Eminem and Rihanna's 'The Monster' Logs Eight Weeks at No. 1

Eminem and Rihanna are closing out 2013 atop the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart.

According to Billboard, their hit single, "The Monster," is not only no.1 again, its actually held down the top spot there and on the Rap Songs chart for eight consecutive weeks.

Featured on Eminem's latest album, "The Marshall Mathers LP 2," "The Monster" is also no.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart thanks to 7.6 million streams, increased airplay and 193,000 downloads sold (up 10 percent this week).

"Helping spur the song's surges: the Dec. 16 premiere of its official video. VEVO on YouTube views, up by 76% for the week following the video's arrival, account for 49% of its overall streams," reports Billboard.

In related chart news, Beyonce's new single, "Drunk In Love," has made its debut on the charts. The song opened at no. 12 on the Hot 100; no.2 on the R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart and no.1 on the R&B Songs chart.

Album of the Year: Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2

“Maybe I needed to grow up a little first/ Well it looks like I hit a growth spurt”. So goes MMLP2’s opening track and over the course of the next hour it becomes apparent this is no idle brag. The album’s dizzying mix of melody, syllables-per-minute, heart and hurt means, despite the endless plaudits being given to rival "deadly fucking serious” Kanye West, it was really the nutcase from Detroit who demonstrated the greater artistic maturity in 2013.

Some may consider the term “mature” ironic given Marshall Mathers' love of adolescent word play. But that would be to misunderstand how Em’s mischievous and raw rhymes work their magic. On this, the sequel to 2000’s The Marshall Mathers LP, three aspects of his trade stand out. The first is the vocal work. Despite sounding deeper and more growly he is still able to spit out such quick-fire verbiage it leaves the listener giddy with delight. The most exhilarating moments are “Rap God” where one imagines Mathers to be breathing through his ears and 3.46 minutes into "Love Game" where he suddenly slips up half an octave to send a shiver down your spine.

Secondly, there are the expertly picked samples and collaborations which help capture the iconic pop-rap magic of early hits such as “My Name Is” and “Stan”. “Monster” with Rhianna fully deserved its number one slot and the hillbilly guitar-assisted “So Far” knocks most rap-metal into a cocked hat.

Finally, there’s Em's new-found wisdom - a sense that whilst he refuses to grow up he's never stopped learning from life. It reaches its peak in “Headlights” - a nuanced dissection of the rapper's relationship with his mother. The bruised lyrical path starts with childhood hurt (“You’re kicking me out/ It’s 15 degrees and it’s Christmas Eve”), moves on to an epiphany of understanding (“that's when I realized you were sick and it wasn't fixable or changeable,”) and ends with a sense of sadness (“I didn’t get the chance to thank you for being my Mom and my Dad”). The level of craftsmanship on MMLP2 would have always made it a hugely entertaining album. But the sense that every word is still of profound emotional importance to its creator makes it an essential one.

Eminem backed supergroup Slaughterhouse to perform in Ann Arbor

An intriguing rap show is coming to Ann Arbor on March 27 from a group that has a Detroit tie and is supported by Eminem.

The supergroup Slaughterhouse, with Detroit native Royce da 5'9," will perform that date at the Blind Pig, a popular city venue.Tickets are $25.

Slaughterhouse's last show in southeast Michigan was Aug. 30, 2012 at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in suburban Detroit.

That show didn't include an appearance from Eminem, who is the group's album producer, but did include plenty of Detroit love.

Slaughterhouse consists of Royce da 5'9" (Detroit), Joe Budden (Jersey City, N.J.), Crooked I (Long Beach, Calif.) and Joell Ortiz (Brooklyn).

A 2011 Slaughterhouse show at the Royal Oak Music Theatre led to a surprise appearance from Eminem, so I guess there's a slim chance Slim Shady could show up in Ann Arbor.

Vanilla Ice helped Eminem become successful

Vanilla Ice claims he helped Eminem become a successful rapper.

The 'Ice Ice Baby' star shot to fame with the hit single when he was just 16 years old and claims he ''paved the way'' for other white rappers such as the 'Slim Shady' hitmaker.

He said: ''I definitely opened doors and made it acceptable to get into hip-hop.

''White rappers are few and far between and, during that era, I made it possible to move into that genre and be very successful.''

The 46-year-old father of two suffered with depression during the early years of his career but continues to perform and work on new material and claims he ''doesn't care'' what people think.

When asked if it annoys him that rappers like Eminem claim they're ''nothing like him,'' Vanilla Ice - whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, said: ''I carved a way and it helped the industry, I don't care what anyone thinks.''

Opening up about his depression, the musician admitted that people didn't understand what he was going through.

He said: ''I had a hit with 'Ice Ice Baby' when I was just 16. People forgot that I was still just a child, but I was surrounded by artificial people, living an artificial life.

''I self-destructed ... You need to find the strength to continue and you need to surround yourself with real friends and family.''

Eminem would like to wish you a "Happy F#ckin Holidays."

Eminem would like to wish you a "Happy F--kin Holidays."

While many of us are getting into the holiday spirt by trimming the tree or listening to Christmas tunes, the rapper finds he's most festive when simulating sex with a large plastic reindeer, which is pretty much what you'd expect from Eminem.

The 41-year-old certainly has not lost his love of juvenile antics, as he shared a photo of himself in a Santa suit getting frisky with Rudolph's cousin on Monday (Dec. 23):

Eminem, Run The Jewels do their best to ruin Christmas with photos, video

Being Christmas and all, it's only natural that performers across the rap game broke out of their cynical fronts and delivered messages of hope and joy in order to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Yeah, right.

Two of the performers featured on Music Times' albums of the year list, Eminem and Run The Jewels, were busy in the days leading up to the holiday, providing bizarre and somewhat disturbing productions for fans.

Eminem didn't put as much work into ruining Christmas, but the shot he posted on Instagram on Wednesday probably secured his place on the naughty list (as if he wasn't there already). The picture featured the emcee dressed in Santa garb (minus the beard, unfortunately), mimicking relations with a deer from behind. It was a joke in line with "turn of the century Shady," as described byMusic Times writer Caitlin Carter.

Run The Jewels (the hip-hop duo of El-P and Killer Mike) recreated a number of holiday scenes in a music video for the (in)appropriately titled "A Christmas F---ing Miracle."

Among the themes worked into the video: Killer Mike as a mall Santa and El-P as his elf, as two children destroy the set...The pair drinking in an ice-fishing shack in Lake Placid during 1980 (Mike sports a medal from the apparent Winter Olympics reference). Most impressive is theChristmas Carol knockoff, seemingly shot in Brooklyn during one of New York's few snow days during 2013. El plays the role of Tiny Tim, and Mike (as Ebenezer Scrooge) knocks him to the ground. The Ghost of Christmas-Yet-To-Come makes a later appearance for a guitar solo.

Those well-versed in El-P's discography will recognize the puppet squirrel featured in the satire Nativity scene as Mr. Killums, the same one-eyed, hard partying rodent featured in the rapper's video for "The Full Retard" during 2012.

Eminem's Outrageous Super Bowl Demands Would Make Madonna Blush

There was a point in time whenEminem was not just relevant -- he was one of the most recognizable points of a spectrum in pop culture. This period in time happened to coincide with an era when I saw nothing wrong with wearing a bandana paired with a hemp necklace. What I'm saying is that it was early aughts, and that, my friends, was a very long time ago.
Sure, he's made one or two comebacks, pretty admirable in the face of his struggles with mental health and addiction issues. Additionally, the track he cut with Rihanna that's getting so much airtime? I kind of love putting it on repeat as I jog while fantasizing that I'm a troubled but gifted FBI agent.

But all of that said and the dude given his dues, he isn't Elvis. He isn't even Kanye. I say this knowing full-well that in making such comparisons, I am inviting him to include my name in a hateful rap rant, and I'll be real: That idea delights me like no other.

What I mean is Eminem isn't a superstar. But you'd never know it from the way he's acting lately. He's making demands dollars-wise that even the likes of Madonna would arch an eyebrow at -- provided she could still arch her eyebrows (ay-oh)!

Eminem was invited to perform during Super Bowl week at the NFL owners' party that's held annually. It's usually a pretty glitzy affair, and it attracts some high level performers. But when it comes to performing at the Super Bowl or at any major NFL function, most stars take a major pay cut -- or some, like Madonna, The Black Eyed Peas, and even Beyonce, don't take any money at all because the exposure of the events in question is worth almost 100 million in advertising dollars alone!

Apparently nobody told Eminem this because when he learned his presence had been requested, he straight up asked for TWO MILLION DOLLARS. Even in his prime that would have been a scorching request, but at this stage in the game, it smacks less of ego and more of, well, delusion. Can you imagine how much the owners would have to fork over for their party just to cover the guy's paycheck? Needless to say, the NFL passed, and we totally get it.

Rihanna Tweets Excitement For The Monster Video With Eminem

Rihanna got an early look at her new video with Eminem for their hit single The Monster and she was impressed.

The Monster, featured on Eminem's latest album The Marshall Mathers LP2, marks the third time these two have teamed up. The rapper appeared on Ri's 2012' Numb.

Love The Way You Lie, off of Eminem's 2010 Recovery album, spent seven weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The music video for that single, which debuted in Aug. 2010, caused some controversy for its portrayal of domestic violence between the video's two main characters, played by Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox.

The photos of Rihanna’s battered face, after she was brutally assaulted by then boyfriend Chris Brown, were still fresh in people’s minds.

When the video premiered, the “It just was authentic. [Eminem] pretty much just broke down the cycle of domestic violence and it's something that a lot people don't have a lot of insight on,” Rihanna told MTV News when the video premiered. Can’t wait to see what the two have in store for us with The Monster.

Rick Rubin Dishes On 'Rap God' Eminem, Being White in Hip-Hop

Rick Rubin's 2013 return to hip-hop has been highlighted by the producer's superb work on two of the genre's most-anticipated albums, Kanye West's Yeezus and Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2.

Prior to this year, Rubin had not worked on a hip-hop record since he assisted Jay Z for "99 Problems," making "Rap God" Eminem's no. 1 album a crowning achievement for a man who has been out of the game for quite some time. Rubin recently spoke with Shade 45's DJ Whoo Kid and Peter Rosenberg about what it was like to come back to rap after his long absence and current the state of hip-hop. He also opened up about the first time he met Russell Simmons, who was surprised that Rubin was white.

"There was nobody white at that time in this world, so it was interesting," Rubin told Rosenberg.

It was recently announced that Rubin will also be working on West's next album alongside G.O.O.D. Music's Q-Tip.

More on The Marshall Mathers LP 2

Eminem recently stopped by BBC 1 for an interview with Zane Lowe, speaking with the host about his new album and life experiences since the 2010 release of his album, Recovery. The "Rap God" also picked up a mic for BBC 1, performing some classic tracks, including "Stan" and his Recovery track "Not Afraid," which discusses the rapper's change of ways.

Check out the video below.

Eminem also recently unveiled the official music video for "Rap God," the rapper's most controversial track from The Marshall Mathers LP 2.

In the Rich Lee-directed video, Em gets his Max Headroom on, transforming into the fictional British artificial intelligence for the unique visual. The Detroit rapper also makes some references to George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984, mind control and surveillance.

Next up will be the music video for the rapper's "Monster" hit with Rihanna.

The Marshall Mathers LP 2 has achieved certified platinum status just two weeks after its release, according to Billboard.

The 40-year-old secured 792k sales in its debut week, which made the climb to 1 million records sold relatively easy this week. The MMLP2 track "Berzerk" snagged platinum honors back in October and "The Monster" featuring Rihanna looks to be headed to similar success. The duo previously hit 11-times platinum status with their track "Love the Way You Lie." Despite posting the second-highest first week sales of 2013, Em's album was knocked out of the top spot this week by Lady Gaga's new release, ARTPOP. He has since regained the top spot, finishing first in the Billboard rankings in MMLP2's third week on shelves.

The Detroit native has been a force on the singles charts, with four tracks featured simultaneously in the top 20 and ten featured on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Slim Shady's new hits make him the first artist since the Beatles in 1964 to have four songs concurrently highlighted on the Billboard Top 20 chart, a feat that also helped him pass the legendary rockers for the title of best selling artist of the past decade.

His top single, "The Monster" featuring Rihanna leads the album's top 20 singles, followed by "Rap God," Berzerk," "Survival," "Beautiful Pain," "Love Game," "Headlights," "Bad Guy," "Rhyme or Reason," and "Legacy."

Marshall Mathers LP 2 gives Em seven number one albums, with his only miss being Curtain Call: The Hits, which peaked at number two.

According to Billboard, Eminem is the fifth artist to have ten singles on the chart simultaneously since it adopted its "current sales/airplay/streaming methodology" 13 months ago. The other four are also rappers: Drake (who has done it four times), Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar and 2 Chainz.

Eminem Ads ‘Rap and Roll’

Eminem ads are high octane. Though the infamous rapper may not be elegant or eloquent like your typical celebrity, his ads always pack a punch you can roll with.

Just recently, the Grammy Awards Show featured his song Berzerk in an ad to hype its upcoming 56th annual show to be aired on January 26, 2014. In the ad, the rocking beat provides an energized audio backdrop while eye- catching clips of various artists from Elvis Presley to Cee Lo Green play. Even though Eminem’s latest single is featured, Berzerk nor the rest of his album The Marshall Mathers LP 2 will be eligible for nominations this year since the album released on Nov. 5 – after the official cutoff date of Sept. 30, 2013. In the meantime, the album sits pretty atop Billboard’s album chart.

The Grammys are not the only ones taking advantage of Berzerk and its attention-grabbing groove. The video itself resembles that of Beastie Boys’ So What’cha Want. Eminem’s “rap and roll” fusion of rock and rap is as smooth as it is seamless, and it also turns out to be a great tribute to a band he idolizes. The song made its grand debut in an ad for #NewBeatsStudio headphones. Using clips from his official video, the ad aired for the first time during the MTV VMAs and served as a surprise announcement for the album finally divulging details like its title, release date, and executive producers Rick Rubin and Dr. Dre.

“Keeping that a secret was a modern miracle,” says Eminem’s manager Paul Rosenberg. Though the secret meant saying no to partners, he added, “but we really believe in the element of surprise. That we were able to give people all of that information in a 15-second spot like that really helped us make a big splash.”

Superbowl spots, however, are probably where Eminem ads have had their largest audience. He has two Superbowl ads to his credit. His Superbowl 2011 Chrysler spot “Imported from Detroit” ran two minutes long and had the feel of a feature film. Though Eminem is seen driving the Chrysler 200 in the commercial, the vehicle hardly seems like the focal point of the ad. Rather, the gravitas of the narrator paired with Eminem’s Lose Yourself soundtrack forces the audience to think about Detroit and its ailing industry as a symbol of the American spirit. The ad’s message is so powerful that it does not feel like a commercial at all. Of all the Eminem ads, this one is probably amongst the most significant and has over 16 million views on YouTube today.

His other Superbowl spot was for Lipton Brisk Tea. He was featured as himself in claymation in the $1 million ad. It plays on his “rough guy” attitude in which he talks about why he does not do commercials. At the end of the 30-second spot, he demands to change the name of the drink to “Eminem-shut-up-and-drink-it.” It is a funny ad, poking fun at Eminem’s reputation for being hot-headed and unreasonable.

Like in other Eminem ads, “Call of Duty” reaches out to a younger demographic. Enthusiasts of “Call of Duty”are like the center of a Venn diagram representing Eminem fans and hardcore gamers. There is a definite overlap between the two, and both parties have taken advantage.Survival from Eminem’s latest album made its world premiere in August for a “Call of Duty” event before the album details were formally announced with the Berzerk premiere in the #NewBeatsStudio ad.

The Survival video is financed by Activision, video game producer of “Call of Duty” and contains footage of “Call of Duty: Ghosts” in the background. In the video, Eminem is seen donning the game’s iconic ghost mask as he raps about “Do or Die.” His lyrics about about liking the sight of his own blood may likely resonate with these gamers.

While Eminem may not have as many ads as Taylor Swift, his music and rap style command attention. Moreover, Eminem ads have employed novel ways of marketing that make the “Rap God” look like an “Ad God.”

Eminem's 'Berzerk' featured in '56th Annual Grammy Awards' commercial

The 56th Annual Grammy Awards hits LA's Staples Center on January 26, 2014. An awesome commercial for the 2014 ceremony recently hit Youtube, featuring Eminem's kicka$ new tune, "Berzerk." Check it out:

The clip's entitled "Music Unleashes Us: Anthem." The video's rather hip and stylish, maybe in an attempt to draw a younger crowd this year:

Funny thing is, Eminem isn't even eligible for any awards this year (despite having a number of hits heading into the New Year). The cut-off date for the 56th Annual ceremony was October 1, 2012 - September 30, 2013... Shady's eighth studio album MMLP2 didn't hit stores until November. Therefore, Em will just have to wait until 2015!

On Friday (Dec. 6), two-time Grammy winner LL Cool J will host a one-hour special, "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! Countdown to Music's Biggest Night," from LA. Several other musicians will also appear - the special airs on CBS at 10 p.m. EST.

The Grammys air live on CBS on January 26 at 8 p.m. EST. 

For more info on the event,  Click here.

Eminem To Match Fan Pledges For Children's Charity

Eminem and his Marshall Mathers Foundation have promised to match fan pledges up to $100,000 donated to Wolverine Human Services, a Michigan-based social services agency that provides "safety, sustenance, nurturing, and therapeutic intervention to children."

"Supporting us means that you'll be making a difference in the lives of Michigan's children, their families, and the great city of Detroit. All it takes is a few simple clicks of a button," reads the program's website.

According to MLive.com, hours after Em made the pledge, the effort received over $24,000 in donations.

"We are vey excited and we are overwhelmed by the generosity from Eminem, The Marshall Mathers Foundation and people around the world," said Kristen McCurry, the organization's development coordinator. "We know we are going to be able to do a lot of good for our kids."

Eminem Fan Art You Really Must Own!

Eminem is back in the game and topping sales lists worldwide. His latest album, "The Marshall Mathers LP 2", pushed Lady Gaga's "ARTPOP" from its No. 1 sales spot. The rapper is sharing some of the wealth by issuing this challenge to fans:

Eminem and his Marshall Mathers Foundation will match all donations up to $100,000 given to Wolverine Human Services, a charity that has the mission of "helping children to be victors," in his home state of Michigan. The deadline to make a donation and have it matched by Eminem is 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.

With holiday spirit in mind, we've dug up some of the best Eminem fan art on etsy to help you stuff a few stockings this year.

Would the real Slim Shady please stand up? Artist Bill Olivas (AKA: essenceofus) created this extremely realistic portrait (above). Hard to believe it was hand drawn.

This A3 Portrait by CiaranMonaghan turns Eminem into a modern art piece. 

Here's a devilish Eminem original drawing by hulkyodART.

This charcoal and pastel portrait of Eminem by PrashantShahFineArt almost looks 3-D.

This hunky portrait belongs in a Beefcake calender. Eminem portrait by Visualharbour

Here's a devilish Eminem original drawing by hulkyodART.

Jay Z, Drake, and Eminem among Spotify's most-streamed artists of 2013

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have been named the most-streamed performers on Spotify in 2013, along with popular acts Eminem, Jay Z and Drake.

Bastille and Arctic Monkeys were among the most popular British artists on the music streaming service in 2013, while controversial summer hit "Blurred Lines" was one of the year's most-streamed tracks.
The most popular album on Spotify this year was The Heist by Macklemere & Ryan Lewis, while their single "Can't Hold Us" was named the most-streamed track.
Folk rock band The Lumineers proved a less likely hit on the online streaming service in 2013.

Their self-titled debut album was named as one of the most-listened to of the year, while their hit single “Ho Hey” was one of the most-selected songs.
Notable exclusions included Miley Cyrus and Kanye West, who failed to enter the top ten tracks or albums list.
In the UK alone, Bastille and Arctic Monkeys were the most-streamed artists, with Calvin Harris' 18 months topping the albums chart and Bastille's "Pompeii" heading up the most-streamed tracks list.

Overall, Spotify's 24 million worldwide users streamed 4.5 billion hours of music in 2013.

Most-streamed artists of 2013

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Avicii

Daft Punk

Eminem

Imagine Dragons

Jay Z

Bruno Mars

Rihanna

Calvin Harris

Drake

Most-streamed albums of 2013

The Heist – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

18 Months – Calvin Harris

Night Visions – Imagine Dragons

The Truth About Love – P!nk

Unorthodox Jukebox – Bruno Mars

The Lumineers – The Lumineers

Random Access Memories – Daft Punk

All The Little Lights – Passenger

Take Me Home: Yearbook Edition – One Direction

Born To Die – Lana Del Rey

Most-streamed tracks of 2013

"Can't Hold Us" – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

"Wake Me Up" – Avicii

"Thrift Shop" – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

"Get Lucky" – Daft Punk

"Radioactive" – Imagine Dragons

"Let Her Go" – Passenger

"Blurred Lines" – Robin Thicke

"Just Give Me A Reason" – P!nk

"Ho Hey" – The Lumineers

"I Need Your Love" – Calvin Harris

Why Eminem Calls Himself A Savant And Why We Want To Believe Him

“I don’t know if I have the attention span to sit and read a sentence,” rapper Eminem recently told Rolling Stone, “So I don’t read.” Hip hop is the only thing that the 41-year-old, whose eighth album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2, currently second in the Billboard album chart, says he’s good at. “I don’t know how to do anything else. I think they have a word for that – what do they call it? Idiot savant?”

The idea rings true because it’s been the party line among celebrity musicians. “The rock star is some kind of primitive,” said former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, “An idiot savant who can’t really function in the world and would rather get onstage and do something wonderful and entertain people.”


It’s a myth. Eminem has many problems, but a low I.Q. is not one of them. Savants are defined as people with serious mental handicaps that exhibit extraordinary abilities they develop without any training or discipline. But any musician you’ve heard of has honed his or her craft through thousands of hours of hard deliberate training. What’s more, they have figured out and masterfully played the rules of the music industry.

Savantism is an appealing notion for rock or rap stars because it can account for how they become incredibly successful while acting like total idiots. Take Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, who grew up absorbing the fundamentals of classical music lounging under his father’s grand piano. “Like most rock stars,” he wrote in his autobiography, “I suffer from Terminal Adolescence. I’ll never grow up.” The implication is that rock stars are forever untouched by the rules and constraints of society, incapable of growing up even as they pass their forties, fifties, and, in Tyler’s case, sixties. The savant myth allows them to both succeed and grow old because it implies that they achieved their incredible feats through raw talent alone.

Yet even savants work hard at cultivating their talents. The writer Joshua Foer decided to train himself in mnemonic techniques as an exercise in participatory journalism. He went on to win the U.S.A. Memory Championship. Foer became convinced that seemingly impossible feats of memory could be achieved by anyone determined to practice them properly. He then explored the radical notion that savants are in fact self-trained mnemonists. He met with infamous savants such as Daniel Tammet, the subject of the documentary Brainman, and Kim Peek, the inspiration for Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rain Man, and watched them do their work. He investigated their past. He asked them cleverly disguised questions meant to test their savant accounts of their own talents, which he did not fully believe. As he wrote in his book, Moonwalking with Einstein, he concluded that their talents lie not in a freakish natural accident, but in their ability to hone a skill.

Eminem was not always a masterful rapper. As a kid, he invented exercises to improve his lyrical abilities. He would write out a string of long words, like “transcendalistic tendencies” and find a rhyme for each syllable, “and bend all mystic sentence trees.” Even if the phrase didn’t make sense, these drills helped him improve his rhyming skills. Still, he lost his first rap battle.


Once he became the best rapper in Detroit he flew to Los Angeles to compete in the Rap Olympics and lost there too. But he was ambitious and worked hard to get better, to rise above all the other aspiring rappers at the time. “There were a few other underground rappers coming up when Eminem did who stood out as innovative lyricists,” said Sway Caloway, co-host of the influential L.A. hip-hop radio show The Wake Up Show. “Eminem stayed on the grind. He just continued to come by our show and drop freestyles. I got so much stuff that he did. He was doing his footwork. And the thing about him I noticed each time I saw him back then—an it’s still going on—is that he keeps getting better and better.”

Stories sell products—in this case albums, of which Eminem has sold more than 100 million worldwide. Good corporate storytellers, such as Steve Jobs, Jack Dorsey, or Jeff Bezos, capture our imagination because of the skill with which they portray themselves as protagonists in their products’ stories. The most effective product narratives are those that conform to our expectations while at the same time offering a novel twist that makes them distinct in the marketplace. Eminem conforms to our expectation that rap stars embody rebellious youthfulness and disdain for anything grown up. His distinctiveness comes from being the underdog from the other side of the tracks. By proclaiming to be a “What do they call it? Idiot savant,” – the implied ignorance subtly reinforcing the message – Eminem is making an identity claim to reinforce his position as forever suspended in dysfunctional youth.

The savant myth is a nice story as long as people don’t buy it at face value. As much as some of us would like to hold up college dropout billionaires such as Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Larry Ellison as proof that you don’t have to grow up to succeed, this is the wrong message to take home from Eminem’s career. For most people in the workforce, it takes years of hard and unglamorous work before they can expect to make a real difference in their organizations. To succeed, they need to consistently produce high-quality work and they need to play by the rules. Behind the scenes, that’s exactly what Eminem has done.

Eminem Set to Launch Limited Edition G-Shock Watch

Watch the throne: resurgent Detroit rapper Eminem has made a massive impact on the music of 2013 with the release of his new album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2. Now, Slim Shady is ready make his mark in the crazy world of watches with the launch of a new collaborative timepiece created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of watchmaker G-Shock.

The watch, which goes by the model number GDX6900MNM-1, takes G-Shock’s recently updated XL-6900 timepiece and “personalizes it with a unique Eminem graphic design for a watch that is not only ruggedly functional, but also stylish & streetwise.”


Among those personal touches include Eminem’s backwards “E” logo featured on the watch face and band loop, while the rapper represents his hometown of Detroit with an outline of the city’s skyline on the upper half of the band in red. There is also a “Shady” signature on the back of the watch and on the lower half of the band.

“With hip-hop it’s as much about where it’s from as who it’s for,” said Shigenori Itoh, Chairman and CEO of Casio America, Inc. in a press release. “Eminem has an immense and loyal fan base around the world, as does G-SHOCK, making this collaboration one that will connect closely with many thousands of collective fans.”

The watch costs $180 and is set for release in limited quantities on the G-Shock website and in select retailers (including G-Shock’s storefront in Soho NYC) this Saturday, December 7.

Eminem To Match Donations Made To Michigan Charity

The Detroit-based, social service agency Wolverine Human Services could see a donation of up to $100,000 from local rapper Eminem this holiday season depending on what others donate to the organizations latest fundraiser.

According to MLive.com, Eminem will match donations (up to $100,000) made to Wolverine Human Services. As of today (December 3), the organization has raised over $50,000 and is quickly reaching the $60,000 mark.

Described by its president as “one of Michigan's largest agencies rehabilitating delinquent youths,” Wolverine Human Services first launched in 1987 and since that time the organization has opened a number of shelters and treatment centers for young men.

Those hoping to donate to Wolverine Human Services can do so until the end of today by visiting their CrowdRise page.

Similarly, in 2011, Eminem helped raise money for a number of local organizations in the Motor City including Boys & Girls Club of Southern Michigan and Habitat For Humanity (Detroit) through the sale of his "Imported From Detroit" t-shirts, which were sold directly on the Chrysler website.

The Detroit wordsmith’s t-shirt partnership with Chrysler followed the debut of his Superbowl XLV commercial with the United States-based automotive company on February 6.

Eminem Gratiskan Album Baru di Xbox Music

Gratisnya album baru sang rapper adalah bagian dari promo 'Cyber Monday' yang diusung Microsoft.

Untuk mendapatkan album baru secara gratis sangatlah mudah. Buka Xbox Music via perangkat Windows 8 atau Windows Phone Anda dan lakukan login dengan akun Microsoft Anda. Kemudian cari 'Eminem' dan pilih lamannya.

Kemudian, temukan album 'The Marshall Mathers LP2 (Deluxe)' dan ikuti petunjuk yang tersedia. Jika Anda berminat, album Eminem lainnya kini juga dibanderol sangat murah hanya US$0,99.

Jika Anda bukan pengguna WIndows 8 atau Windows Phone, Anda bisa melakukan streaming semua album Eminem Disini,