A hip-hop icon who started off as an underground battle rapper in Detroit. Marshall “Eminem” Mathers has developed a career full of contradictions; wild swings; and some of the most noteworthy hip-hop of the past decade. Produced and co-signed by Dr. Dre, Em had an unprecedented run of success from 1999 up through 2003, releasing three well-reviewed, multi-platinum albums, stealing the show on countless collaborations, and even starring in a hit movie. However, it all came crashing down around 2004, when a string of problems ranging from drug dependence to depression to the tragic death of best friend Deshaun “Proof” Holton in 2006 led to a long hiatus from music and a string of what were, by his own admission, sub-par albums.