, peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, while the second single "U Don't Know Me" peaked at number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot 100. His third single "ASAP" reached number 75 on the U.S. charts,[25] number 18 on the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop charts[25] and number 14 on the Rap chart.[25] T.I. created a video for "ASAP"/"Motivation". However, "Motivation" only made it to number 62 on the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart.[25] He was featured in Destiny's Child's 2004 single "Soldier" along with Lil Wayne, peaking at number three on the U.S. Hot 100 and the U.S. R&B Charts.[26]
In 2006, T.I. received two Grammy Award nominations for Best Song Collaboration ("Soldier" w/ Destiny's Child & Lil Wayne) and Best Rap Solo Performance for "U Don't Know Me" at The 48th Grammy Awards. That same year he won Rap Artist of the Year, Rap Album Of The Year, Rap Album Artist Of The Year, Rap Song Artist of the Year and Video Clip Artist of the Year on the Billboard Music Award and Best Male Hip-Hop Artist on the BET Awards.
2006–07: King, T.I. vs. T.I.P. and federal weapons charges
T.I.'s fourth album, King, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart in the first half of 2006, selling 522,000 copies in its first week.[27] T.I. released "Front Back" and "Ride with Me" as a promotional singles prior to the release of the album. The singles garnered little attention, but helped to promote not only the album, but also ATL. The album also included the singles, "What You Know," "Why You Wanna," and "Live in the Sky," plus a remix of "Top Back." King earned numerous awards and nominations including a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album. He was also featured in the single "Shoulder Lean" by Young Dro reaching the top ten on the U.S. Hot 100 and #1 on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Tracks.
T.I. at the 2006 Summer Jam concert in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"What You Know" won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance and was nominated for Best Rap Song at the 49th Grammy Awards.[28] Also that year, T.I. collaborated with Justin Timberlake for "My Love," which proved to be a worldwide hit, and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with Justin Timberlake at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards[28] and also won Best Male Hip-Hop Artist at the BET Awards for the second straight time. He then served as a featured performer on "We Takin' Over" by DJ Khaled also featuring Akon, Fat Joe, Rick Ross, Birdman and Lil Wayne.
T.I. released his fifth album, T.I. vs. T.I.P., on July 3, 2007. The first single from the album was "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)," which was produced by Mannie Fresh and was released to radio stations on April 17, 2007. The second single, "You Know What It Is" featuring Wyclef Jean, was released June 12, 2007. T.I. vs. T.I.P. sold 468,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was T.I.'s second chart-topper in a row: King opened at number one on the Billboard 200 with 522,000 copies in late March 2006.[29] The album included guest performances by Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Wyclef Jean, Nelly, and Eminem, and production by Eminem, Jeff Bass, Mannie Fresh, Grand Hustle, The Runners, Just Blaze, Wyclef Jean and Danja. Absent from this album's production lineup were T.I.'s longtime producer DJ Toomp and The Neptunes. In October 2007, T.I. released his third single, "Hurt," featuring Busta Rhymes and Alfamega.
On October 13, 2007, federal authorities arrested T.I. four hours before the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.[30] He was charged with two felonies — possession of three unregistered machine guns and two silencers, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. The arrest was made in the parking lot of a downtown shopping center, which a witness identified as the Walgreens drug store at the corner of North and Piedmont Avenues. T.I. was arrested after allegedly trying to purchase the guns from a "cooperating witness" with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. According to federal officials, the witness had been cooperating with authorities a few days prior to the T.I. arrest, when the cooperating witness was arrested on charges of trying to purchase guns from a federal agent. The witness had been working as T.I.'s bodyguard since July, authorities said.[31][32] T.I. walked out of the Atlanta United States District Court after appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan J. Baverman on October 26, 2007. Judge Alan J. Baverman required T.I. post a $3 million bond, $2 million in cash and $1 million in equity on property he owns. The rapper was required to remain at home except for medical appointments and court appearances. The only people allowed to live with him were his girlfriend and children. Visitors were required to be approved by the court.
2008–09: Paper Trail and jail sentence
T.I.'s suppression hearing was scheduled for February 19, 2008. The performer later pleaded guilty to U.S. federal weapons charges. He was sentenced to an undefined prison sentence, a year of house arrest and 1,500 hours of community service. In an interview with MTV about serving jail time, T.I. stated, "Presumably, while I'm there, I'll be able to strategize my comeback." He went on to say that he would not "just be sitting still doing nothing".[33] At that time T.I. collaborated with Mariah Carey on the "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" remix, peaking at number 58 on the U.S. Hot 100 and number 36 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Whatever You Like (2008)
T.I.'s second single from his sixth studio album Paper Trail.
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While under house arrest, T.I. began writing lyrics down on paper for his following album.[34] The first promotional single from the album, "No Matter What," was released in April 2008. The music video was released on June 2008 on MTV's FN Premieres. The second promotional single was "Swing Ya Rag" which was produced by and featured Swizz Beatz.[35] The official lead single was "Whatever You Like," was released on July 2008, and became his most successful single of his career so far, breaking the record for the highest jump to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, jumping from number 71 to number one. Also becoming T.I.'s first solo number one on the chart. He released his sixth album, Paper Trail, in September 2008. The title of the album refers to the lyrics he had written down on paper. Like many other rappers, T.I. abandoned this style of rapping after his debut album I'm Serious by just memorizing lyrics. His representative explain that T.I. wanted to "take more time to really put something down [this time]".[36] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 selling 568,000 copies in the United States.[37]
The second single from the album, "Swagga Like Us", featuring Kanye West, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne, debuted and peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. With the third single "Live Your Life" featuring Rihanna, T.I. broke his own record on the Billboard Hot 100 when it jumped from number 80 to the number one.[37] The fourth single "Dead and Gone", featuring Justin Timberlake, peaked at number two for five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually going on to be nominated during the 52nd Grammy Awards for both "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" and "Best Rap Song". During the 51st Grammy Awards, he was nominated for four Grammy Awards, eventually winning Best Rap Performance by a Duo Or a Group for "Swagga Like Us". "Remember Me", featuring Mary J. Blige, was released digitally on July 7, 2009. It was the planned first single off the re-release of T.I.'s sixth studio album, "Paper Trail", but the re-release was eventually shelved. The single peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. On October 6, "Hell of a Life" was released digitally and went on to peak at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2009, T.I. appeared as himself on an episode of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. On the episode, he took the comedienne to Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles in LA and gave her a lesson on how to "swagger."[38]
On November 21, 2008, T.I. testified in the murder trial of a member of his entourage and a close friend, Philant Johnson (1980–2006), who was murdered in a shooting that occurred after a post-concert party at a club. T.I. has dedicated several songs to Johnson, from the single version of "Live in the Sky" to his more recent hit "Dead and Gone" where Johnson's grave can be seen in the video.[39]
On March 27, 2009, U.S. District Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr. sentenced T.I. to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay $100,300 for federal weapons charges; T.I. had his sentence reduced from a maximum 10 years and a $250,000 fine with a plea bargain.[40][41] On May 26, 2009, T.I. began serving his sentence in Forrest City, Arkansas.[42] Two days prior to being imprisoned, T.I. performed a farewell concert at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.[43] T.I. was released from FCC Forrest City on December 22, 2009[44] and was moved into a halfway house in Atlanta.[45] T.I. had the Federal Bureau of Prisons ID 59458-019 and was released from CCM Atlanta on March 26, 2010.[46] Since being released from prison, he is subject to an audit of his finances, drug counseling, DNA testing, and random searches of his property.[47]
2010–present: No Mercy and drug charges
On March 26, 2010, T.I. was released from the halfway house.[48] He is also currently in the studio working on his seventh studio album titled No Mercy (formerly King Uncaged).[49] Jim Jonsin, the producer who previously worked with him on his single, "Whatever You Like" and R&B singer Trey Songz, are scheduled to work on the project..
In February 2010, T.I. made his first public appearance since prison, stepping out with fiancée Tameka "Tiny" Cottle in support of her Alzheimer's research fundraiser "For the Love of Our Fathers" at Atlanta's Opera venue. "I am very well, very happy to be seen," said T.I., who joined Cottle onstage at the end of the benefit.[50] T.I. released a new street single titled "I'm Back" on March 8, 2010.[51] The single peaked at #44 on Billboard's Hot 100 charts.
On May 13, 2010, T.I. appeared on Larry King Live to discuss with Larry King about his nine month prison term on federal gun charges and other topics.[52] T.I. released a promotional soundtrack single entitled, "Yeah Ya Know (Takers)" on May 24. The song is set to appear on the official soundtrack for Takers and his album.[53] It made a debut at #44 on Billboard Hot 100 and number 68 on Canadian Hot 100. His official single off the album entitled; "Got Your Back" which also features American R&B singer Keri Hilson was released on June 1. It debuted at number 38 on Billboard Hot 100 and 48 on Canadian Hot 100.
On May 27, 2010, T.I. released a mixtape entitled "Fuck a Mixtape"; the move was somewhat controversial, due to its title with many feeling he was insulting the Mixtape format. T.I. has addressed the issue by stating that it was a response to all the people who told him to just focus on an album and not on a mixtape. T.I. further defended his decision to release a mixtape by saying:
"I already have 60, 70 songs. A lot of these songs are period pieces that speak volumes to what's going on right now. If I hold onto them next year or the year after, they'll be dated, because my life will be in another direction. If I'm not gonna put it on the album — and they all can't make the album — then they might as well have another platform to present it to the world".[54]
On September 1, 2010, T.I. and his wife Tiny were arrested on drug charges in Los Angeles.[55] The arrest for drug charges led to T.I. being sentenced on October 15, 2010 to 11 months in prison for violating the terms of his probation, specifically for possessing ecstasy, testing positive for opiates and associating with a convicted felon. On October 25, the drug charges against T.I. were dropped.[56]
He released a new song entitled, "Get Back Up" featuring Chris Brown on the same day that he was sentenced back to prison for violating the terms of his probation.[57] T.I. and B.o.B. surprised the students at Emory University in Atlanta, GA with an unexpected performance. He told the crowd that he would be back "10 months and 3 weeks.[58] On November 1, T.I. reported to the Forrest City Federal Facility to serve his 11-month sentence.[59]
Other ventures
Acting career
In 2006 T.I. starred in his first film, ATL. The other cast members included Lauren London, Antoine Patton, Evan Ross, Mykelti Williamson, Jason Weaver, and Keith David. The movie was written by Tina Gordon Chism and Antwone Fisher, produced by Timothy M. Bourne, Tionne Watkins, and Will Smith, and directed by Christopher Robinson. T.I. played the character Rashad Swann, an orphaned 17-year-old senior in high school. In its opening weekend, the film grossed a total of $11.5 million, ranking third in the United States box office, and went on to gross $21.2 million.[60]
He also appeared in American Gangster as Stevie Lucas, Drug Kingpin Frank Lucas' nephew.[61]
T.I. starred in the crime heist film Takers (originally called Bone Deep) as Ghost. The film was directed by John Luessenhop and was produced by William Packer, Michael Ealy, Tom Lassally, Jason Geter, Gary Gilbert and T.I. himself. The film was released on August 27, 2010 through Grand Hustle Films and Rainforest Films distributed by Screen Gems. The film also includes Chris Brown, Idris Elba, Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, and Zoe Saldana. Takers debuted at number one at the American box office at 20.5 million in its opening weekend.[62]
Music and film producing
T.I. was co-executive producer of B.G.'s upcoming album and making beats for artists like Mariah Carey, Cassidy, Rick Ross, Maino, B.o.B., Yung Joc, Young Dro, and himself.[63] He also executive produced the soundtrack to the film Hustle & Flow and released the collection through his record label.[64]
T.I. also a songwriter. He has credits from Diddy, Dr. Dre, and Bow Wow.
T.I. launched his film company, Grand Hustle Films. Late 2007, T.I. linked up with Los Angeles-based production company 828 Entertainment to executive produce a new reality show titled Life on Mars which chronicles the life of young prodigy music producer LaMar "MARS" Edwards.[65][66] T.I. partnered 828 Entertainment with his company Grand Hustle Records to produce a slate of both television and film projects. He also created a reality show on MTV called "T.I.'s Road to Redemption".
Community work
In addition to helping with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, T.I. worked with troubled youths at Paulding Detention Center in Atlanta, provided scholarships for single parent families at Boys and Girls Clubs, and headlined the Boost Mobile Rockcorps concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall, which featured such performers as Fat Joe, Slim Thug, and Kanye West, and was held exclusively for community service volunteers. As part of his community service time, T.I. has come to a number of middle-grade and high schools in Georgia, where he speaks with the students in an assembly holding a positive message, while maintaining a philathropic view about morals and growing up in the same areas as himself. In June 2005, The Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes Foundation, named for the deceased member of multi-platinum female group TLC, and Atlanta's V-103 honored T.I. with the 2005 Lisa Lopes Award for groundbreaking achievements in music and community service which was court ordered. With this steady list of growing accomplishments T.I. is being recognized as the "Jay-Z of the South," according to Pharrell Williams of multi-platinum production team The Neptunes.[67]
T.I.'s night club, Club Crucial, hosted a giveaway of 200 bicycles to neighborhood children in the Boys and Girls Club with V-103 announcer Greg Street.[68]
Business ventures
Forbes Magazine announced its first ever Hip-Hop Cash Kings list early 2007 with list of the top 20 hip-hop earning artists for the previous business year. T.I. was listed on their list three times.[69][70][71]
T.I. opened his own nightclub, Club Crucial in Bankhead, Atlanta. It is considered one of the most popular clubs in Atlanta and features full entertainment centers with large flat screen TVs, pool rooms, VIP rooms, food, etc. Celebrities such as Monica, Big Boi, Mike Epps, Shawty Lo make appearances there. The club also hosts weekly events such as Monday night Open Mic Night, Free Fridays, and Celebrity Saturdays where local hip-hop artists are known to come perform their songs at the club.[72]
Chevrolet secured an endorsement deal with T.I. earlier in 2007 to promote their line of cars, with a focus on the new Impala. Due to his arrest for federal gun charges, he was on the verge of losing his deal with the company.[73]
T.I. had an endorsement with a social networking website focusing on the hip-hop culture named StreetCred. The website was founded in 2007 by investment banker Rocky Williform. Celebrities such as Diddy, Lil Kim, and Jeezy had accounts on the website. As of 2008, the website was temporarily shut down until further notice.
On June 29, T.I. was named Global Creative Consultant of Rémy Martin Cognac. XXL Magazine revealed that the partnership will include collaborative projects and a focus on continuing the philanthropic works of his K.I.N.G. Foundation. He also announced on Chelsea Lately that he will be releasing his own signature brand of the liquor.[74]
T.I. lost his endorsement deal with Axe body spray after his arrest for drug possession.[75]
Controversy
Ludacris
The beef originally started when T.I. saw Disturbing tha Peace rapper I-20's video. In the video, a guy was wearing a shirt with the words "Trap House."[citation needed] The guy was getting beat up and stomped in the video. T.I. thought it said "Trap Muzik". Former G-Unit artist Young Buck asked fellow Southern rappers T.I. and Ludacris to appear on his new record on the track "Stomp". T.I. recorded a verse, which contained a line that Young Buck considered to be a subliminal diss towards Ludacris "Me gettin' beat down?/That's ludicrous/". Young Buck spoke to Ludacris about the verse, to maintain his neutrality in the beef. Ludacris then recorded the verse that can be found on the album.[76] T.I's record company wanted Ludacris to change his verse before they sanctioned it but Ludacris refused and T.I. was therefore replaced by Game on the album version.
On June 24, 2007 at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, California, T.I. was involved in a brawl. During a luncheon held by Kevin Liles of Warner Music Group (parent company of T.I.'s label, Atlantic Records), the MC got into a fight with Ludacris' manager Chaka Zulu. According to witnesses, T.I. punched Zulu in the face and choked him and a small, brief melee ensued.[77]
T.I. brought home the award for Best Hip-Hop Artist at the BET Awards, and took the opportunity to apologize for his scuffle with Disturbing tha Peace executive Chaka Zulu earlier in the week. While accepting his award, he expressed regret over the situation. "They say it's a fine line between brilliance and insanity," he said, in an apparent reference to his troublesome alter ego, T.I.P. During the broadcast, cameras showed his onetime rival Ludacris smiling in the audience. The audience stood up and clapped for T.I.[78]
The two rappers have resolved the beef and have collaborated on two songs: "Wish You Would" off Ludacris's sixth studio album, Theater of the Mind, and "On Top of the World" off T.I.'s sixth studio album, Paper Trail. The original version of the latter had Kanye West.
Lil' Flip
According to AllHipHop,[79] T.I. and Lil' Flip had an altercation in Lil' Flip's neighborhood, the Cloverland section of Houston. It has been said that T.I. went there to create a DVD exposing Lil' Flip to be a fraud. When T.I. went to Cloverland with his entourage, he was met by Flip and his people. Then it was said a fight broke out with one of the members of Lil Flip's entourage started swinging on T.I. until one of T.I.'s bodyguards started shooting. The same day T.I. went on a Houston, Texas radio station talking about the altercation. He revealed that he had the tape and he was going to release it with an upcoming mixtape, but that didn't happen because James Prince stopped him from distributing the tape. It is unknown whether T.I. still has the tape or not. The feud was squashed by Rap-a-Lot's Prince after having them sit down and resolve their feud. The feud was documented by the Houston Press.[80]
Shawty Lo
In 2008, T.I. was involved in a highly publicized feud with Shawty Lo. The feud was characterized by Shawty Lo's track Dunn Dunn, and T.I.'s reply What Up, What's Haapnin. The song Dunn Dunn appears to question T.I.'s roots in Bankhead. The music video for What Up, What's Haapnin was shot in Shawty Lo's housing project Bowen Homes, an apparent diss towards Shawty Lo. In an interview, T.I. insisted that his song No Matter What was only partially aimed at Shawty Lo.[81]
The beef reached its climax at the November 2008 Dirty Awards where the entourages of both artists clashed during the ceremony, forcing it to be shut down.[82] Two incidents forced police to use pepper-spray and evacuate the audience.[83]
The beef was publicly squashed on March 7, 2009, when Shawty Lo and T.I. appeared on-stage together at Club Crucial in Bankhead, for T.I.'s farewell concert.[84][85] After this performance, T.I. gave an interview to MTV, in which he stated that the feud with Shawty Lo was exaggerated by the media, and was not a 'beef'.[86]
Personal life
Family
T.I. has been in a relationship with former Xscape member Tameka "Tiny" Cottle since 2001.[9] The couple married on July 30, 2010 in Miami Beach, Florida.[87][88] Together, they have two sons: Clifford "King" Joseph Harris III, born August 25, 2004,[9][89] and Major Philant Harris, born May 16, 2008.[90][91] Their daughter Lelah Amore Harris was stillborn on March 22, 2007, six months into a complicated pregnancy.[92]
In addition, T.I. has two sons with ex-girlfriend Lashon Dixon: Domani Uriah, born in 2000, and Messiah Ya'Majesty, born in 2001. T.I. also has a daughter named Deyjah Imani, born in 2001, from another relationship.[6][93]
Through his marriage to Cottle, T.I. has one stepdaughter, Zonnique Pullins, born in 1996 to Cottle and Zonnie Zebo Pullins.[94][94][95][96]
Rescue of suicidal man
T.I. has been praised for helping a twenty-four year old suicidal man in Atlanta named Joshua Starks, convincing the man not to go through with jumping from a 22-story building.[97] On October 13, 2010, T.I. reportedly heard about the situation on the radio and drove to the scene at Atlanta's 400 Colony Square Building.[98] He drove to the site, and asked the police if he could help Starks. T.I. then talked to the man, and convinced him to not jump. Afterwards, T.I. stated "For one, I'm not taking any credit. I didn't do it... I could've just as well came down there and it could have been resolved in another way. The fact of the matter is that God put me in a position to help, and I can't take any credit for that."[99]
Discography
Main article: T.I. discography
2001: I'm Serious
2003: Trap Muzik
2004: Urban Legend
2006: King
2007: T.I. vs. T.I.P.
2008: Paper Trail
2010: No Mercy [100]
Filmography
Film
Year Film Role Notes
2006 ATL Rashad Swann Main Role
2007 American Gangster Stevie Lucas Minor Role
2008 For Sale Omar Burgess Main Role
2010 Takers Ghost[101] Main Role and Executive Producer. Debuted at #1 at the American box office.
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2005 The O.C. Himself "The Return of the Nana" (season 2, episode 21)
2008 Entourage Himself "The All Out Fall Out" (season 5, episode 3)
2009 T.I.'s Road to Redemption Himself Starred in all episodes
Behind the Music Himself Aired on October 8, 2009.
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972),[1] better known by his stage name Eminem, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Eminem quickly gained popularity in 1999 with his major-label debut album, The Slim Shady LP, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. The following album, The Marshall Mathers LP, became the fastest-selling solo album in United States history.[2] It brought Eminem increased popularity, including his own record label, Shady Records, and brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition.
The Marshall Mathers LP and his third album, The Eminem Show, also won Grammy Awards, making Eminem the first artist to win Best Rap Album for three consecutive LPs. He then won the award again in 2010 for his album Relapse, giving him a total of 11 Grammys in his career. In 2003, he won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Lose Yourself" from the film, 8 Mile, in which he also played the lead. "Lose Yourself" would go on to become the longest running No. 1 hip hop single.[3] Eminem then went on hiatus after touring in 2005. He released his first album since 2004's Encore, titled Relapse, on May 15, 2009. Eminem is the best-selling artist of the decade on the US Nielsen SoundScan,[4] and has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide to date, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world.[5] In 2010, Eminem released his seventh studio album Recovery. It became Eminem's sixth consecutive number-one album in the US and achieved international commercial success, charting at number one in several other countries. It stayed at number-one on the US Billboard 200 chart for five consecutive weeks.[6]
Eminem was ranked 79th on the VH1 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time.[7] He was also ranked 82nd on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[8] He was also named the Best Rapper Alive by Vibe magazine in 2008.[9] Including his work with D12, Eminem has achieved nine No. 1 albums on the Billboard Top 200, 7 solo (6 studio albums, 1 compilation) and 2 with D12.[10] Eminem has had 13 number one singles worldwide. In December 2009, Eminem was named the Artist of the Decade by Billboard magazine.[11] His albums The Eminem Show, The Marshall Mathers LP, and Encore (in order) ranked as the 3rd,[12] 7th,[12] and 40th[13] best-selling albums of the 2000–2009 decade by Billboard magazine. Also according to Billboard, Eminem has two of his albums among the top five highest selling albums of the 2000s. In the UK, Eminem has sold over 12.5 million records.[14]
Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Musical career
2.1 1992–1998: Early career and Infinite
2.2 1997–1999: The Slim Shady LP
2.3 2000–2001: The Marshall Mathers LP
2.4 2002–2003: The Eminem Show
2.5 2004–2005: Encore
2.6 2005–2008: Musical hiatus
2.7 2008–2009: Relapse and Relapse: Refill
2.8 2009–present: Recovery
3 Other ventures
3.1 Shady Records and D12
3.2 Acting career
3.3 Memoir
4 Artistry
4.1 Influences and rapping technique
4.2 Featurings and productions
5 Personal life
5.1 Family
5.2 Legal troubles
5.3 Drug issues
5.4 Conflict with Mariah Carey
6 Discography
6.1 Number-one singles
7 Filmography
8 Awards and nominations
9 Business ventures
10 See also
11 References
11.1 Literature
12 External links
Early life
Eminem was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972 in Saint Joseph, Missouri, the only child of Deborah Nelson Mathers-Briggs and Marshall Bruce Mathers, Jr.[15] He is of Scottish,[16] Welsh, English, German, Swiss, Polish, and possibly Luxembourg ancestry.[17] His father abandoned the family when he was 18 months old, and he was raised solely by his mother in poverty. By the age of 12, Mathers and his mother had moved between various cities and towns in Missouri (including Saint Joseph, Savannah, and Kansas City)[18] before they settled in Warren, Michigan, an upper middle class, white majority suburb of Detroit.
After procuring a copy of the Beastie Boys album Licensed to Ill as a teenager, Mathers became interested in hip hop, performing amateur raps at age 14 under the pseudonym "M&M" and joining the group called "Bassmint Productions" and released their first EP, Steppin' Onto The Scene. They later changed their name to "Soul Intent" and around 1995 they released their first single called "Fuckin' Backstabber" under the record label Mashin' Duck Records.[1] Although he was enrolled at Lincoln High School in Warren, he frequently participated in freestyle battles at the now-defunct Osborn High School on Detroit's east side.[19] Despite a well-documented struggle succeeding in a predominantly African-American industry, he gained the approval of underground hip hop audiences.[1][15][20] After repeating the ninth grade twice due to truancy and near-failing grades,[21] he dropped out of high school at age 17.
In 1991, Mathers' maternal uncle, Ronald "Ronnie" Nelson, committed suicide via shotgun wound to the head. Mathers was very close to his uncle, and was devastated at his death; today, he sports a tattoo reading "Ronnie R.I.P." on his upper left arm.[22]
Musical career
1992–1998: Early career and Infinite
See also: Infinite (Eminem album)
Mathers was initially signed to FBT Productions in 1992, run by brothers Jeff and Mark Bass. Mathers also held a minimum-wage job of cooking and dishwashing at the restaurant Gilbert's Lodge at St. Clair Shores for some time.[23] In 1996, his debut album Infinite, which was recorded at the Bassmint, a recording studio owned by the Bass Brothers, was released under their independent label Web Entertainment.[24] Eminem recalled, "Obviously, I was young and influenced by other artists, and I got a lot of feedback saying that I sounded like Nas and AZ. 'Infinite' was me trying to figure out how I wanted my rap style to be, how I wanted to sound on the mic and present myself. It was a growing stage. I felt like 'Infinite' was like a demo that just got pressed up."[25] Subjects covered in Infinite included his struggles with raising his newborn daughter Hailie Jade Scott while on limited funds and his strong desire to get rich.[26] Early in his career, Eminem collaborated with fellow Detroit MC Royce da 5'9" under the stage name Bad Meets Evil.[27] After the release of Infinite, Eminem's personal struggles and abuse of drugs and alcohol culminated in an unsuccessful suicide attempt.[1]
With the release of The Slim Shady EP, Mathers was accused of imitating the style and subject matter of underground rapper Cage.[28][29]
Jimmy Iovine, CEO of Interscope Records, requested a demo tape of Eminem's after Eminem placed second at the 1997 Rap Olympics. Eminem had also won Wake Up Show's Freestyle Performer Of The Year award helping him acquire a record deal.[30] Iovine played the tape for record producer Dr. Dre, founder of Aftermath Entertainment. The two began recording tracks for Eminem's upcoming major-label debut The Slim Shady LP, and Eminem made a guest performance on the album Devil Without a Cause by Kid Rock.[1] Hip-hop magazine The Source featured Eminem in its "Unsigned Hype" column in March 1998.[31]
1997–1999: The Slim Shady LP
Main article: The Slim Shady LP
According to Billboard Magazine, at this point in his life Eminem had "realized his musical ambitions were the only way to escape his unhappy life". After being signed to Aftermath Entertainment/Interscope Records in 1998, Eminem released his first major studio album, The Slim Shady LP, heavily based on the production by Dr. Dre, one year later in 1999. Billboard praised the album as "light years ahead of the material he had been writing beforehand".[32] It went on to be one of the most popular albums of 1999, going triple platinum by the end of the year.[33] With the album's popularity came controversy surrounding many of the album's lyrics. In "'97 Bonnie and Clyde", he describes a trip with his infant daughter, disposing of his wife's body. Another song, "Guilty Conscience", ends with his encouraging a man to murder his wife and her lover. "Guilty Conscience" marked the beginning of the friendship and musical bond that Dr. Dre and Eminem would share. The two label-mates would later collaborate on a line of hit songs, including "Forgot About Dre" and "What's the Difference" from Dr. Dre's album 2001, "Bitch Please II" from The Marshall Mathers LP, "Say What You Say" from The Eminem Show, "Encore/Curtains Down" from Encore and "Old Time's Sake" and "Crack a Bottle" from Relapse. Dr. Dre would go on to make at least one guest appearance on all of Eminem's studio albums under the label Aftermath.[34] The album has now been certified 4 times platinum by the RIAA.
2000–2001: The Marshall Mathers LP
Main article: The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP was released in May 2000. It went on to sell 1.76 million copies in its first week, breaking the records set by Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle as the fastest-selling hip hop album and Britney Spears' ...Baby One More Time as the fastest-selling solo album in United States history.[2][35] The first single released from the album, "The Real Slim Shady", was a success and created some controversy by insulting celebrities and making dubious claims about them; he states, among other things, that Christina Aguilera performed oral sex on Fred Durst and Carson Daly.[36] In his second single, "The Way I Am", he reveals to his fans the pressures from his record company to top "My Name Is" and sell more records. Although Eminem had parodied shock rocker Marilyn Manson in the video "My Name Is", the artists are reportedly on good terms. They performed a remix of the song "The Way I Am" together in concert.[37] In the third single, "Stan" (which samples Dido's "Thank You"), Eminem attempts to deal with his new-found fame, taking on the persona of a deranged fan who kills himself and his pregnant girlfriend, mirroring "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" on The Slim Shady LP.[15] In the music video of "Stan", Eminem was shown writing with his left hand, ending the fan debate over his dominant hand. Q magazine named "Stan" the third-greatest rap song of all time,[38] and the song came tenth in a similar survey conducted by Top40-Charts.com.[39] The song has since become highly acclaimed and was ranked 290th in Rolling Stone magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.[40] In July 2000, Eminem became the first white person to be featured on the cover of The Source magazine.[31] This album has been certified 9x platinum by the RIAA.
Eminem performed with Elton John at the 43rd Grammy Awards ceremony in 2001;[41] the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), an organization that perceived Eminem's lyrics to be homophobic, condemned the openly gay John's decision to perform with Eminem.[42] Entertainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "It was the hug heard 'round the world. Eminem, under fire for homophobic lyrics, shared the stage with a gay icon for a performance of "Stan" that would have been memorable in any context."[43] On February 21, the day of the ceremony, GLAAD held a protest outside the Staples Center, the venue where the Grammy ceremony was held.[44] Music tours that he participated in for 2001 included the Up In Smoke Tour with rappers Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, and Ice Cube[45] and Family Values Tour with the band Limp Bizkit.[46]
2002–2003: The Eminem Show
Main article: The Eminem Show
Eminem's third major album, The Eminem Show, was released in summer 2002 and proved to be another hit for the rapper reaching number one on the charts and selling well over 1 million copies in its first week of release.[33] It featured the single "Without Me", in which he makes derogatory comments about boy bands, Limp Bizkit, Moby, and Lynne Cheney, among others. The Eminem Show has been certified 8x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album reflected on the impact of his rise to fame, his relationship with his wife and daughter, and his status in the hip-hop community. He also addresses the charges he faced over assaulting a bouncer he saw kissing his wife in 2000. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic felt that while there was clear anger present on several tracks, this album was considerably less inflammatory than The Marshall Mathers LP.[47] However, L. Brent Bozell III, who previously criticized The Marshall Mathers LP for perceived misogynistic lyrics in the album, noted The Eminem Show for its extensive use of obscene language, giving Eminem the nickname "Eminef" for the bowdlerization of motherfucker, an obscenity prevalent in the album.[48]
2004–2005: Encore
Main article: Encore (Eminem album)
The Media Research Center claims that on December 8, 2003, the United States Secret Service admitted it was "looking into" allegations that Eminem had threatened the President of the United States.[49] The lyrics in question: "Fuck money/I don't rap for dead presidents/I'd rather see the president dead/It's never been said, but I set precedents ..." The song in question, "We As Americans", wound up on a bonus CD accompanying the album.[50]
In 2004, Eminem released his fourth major album, Encore. The album was another chart-topper, as it was driven by the single "Just Lose It", notable for being disrespectful towards Michael Jackson. On October 12, 2004, a week after the release of "Just Lose It", Eminem's first single off Encore, Michael Jackson called into the Los Angeles-based Steve Harvey radio show to report his displeasure with the video, which parodies Jackson's child molestation trial, plastic surgery, and an incident in which Jackson's hair caught on fire while filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984. The lyrics to "Just Lose It" refer to Jackson's legal troubles, however he does state in his song "... and that's not a stab at Michael/That's just a metaphor/I'm just psycho...." Many of Jackson's supporters and friends spoke out about the video, including Stevie Wonder, who called the video "kicking a man while he's down" and "bullshit",[51] and Steve Harvey, who declared, "Eminem has lost his ghetto pass. We want the pass back."[51] In the video, Eminem parodied Pee Wee Herman, MC Hammer, and "Blond Ambition"-era Madonna.[52]
Regarding Jackson's protest, "Weird Al" Yankovic, who parodied the Eminem song "Lose Yourself" on a track titled "Couch Potato" on his 2003 album Poodle Hat, told the Chicago Sun-Times, "Last year, Eminem forced me to halt production on the video for my "Lose Yourself" parody because he somehow thought that it would be harmful to his image or career. So the irony of this situation with Michael is not lost on me."[53] Black Entertainment Television was the first channel to stop airing the video. MTV, however, announced it would continue airing the video. The Source, through its CEO Raymond "Benzino" Scott, wanted not only the video to be pulled, but the song off the album, and a public apology to Jackson from Eminem.[54] In 2007 Jackson and Sony bought Famous Music LLC from Viacom. This deal gave him the rights to songs by Eminem, Shakira and Beck, among others.[55]
Despite the comedic theme of the lead single, Encore had its fair share of serious subject matter, including the anti-war track "Mosh". On October 25, 2004, a week before the 2004 US Presidential election, Eminem released the video for "Mosh" on the Internet.[56] The song featured a very strong anti-Bush message, with lyrics such as "fuck Bush" and "this weapon of mass destruction that we call our president".[57] The video features Eminem gathering up an army of people, including rapper Lloyd Banks, presented as victims of the Bush administration and leading them to the White House. However, once the army breaks in, it is revealed that they are there to simply register to vote, and the video ends with the words "VOTE Tuesday November 2" on the screen. After Bush was re-elected, the video's ending was changed to Eminem and the protesters invading while Bush was giving a speech.[58]
2005–2008: Musical hiatus
Eminem performing live on the Anger Management Tour in August 2005In 2005, some industry insiders speculated that Eminem was considering ending his rapping career after six years and several multi-platinum albums. Speculation began in early 2005 about a double-disc album to be released late that year, rumored to be titled The Funeral.[59] The album later manifested itself as a greatest hits album under the name Curtain Call: The Hits in December. In July 2005, the Detroit Free Press broke news of a potential final bow for Eminem as a solo performer, quoting members of his inside circle who said that he will begin to fully embrace the role of producer and label executive. On the same day of the release of the compilation album, Eminem denied that he was retiring on Detroit-based WKQI's "Mojo in the Morning" radio show, but implied that he would at least be taking a break as an artist, saying "I'm at a point in my life right now where I feel like I don't know where my career is going ... This is the reason that we called it 'Curtain Call', because this could be the final thing. We don't know."[60] He released The Re-Up with the members of his record label, Shady Records. It was released in 2006.
In 2005, Eminem was a subject of Bernard Goldberg's book, 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America; he ranked No. 58.[61] Goldberg cited a 2001 column by Bob Herbert of The New York Times claiming, "In Eminem's world, all women are whores and he is eager to rape and murder them."[62] Goldberg cited Eminem's song "No One's Iller" from The Slim Shady EP as an example of misogyny in his music.[63] In summer 2005, Eminem embarked on his first US concert run in three years, the Anger Management 3 Tour, featuring 50 Cent, G-Unit, Lil' Jon, D12, Obie Trice, The Alchemist, and others. In August 2005, Eminem canceled the European leg of the tour and subsequently announced that he had entered drug rehabilitation for treatment for a "dependency on sleep medication".[64]
Curtain Call: The Hits was released on December 6, 2005, under Aftermath Entertainment.[65] In its first week it sold nearly 441,000 copies in the US and was Eminem's fourth straight No. 1 album on the Billboard Hot 200.[66] The album has been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA.[67]
2008–2009: Relapse and Relapse: Refill
Main article: Relapse (album)
In September 2007, Eminem called into New York radio station Hot 97 during an interview with 50 Cent and said he was "in limbo" and "debating" about when and if he would release another album. He said, "I'm always working – I'm always in the studio. It feels good right now, the energy of the label. For a while, I didn't want to go back to the studio ... I went through some personal things. I'm coming out of those personal things [and] it feels good."[68]
Eminem made an appearance on his Sirius channel Shade 45 in September 2008 in which he said, "Right now I'm kinda just concentrating on my own stuff, for right now and just banging out tracks and producing a lot of stuff. You know, the more I keep producing the better it seems like I get 'cause I just start knowing stuff."[69] It was around this time that Interscope finally confirmed the existence of a new Eminem album,[70] with Spring 2009 later being stated as the period span in which the album is due.[71] In December 2008, he gave more details on the album, which he recently reported was being titled Relapse. He said, "Me and Dre are back in the lab like the old days, man. Dre will end up producing the majority of the tracks on 'Relapse'. We are up to our old mischievous ways ... let's just leave it at that."[72]
On March 5, 2009, Eminem reported in a press release that he would be releasing two new albums that year. Relapse, the first album, was released on May 19, while "We Made You", the first official single and its music video, were released on April 7.[73] While Relapse didn't manage to sell as well as Eminem's previous efforts, it was still a commercial success that received some critical acclaim, while also re-establishing his presence in the hip hop world. Relapse was named one of the top albums of 2009. Relapse has sold more than five million copies worldwide. During the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, Sacha Baron Cohen descended upon the audience wearing an angel's costume and landed on top of Eminem with his buttocks facing towards Eminem's face, resulting in Eminem storming out of the awards ceremony in disgust. Three days later, Eminem stated it was a staged act that they had planned together.[74] On October 30, Eminem performed at the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans as a headliner in his first full performance in 2009.[75] The performance included several songs from Relapse, as well as many of Eminem's older hits and an appearance by D12. On November 19, Eminem announced on his website that Relapse: Refill would be released on December 21. The album was a re-release of the Relapse album with seven bonus tracks, including "Forever" and "Taking My Ball". In a statement he described the forthcoming CD:
“ I want to deliver more material for the fans this year like I originally planned ... Hopefully these tracks on The Refill will tide the fans over until we put out Relapse 2 next year ... I got back in with Dre and then a few more producers, including Just Blaze, and went in a completely different direction which made me start from scratch. The new tracks started to sound very different than the tracks I originally intended to be on Relapse 2, but I still want the other stuff to be heard. ”
2009–present: Recovery
Main article: Recovery (Eminem album)
Eminem, along with D12, performing in 2009.On April 13, 2010, Eminem tweeted, "There is no Relapse 2", to his followers. When he tweeted this, people started to believe that he was not releasing an album at all, but it simply meant that the album title would be changed to Recovery. He confirmed this by tweeting, "RECOVERY", with a link to his website. Eminem said, "I had originally planned for Relapse 2 to come out last year. But as I kept recording and working with new producers, the idea of a sequel to Relapse started to make less and less sense to me, and I wanted to make a completely new album. The music on Recovery came out very different from Relapse, and I think it deserves its own title." His seventh studio album, Recovery, was released on June 21.[76] In the US, Recovery sold 741,000 in its first week to land atop the Billboard 200.[77][78] The first single, "Not Afraid", was released on April 29, and debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, followed by a second single, "Love the Way You Lie," which debuted at number 2 and then rose.[79] Despite some criticism towards its consistency, Recovery received positive reviews from most music critics. As of September 29, 2010 (2010 -09-29)[update], the album had sold 2.7 million copies in the US.[80]
Eminem appeared at the 2010 BET Awards,[81] performing "Airplanes Part II" with B.o.B and "Not Afraid". He also performed at the Activison E3 concert. In June 2010, Eminem and Jay-Z announced they would perform together in a pair of concerts in Detroit and New York. The event was dubbed The Home & Home Tour. The first two concerts rapidly sold out, prompting the scheduling of an additional show at each venue.[82]
Eminem opened the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010, by performing "Not Afraid" and "Love the Way You Lie", with Rihanna performing the chorus.[83] Due to the success of Recovery and the Home & Home Tour, he was named the 2010 Hottest MC in the Game by MTV.[84]
Eminem and Rihanna are said to be making a sequel to their hit single, "Love the Way You Lie". Rihanna will be the main singer, as opposed to Eminem being the main singer in "Love the Way You Lie". The song is said to be from the female perspective.[85] Nicki Minaj has said that she has collaborated with rapper Eminem on a song titled "Roman's Revenge" that is expected to appear on her Pink Friday album.[86] The song references Minaj's alter-ego Roman Zolanski and will feature Eminem's alter-ego Slim Shady.[86]
Other ventures
Shady Records and D12
Main articles: Shady Records and D12
As Eminem succeeded in multi-platinum record sales, Interscope granted him his own record label. He and his manager Paul Rosenberg created Shady Records in late 1999. He followed this by signing his own Detroit collective D12 and rapper Obie Trice to the label. In 2002, Eminem signed 50 Cent through a joint venture between Shady and Dr. Dre's Aftermath label. In 2003, Eminem and Dr. Dre signed Atlanta rapper Stat Quo to the Shady/Aftermath roster. DJ Green Lantern, the former DJ for Eminem, was signed to Shady Records until a dispute related to the 50 Cent and Jadakiss feud forced him to depart from the label; he is no longer associated with Eminem. The Alchemist is now officially Eminem's tour DJ. In 2005, Eminem signed another Atlanta rapper, Bobby Creekwater, to his label along with West Coast rapper Cashis.[21]
On December 5, 2006, Shady Records released compilation album, Eminem Presents: The Re-Up. It started out as a mixtape but Eminem found that the material was better than expected and released it as a full album. It was meant to help launch the new artists under the roster, like Stat Quo, Cashis and Bobby Creekwater.[87] Around the time of recording Infinite, Eminem and rappers Proof and Kon Artis gathered the group of rappers now collectively in the group D12, short for "Detroit Twelve" or "Dirty Dozen", performing in the manner of the multi-man group Wu-Tang Clan.[88] In 2001, Eminem brought his rap group, D12, to the popular music scene, and the group's debut album Devil's Night came out that year.[89] The first single released off of the album was "Shit on You", followed by "Purple Pills", an ode to recreational drug use. For radio and television, the censored version "Pills" was heavily rewritten to remove many of the song's references to drugs and sex and was renamed "Purple Hills". While that single was a hit, the album's second single, "Fight Music", was not as successful.[90]
After their debut, D12 took a three-year break from the studio, later regrouping to release their second album, D12 World, in 2004, which featured the popular hit single release "My Band".[89] In April 2006, D12 member (and Eminem's childhood friend) Deshaun "Proof" Holton was killed in a club brawl on 8 Mile Road in Detroit, Michigan, with US military veteran Keith Bender, Jr., who also died in the fray. The eruption is suspected to have been due to an argument over a game of pool. Proof was then allegedly shot by the bouncer Mario Etheridge, Bender's cousin. He was taken by private vehicle to St. John Health's Conner Creek Campus, an outpatient emergency treatment site, but pronounced dead on arrival. Eminem and former Detroit Shady Records artist Obie Trice spoke at the funeral.[91] D12 member Bizarre said that Eminem is not featured on his new album Blue Cheese & Coney Island because "he's busy doing his thing".[92]
Acting career
Although he had a brief cameo in the 2001 film, The Wash, Eminem made his official Hollywood acting debut with the semi-autobiographical 8 Mile, released in November 2002. He has said the movie is not an account of his life, but a representation of growing up in Detroit. He recorded several new songs for the soundtrack, including "Lose Yourself", which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2003. However, the song was not performed at the ceremony, due to Eminem's absence at the ceremony. His collaborator, Luis Resto, who co-wrote the song, accepted the award.[93]
Eminem has participated in various voice acting roles. Some of these include the video game 50 Cent: Bulletproof, where he voices an aging corrupt police officer who speaks in Ebonics and guest spots on the Comedy Central television show Crank Yankers, and a web cartoon called The Slim Shady Show, which has since been pulled off-line and is instead sold on DVD.[94] He will be involved in either the soundtrack or scoring.[95] He was also in the running for the part of David Rice in 2008's film Jumper after Tom Sturridge was dropped just two weeks before filming. Concerns over not having a more prominent actor prompted the director, Doug Liman, to consider other actors for the role. He eventually selected Hayden Christensen over Eminem.[96] He also had a cameo appearance in the 2009 movie Funny People, in which he is involved in an argument with Ray Romano.
It was reported on November 8, 2009, that Eminem will star in the upcoming 3D horror anthology, Shady Talez, directed by John Davis. A four-issue comic book series based on the film is also expected to be published sometime in 2010.[97]
Eminem will appear alongside Christina Aguilera on the Entourage Season 7 finale titled 'Lose Yourself'. He will play himself.[98]
Memoir
On October 21, 2008, Eminem released a tell-all autobiography entitled The Way I Am, which details his struggles with poverty, drugs, fame, heartbreak and depression, along with stories about his rise to fame and commentary on past controversies. This book also contains some of the original lyric sheets from songs such as "Stan" and "The Real Slim Shady."[99]
Artistry
Influences and rapping technique
Eminem has named several MCs who influenced his rapping style – these include Esham,[100] Kool G Rap,[101] Masta Ace,[102] Big Daddy Kane,[101] Newcleus,[102] Ice-T,[102] Mantronix,[102] Melle Mel (specifically the track "The Message"),[102] LL Cool J,[102] The Beastie Boys,[102] Run-DMC,[102] Rakim,[102] and Boogie Down Productions.[102]
In the book How to Rap, Guerilla Black notes that Eminem studied other MCs to create his rapping technique – “Eminem listened to everything and that’s what made him one of the greats”.[103] In the same book, Eminem is praised for various aspects of his rapping technique by numerous other MCs – these techniques include: his varied and humorous subject matter,[104] connecting with his audience,[105] carrying a concept over a series of albums,[106] complex rhyme schemes,[107] his ability to bend words so that they rhyme,[108] his use of multisyllabic rhymes,[101] fitting many rhymes in each bar,[109] complex rhythms,[110] clear enunciation,[111] use of melody,[112] and syncopation.[113] He is also known to write the majority of his lyrics down on paper, as documented in his book The Way I Am, as well as taking a few days or a week to craft lyrics,[114] being a “workaholic”,[115] and “stacking” vocals.[116]
Featurings and productions
See also: Eminem production discography and Eminem discography#Guest appearances
Although he typically collaborates with various rappers under Aftermath Entertainment and Shady Records, such as Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, D12, and Obie Trice, Eminem has collaborated with many other artists, including Redman, Kid Rock, DMX, Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Method Man, Jadakiss, Fat Joe, Sticky Fingaz, T.I. and others. Eminem rapped a verse in a live performance of Busta Rhymes' "Touch It" remix at the 2006 BET Music Awards on June 27, 2006. Eminem was featured on Akon's single "Smack That" which appeared on Akon's album Konvicted. He was featured on Lil Wayne's hit song Drop the World.
Eminem is also an active rap producer. Besides being the executive producer of D12's first two albums, Devil's Night and D12 World, he has executive produced Obie Trice's Cheers and Second Round's on Me as well as 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre.[117] In addition, Eminem has produced and appeared on several songs by other famous rappers, such as Jadakiss' "Welcome To D-Block", Jay-Z's "Renagade" and "Moment of Clarity" Lloyd Banks' "On Fire", "Warrior Part 2", and "Hands Up", Tony Yayo's "Drama Setter", Trick Trick's "Welcome 2 Detroit", and Xzibit's "My Name" and "Don't Approach Me".[118] Most of The Eminem Show was produced by Eminem himself, with co-production from longtime collaborator Jeff Bass.[119] He split the production with Dr. Dre on Encore. In 2004, Eminem was the Executive Producer of 2Pac's posthumous album Loyal to the Game with 2Pac's mother Afeni Shakur.[120] He produced the UK No. 1 single "Ghetto Gospel" which featured Elton John.[121] He has produced "The Cross" off Nas's album God's Son.[122] On August 15, 2006, Obie Trice released Second Round's on Me. Eminem produced 8 tracks on the album. He was featured in the song "There They Go".[123] Eminem produced some tracks on the new Trick Trick album, The Villain. He is also featured in "Who Want It".[124]
With regard to the productions on his own records, Eminem is seen as having an unusual style in that rather than write to beats he typically starts with an idea of how he wants his song to be structured based on the lyrics and then creates music according to that.[125] A notable exception to this was the song "Stan", which came from an idea and scratch track produced by Mark the 45 King.[125]
Personal life
Family
Mathers has been the subject of much scrutiny, both as a rapper as well as in his personal life.[35] He was married twice to Kimberley Anne Scott, whom he met in high school. They began their on-and-off relationship in 1989, getting married by 1999. In 2000, Scott attempted suicide and sued Eminem for defamation after he depicted her violent death in his song "Kim".[126][127] The couple first divorced in 2001[126] but remarried in January 2006. Their second divorce was finalized in December of the same year, with the couple agreeing to share custody of their daughter, Hailie Jade Scott (born December 25, 1995).[126][127][128] Hailie Scott has often been referenced or featured on various Eminem songs, such as "'97 Bonnie & Clyde", "Hailie's Song", "My Dad's Gone Crazy", "Like Toy Soldiers", "Mockingbird", "Forgot About Dre", "Cleanin' Out My Closet", "When I'm Gone", "Deja Vu", "Beautiful", "Sing For The Moment", "Airplanes Part II", and "Going Through Changes". In early 2010, Eminem responded publicly to tabloid reports of his pending reunion with Kim with a firm denial.[129]
Eminem adopted two other daughters: Alaina "Lainey" Mathers, the child of Kimberley Scott's sister,[126] who has been referenced by name in some Eminem songs including "Mockingbird", "Airplanes Part II" and "Going Through Changes"; and Whitney, Scott's child from a previous relationship. Whitney is mentioned in the song "Going through Changes." He is also the legal guardian of his younger half-brother, Nathan.
Legal troubles
In 1999, Mathers' mother sued him for around US$10 million over alleged slander about her in his lyrics regarding The Slim Shady LP; she won only about US$1,600 in damages in 2001.[130]
Mathers was arrested on June 3, 2000 during an altercation at a car audio store in Royal Oak, Michigan, with Douglas Dail, where he pulled out an unloaded gun and kept it pointed at the ground.[131] The following day, in Warren, Michigan, he allegedly saw his then wife, Kim, kiss bouncer John Guerrera in the parking lot of the Hot Rock Café, and he assaulted him.[126][127][131] He was given two years probation for both episodes.[132]
In the summer of 2001, Mathers was sentenced to probation on weapons charges that stemmed from an argument with an employee of Psychopathic Records, giving him a fine around $2,000 as well as several hours of community service.[133]
In 2007, his music publishing company, Eight Mile Style LLC, together with Martin Affiliated LLC, filed suit against Apple, Inc and Aftermath Entertainment claiming Aftermath did not have the appropriate authority to negotiate a deal with Apple for digital downloads of 93 Eminem songs on Apple's iTunes service.[134][135][136] The case against Apple was settled shortly after trial began in late September 2009.[137]
Drug issues
Eminem has spoken openly about his addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs, including Vicodin, Ambien, Valium and Methadone.[138] His group-mate Proof from D12 stated that Mathers "sobered up" in 2002 from drug and alcohol dependence.[139] However, he did turn to zolpidem sleeping pills for relief from sleeping troubles. This caused Mathers to cancel the European leg of the Anger Management Tour in August 2005 and eventually go into rehab for treatment for a "dependency on sleep medication".[64][140] In a 2009 interview with British talk-show host Jonathan Ross, Mathers admitted that at the height of his addiction, he considered suicide, saying that, "I just wasn't taking care of myself, at times I wanted to just give it up."[141] He also confirmed that he is now sober, commenting that, "[R]ap was my drug ... Then I had to resort to other things to make me feel that. Now rap's getting me high again."[141]
Conflict with Mariah Carey
Eminem has written several songs referring to a relationship with pop singer Mariah Carey, although she denies the claim.[142] She says that they hung out but nothing sexual or intimate occurred. Eminem has referenced her on many songs that include "Superman", "Jimmy Crack Corn", "Bagpipes From Baghdad", and "The Warning". While "Superman" was released in 2003, Carey released a song entitled "Clown" on her Charmbracelet album, released around the same time, which makes similar references in line with her 2009 hit "Obsessed".
Eminem's "Bagpipes From Baghdad" from his album Relapse may be his most well known reference to Carey due to the controversy it caused. The song disparages Carey and husband Nick Cannon's relationship.[143] Cannon responded to Eminem by saying his career is based on "racist bigotry", and that he would get revenge on Eminem, joking that he may return to rapping.[144] Eminem later stated that the couple misinterpreted the track and it was wishing the two the best.[143] Cannon also stated that there were no hard feelings, and that he just had to express his feelings about the song.[145]
In 2009, Carey released "Obsessed" in which she sings about an obsessed man who claims to be having a relationship with her.[146] Cannon claimed that the song was not an insult directed at Eminem.[147] However, Eminem responded in late July 2009 by releasing a track titled "The Warning". It contained samples of voice mail recordings which Eminem claimed were left by Mariah Carey when the two were together.[148] Eminem also hinted that he had other evidence of their relationship in his possession. A little over a year later in September 2010 Nick Cannon responded with the song "I'm a Slick Rick" which in Slick Rick's flow he takes shots at Eminem.[149]
Discography
Main articles: Eminem discography and Eminem production discography
Studio albums
Infinite (1996)
The Slim Shady LP (1999)
The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
The Eminem Show (2002)
Encore (2004)
Relapse (2009)
Recovery (2010)
Number-one singles
The following singles reached number one in the United States, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom. For a full singles discography, see Eminem singles discography.
Year Song Peak chart positions[150] Album
US AUS AUT CAN GER IRL ITA NZ SWI UK
2000 "The Real Slim Shady" 4 11 6 5 7 1 4 15 2 1 The Marshall Mathers LP
"Stan" (feat. Dido) 51 1 1 — 1 1 1 14 1 1
2002 "Without Me" 2 1 1 4 1 1 2 1 1 1 The Eminem Show
"Lose Yourself" 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 8 Mile
2004 "My Band" (with D12) 6 1 1 4 9 2 2 1 3 2 D12 World
"Just Lose It" 6 1 4 5 2 2 2 1 1 1 Encore
2005 "Like Toy Soldiers" 34 4 8 — 8 3 8 2 3 1
"When I'm Gone" 8 1 7 — 6 5 — 2 7 4 Curtain Call: The Hits
2006 "Smack That" (with Akon) 2 2 9 2 5 1 30 1 3 1 Konvicted
2009 "Crack a Bottle" (feat. Dr. Dre and 50 Cent) 1 18 41 1 — 6 34 6 3 3 Relapse
"We Made You" 9 1 9 6 9 1 32 1 4 4
2010 "Not Afraid" 1 4 5 1 9 3 3 8 2 5 Recovery
"Love the Way You Lie" (feat. Rihanna) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
Total number-one hits 4 8 4 4 3 7 3 7 5 7
Filmography
Year Film Role Notes
2000 Da Hip Hop Witch Himself
Up in Smoke Tour
The Slim Shady Show Various
2001 The Wash Chris Uncredited
2002 8 Mile Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith, Jr. Academy Award for Best Original Song
MTV Movie Award for Best Video from a Film – Lose Yourself
MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance
MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Male Performance
ASCAP Award for Most Performed Song from a Motion Picture – Lose Yourself
Critics Choice Award for Best Song – Lose Yourself
Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor – Drama/Action Adventure
Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Star – Male
BMI Film Award for Music
BMI Film Award for Most Performed Song from a Film – Lose Yourself
Nominated – Golden Globe for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture – Lose Yourself
Nominated – CFCA Award for Most Promising Performer
Nominated – Golden Satellite for Best Original Song – Lose Yourself
Nominated – OFCS for Best Breakthrough Performance
Nominated – PFCS for Best Original Song – Lose Yourself
Nominated – Grammy for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media – Lose Yourself
2003 50 Cent: The New Breed Himself
2004 Crank Yankers Billy Fletcher TV guest role; voice
2005 Entourage Himself TV guest spot
2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Himself Inducted Run-D.M.C.
Funny People Himself Cameo[151]
2010 Entourage Himself TV guest spot
Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Eminem
Eminem has eleven Grammy Awards. He has been praised for having "verbal energy", high quality of lyricism and has been ranked at number nine on MTV's list of The Greatest MCs of All Time,[152][153] In 2003 he was listed as number thirteen on MTV's 22 Greatest Voices in Music[154] and number 82 on Rolling Stone's "The Immortals".[155] In 2008, the readers of Vibe Magazine voted him "The Best Rapper Alive".[156] He was also named "Best Rapper Ever" taking down all opponents very easily in a poll which was conducted by music fans on the Vibe website.
Ironically, "The Real Slim Shady", one of the songs from his first Grammy-winning album, The Marshall Mathers LP, slammed the Grammy Awards in its second verse, and stated the opinion that negative feelings about his material would keep him from ever winning one.
Business ventures
Shady Records
Shade 45 Sirius
Shady Ltd. Clothing
Shady Games
Eight Mile Style LLC[134][135]
The Marshall Mathers LP and his third album, The Eminem Show, also won Grammy Awards, making Eminem the first artist to win Best Rap Album for three consecutive LPs. He then won the award again in 2010 for his album Relapse, giving him a total of 11 Grammys in his career. In 2003, he won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Lose Yourself" from the film, 8 Mile, in which he also played the lead. "Lose Yourself" would go on to become the longest running No. 1 hip hop single.[3] Eminem then went on hiatus after touring in 2005. He released his first album since 2004's Encore, titled Relapse, on May 15, 2009. Eminem is the best-selling artist of the decade on the US Nielsen SoundScan,[4] and has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide to date, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world.[5] In 2010, Eminem released his seventh studio album Recovery. It became Eminem's sixth consecutive number-one album in the US and achieved international commercial success, charting at number one in several other countries. It stayed at number-one on the US Billboard 200 chart for five consecutive weeks.[6]
Eminem was ranked 79th on the VH1 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time.[7] He was also ranked 82nd on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[8] He was also named the Best Rapper Alive by Vibe magazine in 2008.[9] Including his work with D12, Eminem has achieved nine No. 1 albums on the Billboard Top 200, 7 solo (6 studio albums, 1 compilation) and 2 with D12.[10] Eminem has had 13 number one singles worldwide. In December 2009, Eminem was named the Artist of the Decade by Billboard magazine.[11] His albums The Eminem Show, The Marshall Mathers LP, and Encore (in order) ranked as the 3rd,[12] 7th,[12] and 40th[13] best-selling albums of the 2000–2009 decade by Billboard magazine. Also according to Billboard, Eminem has two of his albums among the top five highest selling albums of the 2000s. In the UK, Eminem has sold over 12.5 million records.[14]
Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Musical career
2.1 1992–1998: Early career and Infinite
2.2 1997–1999: The Slim Shady LP
2.3 2000–2001: The Marshall Mathers LP
2.4 2002–2003: The Eminem Show
2.5 2004–2005: Encore
2.6 2005–2008: Musical hiatus
2.7 2008–2009: Relapse and Relapse: Refill
2.8 2009–present: Recovery
3 Other ventures
3.1 Shady Records and D12
3.2 Acting career
3.3 Memoir
4 Artistry
4.1 Influences and rapping technique
4.2 Featurings and productions
5 Personal life
5.1 Family
5.2 Legal troubles
5.3 Drug issues
5.4 Conflict with Mariah Carey
6 Discography
6.1 Number-one singles
7 Filmography
8 Awards and nominations
9 Business ventures
10 See also
11 References
11.1 Literature
12 External links
Early life
Eminem was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972 in Saint Joseph, Missouri, the only child of Deborah Nelson Mathers-Briggs and Marshall Bruce Mathers, Jr.[15] He is of Scottish,[16] Welsh, English, German, Swiss, Polish, and possibly Luxembourg ancestry.[17] His father abandoned the family when he was 18 months old, and he was raised solely by his mother in poverty. By the age of 12, Mathers and his mother had moved between various cities and towns in Missouri (including Saint Joseph, Savannah, and Kansas City)[18] before they settled in Warren, Michigan, an upper middle class, white majority suburb of Detroit.
After procuring a copy of the Beastie Boys album Licensed to Ill as a teenager, Mathers became interested in hip hop, performing amateur raps at age 14 under the pseudonym "M&M" and joining the group called "Bassmint Productions" and released their first EP, Steppin' Onto The Scene. They later changed their name to "Soul Intent" and around 1995 they released their first single called "Fuckin' Backstabber" under the record label Mashin' Duck Records.[1] Although he was enrolled at Lincoln High School in Warren, he frequently participated in freestyle battles at the now-defunct Osborn High School on Detroit's east side.[19] Despite a well-documented struggle succeeding in a predominantly African-American industry, he gained the approval of underground hip hop audiences.[1][15][20] After repeating the ninth grade twice due to truancy and near-failing grades,[21] he dropped out of high school at age 17.
In 1991, Mathers' maternal uncle, Ronald "Ronnie" Nelson, committed suicide via shotgun wound to the head. Mathers was very close to his uncle, and was devastated at his death; today, he sports a tattoo reading "Ronnie R.I.P." on his upper left arm.[22]
Musical career
1992–1998: Early career and Infinite
See also: Infinite (Eminem album)
Mathers was initially signed to FBT Productions in 1992, run by brothers Jeff and Mark Bass. Mathers also held a minimum-wage job of cooking and dishwashing at the restaurant Gilbert's Lodge at St. Clair Shores for some time.[23] In 1996, his debut album Infinite, which was recorded at the Bassmint, a recording studio owned by the Bass Brothers, was released under their independent label Web Entertainment.[24] Eminem recalled, "Obviously, I was young and influenced by other artists, and I got a lot of feedback saying that I sounded like Nas and AZ. 'Infinite' was me trying to figure out how I wanted my rap style to be, how I wanted to sound on the mic and present myself. It was a growing stage. I felt like 'Infinite' was like a demo that just got pressed up."[25] Subjects covered in Infinite included his struggles with raising his newborn daughter Hailie Jade Scott while on limited funds and his strong desire to get rich.[26] Early in his career, Eminem collaborated with fellow Detroit MC Royce da 5'9" under the stage name Bad Meets Evil.[27] After the release of Infinite, Eminem's personal struggles and abuse of drugs and alcohol culminated in an unsuccessful suicide attempt.[1]
With the release of The Slim Shady EP, Mathers was accused of imitating the style and subject matter of underground rapper Cage.[28][29]
Jimmy Iovine, CEO of Interscope Records, requested a demo tape of Eminem's after Eminem placed second at the 1997 Rap Olympics. Eminem had also won Wake Up Show's Freestyle Performer Of The Year award helping him acquire a record deal.[30] Iovine played the tape for record producer Dr. Dre, founder of Aftermath Entertainment. The two began recording tracks for Eminem's upcoming major-label debut The Slim Shady LP, and Eminem made a guest performance on the album Devil Without a Cause by Kid Rock.[1] Hip-hop magazine The Source featured Eminem in its "Unsigned Hype" column in March 1998.[31]
1997–1999: The Slim Shady LP
Main article: The Slim Shady LP
According to Billboard Magazine, at this point in his life Eminem had "realized his musical ambitions were the only way to escape his unhappy life". After being signed to Aftermath Entertainment/Interscope Records in 1998, Eminem released his first major studio album, The Slim Shady LP, heavily based on the production by Dr. Dre, one year later in 1999. Billboard praised the album as "light years ahead of the material he had been writing beforehand".[32] It went on to be one of the most popular albums of 1999, going triple platinum by the end of the year.[33] With the album's popularity came controversy surrounding many of the album's lyrics. In "'97 Bonnie and Clyde", he describes a trip with his infant daughter, disposing of his wife's body. Another song, "Guilty Conscience", ends with his encouraging a man to murder his wife and her lover. "Guilty Conscience" marked the beginning of the friendship and musical bond that Dr. Dre and Eminem would share. The two label-mates would later collaborate on a line of hit songs, including "Forgot About Dre" and "What's the Difference" from Dr. Dre's album 2001, "Bitch Please II" from The Marshall Mathers LP, "Say What You Say" from The Eminem Show, "Encore/Curtains Down" from Encore and "Old Time's Sake" and "Crack a Bottle" from Relapse. Dr. Dre would go on to make at least one guest appearance on all of Eminem's studio albums under the label Aftermath.[34] The album has now been certified 4 times platinum by the RIAA.
2000–2001: The Marshall Mathers LP
Main article: The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP was released in May 2000. It went on to sell 1.76 million copies in its first week, breaking the records set by Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle as the fastest-selling hip hop album and Britney Spears' ...Baby One More Time as the fastest-selling solo album in United States history.[2][35] The first single released from the album, "The Real Slim Shady", was a success and created some controversy by insulting celebrities and making dubious claims about them; he states, among other things, that Christina Aguilera performed oral sex on Fred Durst and Carson Daly.[36] In his second single, "The Way I Am", he reveals to his fans the pressures from his record company to top "My Name Is" and sell more records. Although Eminem had parodied shock rocker Marilyn Manson in the video "My Name Is", the artists are reportedly on good terms. They performed a remix of the song "The Way I Am" together in concert.[37] In the third single, "Stan" (which samples Dido's "Thank You"), Eminem attempts to deal with his new-found fame, taking on the persona of a deranged fan who kills himself and his pregnant girlfriend, mirroring "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" on The Slim Shady LP.[15] In the music video of "Stan", Eminem was shown writing with his left hand, ending the fan debate over his dominant hand. Q magazine named "Stan" the third-greatest rap song of all time,[38] and the song came tenth in a similar survey conducted by Top40-Charts.com.[39] The song has since become highly acclaimed and was ranked 290th in Rolling Stone magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.[40] In July 2000, Eminem became the first white person to be featured on the cover of The Source magazine.[31] This album has been certified 9x platinum by the RIAA.
Eminem performed with Elton John at the 43rd Grammy Awards ceremony in 2001;[41] the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), an organization that perceived Eminem's lyrics to be homophobic, condemned the openly gay John's decision to perform with Eminem.[42] Entertainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "It was the hug heard 'round the world. Eminem, under fire for homophobic lyrics, shared the stage with a gay icon for a performance of "Stan" that would have been memorable in any context."[43] On February 21, the day of the ceremony, GLAAD held a protest outside the Staples Center, the venue where the Grammy ceremony was held.[44] Music tours that he participated in for 2001 included the Up In Smoke Tour with rappers Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, and Ice Cube[45] and Family Values Tour with the band Limp Bizkit.[46]
2002–2003: The Eminem Show
Main article: The Eminem Show
Eminem's third major album, The Eminem Show, was released in summer 2002 and proved to be another hit for the rapper reaching number one on the charts and selling well over 1 million copies in its first week of release.[33] It featured the single "Without Me", in which he makes derogatory comments about boy bands, Limp Bizkit, Moby, and Lynne Cheney, among others. The Eminem Show has been certified 8x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album reflected on the impact of his rise to fame, his relationship with his wife and daughter, and his status in the hip-hop community. He also addresses the charges he faced over assaulting a bouncer he saw kissing his wife in 2000. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic felt that while there was clear anger present on several tracks, this album was considerably less inflammatory than The Marshall Mathers LP.[47] However, L. Brent Bozell III, who previously criticized The Marshall Mathers LP for perceived misogynistic lyrics in the album, noted The Eminem Show for its extensive use of obscene language, giving Eminem the nickname "Eminef" for the bowdlerization of motherfucker, an obscenity prevalent in the album.[48]
2004–2005: Encore
Main article: Encore (Eminem album)
The Media Research Center claims that on December 8, 2003, the United States Secret Service admitted it was "looking into" allegations that Eminem had threatened the President of the United States.[49] The lyrics in question: "Fuck money/I don't rap for dead presidents/I'd rather see the president dead/It's never been said, but I set precedents ..." The song in question, "We As Americans", wound up on a bonus CD accompanying the album.[50]
In 2004, Eminem released his fourth major album, Encore. The album was another chart-topper, as it was driven by the single "Just Lose It", notable for being disrespectful towards Michael Jackson. On October 12, 2004, a week after the release of "Just Lose It", Eminem's first single off Encore, Michael Jackson called into the Los Angeles-based Steve Harvey radio show to report his displeasure with the video, which parodies Jackson's child molestation trial, plastic surgery, and an incident in which Jackson's hair caught on fire while filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984. The lyrics to "Just Lose It" refer to Jackson's legal troubles, however he does state in his song "... and that's not a stab at Michael/That's just a metaphor/I'm just psycho...." Many of Jackson's supporters and friends spoke out about the video, including Stevie Wonder, who called the video "kicking a man while he's down" and "bullshit",[51] and Steve Harvey, who declared, "Eminem has lost his ghetto pass. We want the pass back."[51] In the video, Eminem parodied Pee Wee Herman, MC Hammer, and "Blond Ambition"-era Madonna.[52]
Regarding Jackson's protest, "Weird Al" Yankovic, who parodied the Eminem song "Lose Yourself" on a track titled "Couch Potato" on his 2003 album Poodle Hat, told the Chicago Sun-Times, "Last year, Eminem forced me to halt production on the video for my "Lose Yourself" parody because he somehow thought that it would be harmful to his image or career. So the irony of this situation with Michael is not lost on me."[53] Black Entertainment Television was the first channel to stop airing the video. MTV, however, announced it would continue airing the video. The Source, through its CEO Raymond "Benzino" Scott, wanted not only the video to be pulled, but the song off the album, and a public apology to Jackson from Eminem.[54] In 2007 Jackson and Sony bought Famous Music LLC from Viacom. This deal gave him the rights to songs by Eminem, Shakira and Beck, among others.[55]
Despite the comedic theme of the lead single, Encore had its fair share of serious subject matter, including the anti-war track "Mosh". On October 25, 2004, a week before the 2004 US Presidential election, Eminem released the video for "Mosh" on the Internet.[56] The song featured a very strong anti-Bush message, with lyrics such as "fuck Bush" and "this weapon of mass destruction that we call our president".[57] The video features Eminem gathering up an army of people, including rapper Lloyd Banks, presented as victims of the Bush administration and leading them to the White House. However, once the army breaks in, it is revealed that they are there to simply register to vote, and the video ends with the words "VOTE Tuesday November 2" on the screen. After Bush was re-elected, the video's ending was changed to Eminem and the protesters invading while Bush was giving a speech.[58]
2005–2008: Musical hiatus
Eminem performing live on the Anger Management Tour in August 2005In 2005, some industry insiders speculated that Eminem was considering ending his rapping career after six years and several multi-platinum albums. Speculation began in early 2005 about a double-disc album to be released late that year, rumored to be titled The Funeral.[59] The album later manifested itself as a greatest hits album under the name Curtain Call: The Hits in December. In July 2005, the Detroit Free Press broke news of a potential final bow for Eminem as a solo performer, quoting members of his inside circle who said that he will begin to fully embrace the role of producer and label executive. On the same day of the release of the compilation album, Eminem denied that he was retiring on Detroit-based WKQI's "Mojo in the Morning" radio show, but implied that he would at least be taking a break as an artist, saying "I'm at a point in my life right now where I feel like I don't know where my career is going ... This is the reason that we called it 'Curtain Call', because this could be the final thing. We don't know."[60] He released The Re-Up with the members of his record label, Shady Records. It was released in 2006.
In 2005, Eminem was a subject of Bernard Goldberg's book, 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America; he ranked No. 58.[61] Goldberg cited a 2001 column by Bob Herbert of The New York Times claiming, "In Eminem's world, all women are whores and he is eager to rape and murder them."[62] Goldberg cited Eminem's song "No One's Iller" from The Slim Shady EP as an example of misogyny in his music.[63] In summer 2005, Eminem embarked on his first US concert run in three years, the Anger Management 3 Tour, featuring 50 Cent, G-Unit, Lil' Jon, D12, Obie Trice, The Alchemist, and others. In August 2005, Eminem canceled the European leg of the tour and subsequently announced that he had entered drug rehabilitation for treatment for a "dependency on sleep medication".[64]
Curtain Call: The Hits was released on December 6, 2005, under Aftermath Entertainment.[65] In its first week it sold nearly 441,000 copies in the US and was Eminem's fourth straight No. 1 album on the Billboard Hot 200.[66] The album has been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA.[67]
2008–2009: Relapse and Relapse: Refill
Main article: Relapse (album)
In September 2007, Eminem called into New York radio station Hot 97 during an interview with 50 Cent and said he was "in limbo" and "debating" about when and if he would release another album. He said, "I'm always working – I'm always in the studio. It feels good right now, the energy of the label. For a while, I didn't want to go back to the studio ... I went through some personal things. I'm coming out of those personal things [and] it feels good."[68]
Eminem made an appearance on his Sirius channel Shade 45 in September 2008 in which he said, "Right now I'm kinda just concentrating on my own stuff, for right now and just banging out tracks and producing a lot of stuff. You know, the more I keep producing the better it seems like I get 'cause I just start knowing stuff."[69] It was around this time that Interscope finally confirmed the existence of a new Eminem album,[70] with Spring 2009 later being stated as the period span in which the album is due.[71] In December 2008, he gave more details on the album, which he recently reported was being titled Relapse. He said, "Me and Dre are back in the lab like the old days, man. Dre will end up producing the majority of the tracks on 'Relapse'. We are up to our old mischievous ways ... let's just leave it at that."[72]
On March 5, 2009, Eminem reported in a press release that he would be releasing two new albums that year. Relapse, the first album, was released on May 19, while "We Made You", the first official single and its music video, were released on April 7.[73] While Relapse didn't manage to sell as well as Eminem's previous efforts, it was still a commercial success that received some critical acclaim, while also re-establishing his presence in the hip hop world. Relapse was named one of the top albums of 2009. Relapse has sold more than five million copies worldwide. During the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, Sacha Baron Cohen descended upon the audience wearing an angel's costume and landed on top of Eminem with his buttocks facing towards Eminem's face, resulting in Eminem storming out of the awards ceremony in disgust. Three days later, Eminem stated it was a staged act that they had planned together.[74] On October 30, Eminem performed at the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans as a headliner in his first full performance in 2009.[75] The performance included several songs from Relapse, as well as many of Eminem's older hits and an appearance by D12. On November 19, Eminem announced on his website that Relapse: Refill would be released on December 21. The album was a re-release of the Relapse album with seven bonus tracks, including "Forever" and "Taking My Ball". In a statement he described the forthcoming CD:
“ I want to deliver more material for the fans this year like I originally planned ... Hopefully these tracks on The Refill will tide the fans over until we put out Relapse 2 next year ... I got back in with Dre and then a few more producers, including Just Blaze, and went in a completely different direction which made me start from scratch. The new tracks started to sound very different than the tracks I originally intended to be on Relapse 2, but I still want the other stuff to be heard. ”
2009–present: Recovery
Main article: Recovery (Eminem album)
Eminem, along with D12, performing in 2009.On April 13, 2010, Eminem tweeted, "There is no Relapse 2", to his followers. When he tweeted this, people started to believe that he was not releasing an album at all, but it simply meant that the album title would be changed to Recovery. He confirmed this by tweeting, "RECOVERY", with a link to his website. Eminem said, "I had originally planned for Relapse 2 to come out last year. But as I kept recording and working with new producers, the idea of a sequel to Relapse started to make less and less sense to me, and I wanted to make a completely new album. The music on Recovery came out very different from Relapse, and I think it deserves its own title." His seventh studio album, Recovery, was released on June 21.[76] In the US, Recovery sold 741,000 in its first week to land atop the Billboard 200.[77][78] The first single, "Not Afraid", was released on April 29, and debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, followed by a second single, "Love the Way You Lie," which debuted at number 2 and then rose.[79] Despite some criticism towards its consistency, Recovery received positive reviews from most music critics. As of September 29, 2010 (2010 -09-29)[update], the album had sold 2.7 million copies in the US.[80]
Eminem appeared at the 2010 BET Awards,[81] performing "Airplanes Part II" with B.o.B and "Not Afraid". He also performed at the Activison E3 concert. In June 2010, Eminem and Jay-Z announced they would perform together in a pair of concerts in Detroit and New York. The event was dubbed The Home & Home Tour. The first two concerts rapidly sold out, prompting the scheduling of an additional show at each venue.[82]
Eminem opened the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010, by performing "Not Afraid" and "Love the Way You Lie", with Rihanna performing the chorus.[83] Due to the success of Recovery and the Home & Home Tour, he was named the 2010 Hottest MC in the Game by MTV.[84]
Eminem and Rihanna are said to be making a sequel to their hit single, "Love the Way You Lie". Rihanna will be the main singer, as opposed to Eminem being the main singer in "Love the Way You Lie". The song is said to be from the female perspective.[85] Nicki Minaj has said that she has collaborated with rapper Eminem on a song titled "Roman's Revenge" that is expected to appear on her Pink Friday album.[86] The song references Minaj's alter-ego Roman Zolanski and will feature Eminem's alter-ego Slim Shady.[86]
Other ventures
Shady Records and D12
Main articles: Shady Records and D12
As Eminem succeeded in multi-platinum record sales, Interscope granted him his own record label. He and his manager Paul Rosenberg created Shady Records in late 1999. He followed this by signing his own Detroit collective D12 and rapper Obie Trice to the label. In 2002, Eminem signed 50 Cent through a joint venture between Shady and Dr. Dre's Aftermath label. In 2003, Eminem and Dr. Dre signed Atlanta rapper Stat Quo to the Shady/Aftermath roster. DJ Green Lantern, the former DJ for Eminem, was signed to Shady Records until a dispute related to the 50 Cent and Jadakiss feud forced him to depart from the label; he is no longer associated with Eminem. The Alchemist is now officially Eminem's tour DJ. In 2005, Eminem signed another Atlanta rapper, Bobby Creekwater, to his label along with West Coast rapper Cashis.[21]
On December 5, 2006, Shady Records released compilation album, Eminem Presents: The Re-Up. It started out as a mixtape but Eminem found that the material was better than expected and released it as a full album. It was meant to help launch the new artists under the roster, like Stat Quo, Cashis and Bobby Creekwater.[87] Around the time of recording Infinite, Eminem and rappers Proof and Kon Artis gathered the group of rappers now collectively in the group D12, short for "Detroit Twelve" or "Dirty Dozen", performing in the manner of the multi-man group Wu-Tang Clan.[88] In 2001, Eminem brought his rap group, D12, to the popular music scene, and the group's debut album Devil's Night came out that year.[89] The first single released off of the album was "Shit on You", followed by "Purple Pills", an ode to recreational drug use. For radio and television, the censored version "Pills" was heavily rewritten to remove many of the song's references to drugs and sex and was renamed "Purple Hills". While that single was a hit, the album's second single, "Fight Music", was not as successful.[90]
After their debut, D12 took a three-year break from the studio, later regrouping to release their second album, D12 World, in 2004, which featured the popular hit single release "My Band".[89] In April 2006, D12 member (and Eminem's childhood friend) Deshaun "Proof" Holton was killed in a club brawl on 8 Mile Road in Detroit, Michigan, with US military veteran Keith Bender, Jr., who also died in the fray. The eruption is suspected to have been due to an argument over a game of pool. Proof was then allegedly shot by the bouncer Mario Etheridge, Bender's cousin. He was taken by private vehicle to St. John Health's Conner Creek Campus, an outpatient emergency treatment site, but pronounced dead on arrival. Eminem and former Detroit Shady Records artist Obie Trice spoke at the funeral.[91] D12 member Bizarre said that Eminem is not featured on his new album Blue Cheese & Coney Island because "he's busy doing his thing".[92]
Acting career
Although he had a brief cameo in the 2001 film, The Wash, Eminem made his official Hollywood acting debut with the semi-autobiographical 8 Mile, released in November 2002. He has said the movie is not an account of his life, but a representation of growing up in Detroit. He recorded several new songs for the soundtrack, including "Lose Yourself", which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2003. However, the song was not performed at the ceremony, due to Eminem's absence at the ceremony. His collaborator, Luis Resto, who co-wrote the song, accepted the award.[93]
Eminem has participated in various voice acting roles. Some of these include the video game 50 Cent: Bulletproof, where he voices an aging corrupt police officer who speaks in Ebonics and guest spots on the Comedy Central television show Crank Yankers, and a web cartoon called The Slim Shady Show, which has since been pulled off-line and is instead sold on DVD.[94] He will be involved in either the soundtrack or scoring.[95] He was also in the running for the part of David Rice in 2008's film Jumper after Tom Sturridge was dropped just two weeks before filming. Concerns over not having a more prominent actor prompted the director, Doug Liman, to consider other actors for the role. He eventually selected Hayden Christensen over Eminem.[96] He also had a cameo appearance in the 2009 movie Funny People, in which he is involved in an argument with Ray Romano.
It was reported on November 8, 2009, that Eminem will star in the upcoming 3D horror anthology, Shady Talez, directed by John Davis. A four-issue comic book series based on the film is also expected to be published sometime in 2010.[97]
Eminem will appear alongside Christina Aguilera on the Entourage Season 7 finale titled 'Lose Yourself'. He will play himself.[98]
Memoir
On October 21, 2008, Eminem released a tell-all autobiography entitled The Way I Am, which details his struggles with poverty, drugs, fame, heartbreak and depression, along with stories about his rise to fame and commentary on past controversies. This book also contains some of the original lyric sheets from songs such as "Stan" and "The Real Slim Shady."[99]
Artistry
Influences and rapping technique
Eminem has named several MCs who influenced his rapping style – these include Esham,[100] Kool G Rap,[101] Masta Ace,[102] Big Daddy Kane,[101] Newcleus,[102] Ice-T,[102] Mantronix,[102] Melle Mel (specifically the track "The Message"),[102] LL Cool J,[102] The Beastie Boys,[102] Run-DMC,[102] Rakim,[102] and Boogie Down Productions.[102]
In the book How to Rap, Guerilla Black notes that Eminem studied other MCs to create his rapping technique – “Eminem listened to everything and that’s what made him one of the greats”.[103] In the same book, Eminem is praised for various aspects of his rapping technique by numerous other MCs – these techniques include: his varied and humorous subject matter,[104] connecting with his audience,[105] carrying a concept over a series of albums,[106] complex rhyme schemes,[107] his ability to bend words so that they rhyme,[108] his use of multisyllabic rhymes,[101] fitting many rhymes in each bar,[109] complex rhythms,[110] clear enunciation,[111] use of melody,[112] and syncopation.[113] He is also known to write the majority of his lyrics down on paper, as documented in his book The Way I Am, as well as taking a few days or a week to craft lyrics,[114] being a “workaholic”,[115] and “stacking” vocals.[116]
Featurings and productions
See also: Eminem production discography and Eminem discography#Guest appearances
Although he typically collaborates with various rappers under Aftermath Entertainment and Shady Records, such as Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, D12, and Obie Trice, Eminem has collaborated with many other artists, including Redman, Kid Rock, DMX, Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Method Man, Jadakiss, Fat Joe, Sticky Fingaz, T.I. and others. Eminem rapped a verse in a live performance of Busta Rhymes' "Touch It" remix at the 2006 BET Music Awards on June 27, 2006. Eminem was featured on Akon's single "Smack That" which appeared on Akon's album Konvicted. He was featured on Lil Wayne's hit song Drop the World.
Eminem is also an active rap producer. Besides being the executive producer of D12's first two albums, Devil's Night and D12 World, he has executive produced Obie Trice's Cheers and Second Round's on Me as well as 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre.[117] In addition, Eminem has produced and appeared on several songs by other famous rappers, such as Jadakiss' "Welcome To D-Block", Jay-Z's "Renagade" and "Moment of Clarity" Lloyd Banks' "On Fire", "Warrior Part 2", and "Hands Up", Tony Yayo's "Drama Setter", Trick Trick's "Welcome 2 Detroit", and Xzibit's "My Name" and "Don't Approach Me".[118] Most of The Eminem Show was produced by Eminem himself, with co-production from longtime collaborator Jeff Bass.[119] He split the production with Dr. Dre on Encore. In 2004, Eminem was the Executive Producer of 2Pac's posthumous album Loyal to the Game with 2Pac's mother Afeni Shakur.[120] He produced the UK No. 1 single "Ghetto Gospel" which featured Elton John.[121] He has produced "The Cross" off Nas's album God's Son.[122] On August 15, 2006, Obie Trice released Second Round's on Me. Eminem produced 8 tracks on the album. He was featured in the song "There They Go".[123] Eminem produced some tracks on the new Trick Trick album, The Villain. He is also featured in "Who Want It".[124]
With regard to the productions on his own records, Eminem is seen as having an unusual style in that rather than write to beats he typically starts with an idea of how he wants his song to be structured based on the lyrics and then creates music according to that.[125] A notable exception to this was the song "Stan", which came from an idea and scratch track produced by Mark the 45 King.[125]
Personal life
Family
Mathers has been the subject of much scrutiny, both as a rapper as well as in his personal life.[35] He was married twice to Kimberley Anne Scott, whom he met in high school. They began their on-and-off relationship in 1989, getting married by 1999. In 2000, Scott attempted suicide and sued Eminem for defamation after he depicted her violent death in his song "Kim".[126][127] The couple first divorced in 2001[126] but remarried in January 2006. Their second divorce was finalized in December of the same year, with the couple agreeing to share custody of their daughter, Hailie Jade Scott (born December 25, 1995).[126][127][128] Hailie Scott has often been referenced or featured on various Eminem songs, such as "'97 Bonnie & Clyde", "Hailie's Song", "My Dad's Gone Crazy", "Like Toy Soldiers", "Mockingbird", "Forgot About Dre", "Cleanin' Out My Closet", "When I'm Gone", "Deja Vu", "Beautiful", "Sing For The Moment", "Airplanes Part II", and "Going Through Changes". In early 2010, Eminem responded publicly to tabloid reports of his pending reunion with Kim with a firm denial.[129]
Eminem adopted two other daughters: Alaina "Lainey" Mathers, the child of Kimberley Scott's sister,[126] who has been referenced by name in some Eminem songs including "Mockingbird", "Airplanes Part II" and "Going Through Changes"; and Whitney, Scott's child from a previous relationship. Whitney is mentioned in the song "Going through Changes." He is also the legal guardian of his younger half-brother, Nathan.
Legal troubles
In 1999, Mathers' mother sued him for around US$10 million over alleged slander about her in his lyrics regarding The Slim Shady LP; she won only about US$1,600 in damages in 2001.[130]
Mathers was arrested on June 3, 2000 during an altercation at a car audio store in Royal Oak, Michigan, with Douglas Dail, where he pulled out an unloaded gun and kept it pointed at the ground.[131] The following day, in Warren, Michigan, he allegedly saw his then wife, Kim, kiss bouncer John Guerrera in the parking lot of the Hot Rock Café, and he assaulted him.[126][127][131] He was given two years probation for both episodes.[132]
In the summer of 2001, Mathers was sentenced to probation on weapons charges that stemmed from an argument with an employee of Psychopathic Records, giving him a fine around $2,000 as well as several hours of community service.[133]
In 2007, his music publishing company, Eight Mile Style LLC, together with Martin Affiliated LLC, filed suit against Apple, Inc and Aftermath Entertainment claiming Aftermath did not have the appropriate authority to negotiate a deal with Apple for digital downloads of 93 Eminem songs on Apple's iTunes service.[134][135][136] The case against Apple was settled shortly after trial began in late September 2009.[137]
Drug issues
Eminem has spoken openly about his addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs, including Vicodin, Ambien, Valium and Methadone.[138] His group-mate Proof from D12 stated that Mathers "sobered up" in 2002 from drug and alcohol dependence.[139] However, he did turn to zolpidem sleeping pills for relief from sleeping troubles. This caused Mathers to cancel the European leg of the Anger Management Tour in August 2005 and eventually go into rehab for treatment for a "dependency on sleep medication".[64][140] In a 2009 interview with British talk-show host Jonathan Ross, Mathers admitted that at the height of his addiction, he considered suicide, saying that, "I just wasn't taking care of myself, at times I wanted to just give it up."[141] He also confirmed that he is now sober, commenting that, "[R]ap was my drug ... Then I had to resort to other things to make me feel that. Now rap's getting me high again."[141]
Conflict with Mariah Carey
Eminem has written several songs referring to a relationship with pop singer Mariah Carey, although she denies the claim.[142] She says that they hung out but nothing sexual or intimate occurred. Eminem has referenced her on many songs that include "Superman", "Jimmy Crack Corn", "Bagpipes From Baghdad", and "The Warning". While "Superman" was released in 2003, Carey released a song entitled "Clown" on her Charmbracelet album, released around the same time, which makes similar references in line with her 2009 hit "Obsessed".
Eminem's "Bagpipes From Baghdad" from his album Relapse may be his most well known reference to Carey due to the controversy it caused. The song disparages Carey and husband Nick Cannon's relationship.[143] Cannon responded to Eminem by saying his career is based on "racist bigotry", and that he would get revenge on Eminem, joking that he may return to rapping.[144] Eminem later stated that the couple misinterpreted the track and it was wishing the two the best.[143] Cannon also stated that there were no hard feelings, and that he just had to express his feelings about the song.[145]
In 2009, Carey released "Obsessed" in which she sings about an obsessed man who claims to be having a relationship with her.[146] Cannon claimed that the song was not an insult directed at Eminem.[147] However, Eminem responded in late July 2009 by releasing a track titled "The Warning". It contained samples of voice mail recordings which Eminem claimed were left by Mariah Carey when the two were together.[148] Eminem also hinted that he had other evidence of their relationship in his possession. A little over a year later in September 2010 Nick Cannon responded with the song "I'm a Slick Rick" which in Slick Rick's flow he takes shots at Eminem.[149]
Discography
Main articles: Eminem discography and Eminem production discography
Studio albums
Infinite (1996)
The Slim Shady LP (1999)
The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
The Eminem Show (2002)
Encore (2004)
Relapse (2009)
Recovery (2010)
Number-one singles
The following singles reached number one in the United States, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom. For a full singles discography, see Eminem singles discography.
Year Song Peak chart positions[150] Album
US AUS AUT CAN GER IRL ITA NZ SWI UK
2000 "The Real Slim Shady" 4 11 6 5 7 1 4 15 2 1 The Marshall Mathers LP
"Stan" (feat. Dido) 51 1 1 — 1 1 1 14 1 1
2002 "Without Me" 2 1 1 4 1 1 2 1 1 1 The Eminem Show
"Lose Yourself" 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 8 Mile
2004 "My Band" (with D12) 6 1 1 4 9 2 2 1 3 2 D12 World
"Just Lose It" 6 1 4 5 2 2 2 1 1 1 Encore
2005 "Like Toy Soldiers" 34 4 8 — 8 3 8 2 3 1
"When I'm Gone" 8 1 7 — 6 5 — 2 7 4 Curtain Call: The Hits
2006 "Smack That" (with Akon) 2 2 9 2 5 1 30 1 3 1 Konvicted
2009 "Crack a Bottle" (feat. Dr. Dre and 50 Cent) 1 18 41 1 — 6 34 6 3 3 Relapse
"We Made You" 9 1 9 6 9 1 32 1 4 4
2010 "Not Afraid" 1 4 5 1 9 3 3 8 2 5 Recovery
"Love the Way You Lie" (feat. Rihanna) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
Total number-one hits 4 8 4 4 3 7 3 7 5 7
Filmography
Year Film Role Notes
2000 Da Hip Hop Witch Himself
Up in Smoke Tour
The Slim Shady Show Various
2001 The Wash Chris Uncredited
2002 8 Mile Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith, Jr. Academy Award for Best Original Song
MTV Movie Award for Best Video from a Film – Lose Yourself
MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance
MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Male Performance
ASCAP Award for Most Performed Song from a Motion Picture – Lose Yourself
Critics Choice Award for Best Song – Lose Yourself
Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor – Drama/Action Adventure
Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Star – Male
BMI Film Award for Music
BMI Film Award for Most Performed Song from a Film – Lose Yourself
Nominated – Golden Globe for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture – Lose Yourself
Nominated – CFCA Award for Most Promising Performer
Nominated – Golden Satellite for Best Original Song – Lose Yourself
Nominated – OFCS for Best Breakthrough Performance
Nominated – PFCS for Best Original Song – Lose Yourself
Nominated – Grammy for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media – Lose Yourself
2003 50 Cent: The New Breed Himself
2004 Crank Yankers Billy Fletcher TV guest role; voice
2005 Entourage Himself TV guest spot
2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Himself Inducted Run-D.M.C.
Funny People Himself Cameo[151]
2010 Entourage Himself TV guest spot
Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Eminem
Eminem has eleven Grammy Awards. He has been praised for having "verbal energy", high quality of lyricism and has been ranked at number nine on MTV's list of The Greatest MCs of All Time,[152][153] In 2003 he was listed as number thirteen on MTV's 22 Greatest Voices in Music[154] and number 82 on Rolling Stone's "The Immortals".[155] In 2008, the readers of Vibe Magazine voted him "The Best Rapper Alive".[156] He was also named "Best Rapper Ever" taking down all opponents very easily in a poll which was conducted by music fans on the Vibe website.
Ironically, "The Real Slim Shady", one of the songs from his first Grammy-winning album, The Marshall Mathers LP, slammed the Grammy Awards in its second verse, and stated the opinion that negative feelings about his material would keep him from ever winning one.
Business ventures
Shady Records
Shade 45 Sirius
Shady Ltd. Clothing
Shady Games
Eight Mile Style LLC[134][135]
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