Mr. Nolan
English 9
31 May 2013
Eminem
“You better lose yourself in the music, the moment You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow This opportunity comes once in a lifetime (“azlyrics”). You may never get a second chance. Eminem sang this song, Lose Yourself, to express that if you’re going to do anything in life, put your all into it (“rapgenius” annotation). The greatest of opportunities don’t show up at your doorstep every day, so make sure that you do everything you can to make the most of any that come your way. It was one of his greatest songs. Eminem is one of the best icons of American rap; however, his life reflected his role as a rapper and singer. Like he said, opportunities only come once in a lifetime and we need to capture it.
According to “Eminem”, Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born on October 17, 1972. His father abandoned the family while he was an infant. His life was rough, changing schools two to three times a year. Mathers was a horrific student but no matter how bad he was, he was always good at English. He felt that he wanted to be able to have all of these words in his disposal, in his vocabulary. (2). Mathers had that special talent for music. “As a high school dropout, he found a way to express his passion for language through the emerging genre of hip-hop (“Eminem” 1). Although he was a rapper, Marshall had a difficult time since he was a white musician performing in a genre dominated by black artists. He had a daughter named Hailie and a wife named Kim (Matson 2). But according to “Eminem”, over time he became one of the most respected figures in Detroit’s underground rap scene. He assumed the stage name M&M, referencing to his initials, which later became phonetically as Eminem (“Eminem” Bio Reference Center 1).
The events that occurred in Marshall’s life are important for an understanding of how his life influenced his music.