Some people think that he is the most important singer since Elvis Presley. Others think that he’s just a criminal. He has often been in trouble with the police for carrying guns, fighting and taking drugs. His mother is suing him for telling lies about her. He uses bad language in his songs and says terrible things about gay people and women. So who is Eminem? And why is he so popular?

Marshall Mathers was born in Kansas City in 1973. His father left home and, in 1985, Marshall and his mother moved to Detroit. It was a difficult, dangerous life. After one fight at school, Marshall had to stay in hospital for nine days. He left school when he was very young and worked in many low-paid jobs. He hated everything except music. In 1996, he gave himself the name ‘Eminem’ and made his first album, Infinite. It was not a success but his next album, Slim Shady (1999), made him famous. It won Grammy Awards for best album and best song (My Name Is). In May 2000, Eminem made The Marshall Mathers LP. It sold 2 million copies in its first week and was the fastest-selling rap album of all time. Eminem is now one of the most famous singers in the world.

But he has many enemies. When he sang in England in February 2001, hundreds of people protested outside the arenas. On stage he sang about drugs and killing people. Posh Spice and David Beckham were watching his first show, but they left after 15 minutes. ‘We don’t like him,’ they said. ‘How can such a terrible person be such a big star?’

‘I sing about things that happen to me,’ Eminem explains. ‘A lot of people feel the same way that I do.’ This seems to be true. 16,000 people went to his first show in Manchester. ‘He’s only telling the truth about his hard life,’ his fans say. Elton John, the world’s most famous gay singer, agrees. ‘I’m a big fan of his music,’ he says. ‘He’s a real artist.’

Elton John sang with Eminem at the Grammy Awards in February 2001. But women’s groups, gay people and parents all over the world are still worried. They think that Eminem is dangerous. ‘Do his songs really make the world a better place?’ they say. The thousands of fans who go to his shows and buy his records know the answer to that question: YES! His songs make their parents angry – and that’s enough to make the world a better place!