Eminem was born Marshall Bruce Mathers on October 17, 1972, in the small Missouri town of St. Joseph. He is one of the most popular rappers of all time. The 'Rap God' singer, who has been at the top of the game for over two decades, celebrates his 48th birthday today. Some facts about Eminem, the rapper, songwriter, and record producer, are listed below.

With his album 'Infinite,' Eminem made his debut in 1996. He is also credited for helped popularize hip hop in the Middle East. He worked as a short-order cook and also washed dishes at a family restaurant before entering the music industry. 

Proof, Eminem's childhood friend, was shot and murdered when a dispute over a game of pool erupted. The death of Proof was one of the factors that contributed to Eminem's depression. At the age of 14, he began rapping with his high school classmate Mike Ruby. As a result, he chose the moniker 'M&M,' which stood for the first letters of his first and last names, and subsequently evolved into 'Eminem.'

In 2002, he made his cinematic debut in the musical drama film "8 Mile," in which he played a fictionalized version of himself. He also received an Oscar nomination for 'Best Original Song' for the song 'Lose Yourself' from the film '8 Mile.' Eminem’s weight increased to almost 100 kgs leaving his fans unable to recognize him as he was regularly eating fast food.

The rapper was hospitalised in December 2007 after a methadone overdose. He collapsed one night in his bathroom and was immediately rushed to the hospital where the doctors informed that he had ingested the equivalent of four bags of heroin and was ‘about two hours from dying’.

The singer has been vocal about his drug problems and later sought help from a rehabilitation counsellor. He has been sober since 2008. The popular rapper revealed that he does not know how to use a computer. He was arrested for a drive-by shooting with a paintball gun at the age of 20. The case was luckily dropped when the victim did not show up in court.

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