Rise to Fame and Mainstream Success
Eminem's career took a significant turn with the introduction of his alter ego Slim Shady and the support of Dr. Dre. Here are the key events that led to his mainstream success.
1997
Development of Slim Shady
Eminem developed his alter ego Slim Shady, a character that allowed him to express his anger and darker themes through his music.
1997
Release of The Slim Shady EP
Eminem recorded and released The Slim Shady EP, which caught the attention of Dr. Dre.
March 1998
Featured in The Source
Eminem was featured in The Source's 'Unsigned Hype' column, further increasing his visibility.
February 23, 1999
Release of The Slim Shady LP
Eminem released his major-label debut album, The Slim Shady LP, which became a huge success with the support of Dr. Dre.
May 23, 2000
Release of The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem released The Marshall Mathers LP, which became the fastest-selling album in rap history and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
2002
Release of The Eminem Show
The Eminem Show was released and became one of the best-selling albums worldwide in 2002, also nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
2004
Release of Encore
Eminem released Encore, after which he took a hiatus from music largely due to prescription drug addiction.
