Happy birthday Eminem! Legendary rapper turns 40

theGRIO REPORT - Detroit-based rapper Eminem turns 40 today. Does that make you feel old or what?...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

Detroit-based rapper Eminem turns 40 today. Does that make you feel old or what?

The most infamous white rapper in history burst onto the music scene in 1999 with his blockbuster album The Slim Shady LP. While non-black rappers had a mixed reputation at the time, Eminem’s unique blend of shocking lyrics, Dr. Dre production and unorthodox subject matter made him irresistible to many hip-hop fans.

His follow-ups — The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show — were two of the best selling CDs of the decade. Then a battle with drug addiction and a host of other personal problems sidelined his career until recently, when he bounced back big time with his critically acclaimed hit Recovery album.

Despite his fair share of haters, Eminem was crowned the reigning king of hip-hop by Rolling Stone magazine in 2011.

Ironically, Eminem mocked techno star Moby for being “too old” to be in the record business. Now that he’s 40, do you think he should second-guess that diss?

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