In fact Eminem’s back and forth with his mom resulted in what we would presume were a couple of firsts. For instance, he was the first rapper – or at least the first prominent one – to refer to his mother as a “bit*h” in song – something which Eminem has done many times over.Īnd as opposed to his absentee dad, his beef with his mother has something to do with his claims of her being a bad mom in general, drug addiction and all. And based on what has been detailed above, you would think that Eminem would be kinder to her. But the truth is, at least lyrically, the rapper has called her out even more so than his dad. That’s more or less the concept upon which the chorus of his 2002 hit “ Cleanin’ Out My Closet” is based. Said mother’s maiden name is Debbie Nelson. So by the looks of things Marshall Mather Jr., who passed away at the age of 67, was never a direct beneficiary of his son’s monumental success. And relatedly Eminem rarely, if ever, referenced his father favorably in song. And indeed his main gripe with his pops was the fact that he deserted the family, forcing Em’s mom to raise him on her own. not as an infant). This remained true even after Eminem blew up, as he didn’t appear overly receptive to reports that his father attempting to contact him after he became rich and famous. Mathers III did not grow up with his father and may have never met him during a stage of his life he could actually remember (i.e. Joseph, Missouri. And as alluded to earlier, fans of the rapper already know that he’s never been too fond of his dad, Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr.Įminem was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on 17 October 1972 in St. So in a way, he contributed to it being chic to express one’s innermost feelings in public, which of course is a prerequisite for successful reality entertainment. Em was a blank canvas, I got to create some great imagery with him.In fact he was perhaps the first reality musician in American history. And what we mean by that is whereas, even prior to his ascension during the latter 1990s, rappers already had the tendency to reveal aspects of their personal lives and histories in song, Em was the first to really get intimate about the relationship with his moms, his wife, his dad, his daughter and what have you. I was like: "put this light on your head, trust me it's gonna be dope", and Em was like "lets do it”. He got serious when he needed to get serious and fun when he needed to get fun. He was young and new to the game and because I shot a bunch of his heroes, he was willing to try anything for the shot.
Em was not afraid of looking silly for visual support of his music. "There were certain things a rapper would not do for the camera in the 90’s. "Up until then, the majority of rappers I felt were very self conscious," he explains, via Em's website.
Now, with Em's #SSLP20 campaign in full promotional swing, Danny Hastings has offered a few words on his experiences working with an emerging Eminem.
The pictures helped bring Em's zany, maniacal vision to life, capturing the spirit of an unhinged yet childlike genius.
The back of the leaflet is particularly memorable, in which Em rocks a blood-spattered white tee shirt, standing excited beside a cartoonish windowsill.
Photographer Danny Hasting reflects on working with a young Em.Īnybody who owns a physical copy of Eminem's The Slim Shady LP, or has otherwise scoured the internet for a peek at the liner notes, likely recognizes the work of photographer Danny Hastings.