Marshall and Kim began a tumultuous relationship several years later. In 1987, Debbie invited runaway Kim Scott into their home. Meanwhile, Mathers fought constantly with his mother, who was described as having a “very suspicious, almost paranoid personality” by a social worker. He spent much of his free time working on rhymes for different words in the English language. Weekends saw them performing at open mics on West 7 Mile Road, the epicenter of Detroit’s underground rap scene.

He had already begun rapping by this time and frequently snuck into the neighboring high school with his friend to compete in freestyle rap battles during lunch. Marshall repeated ninth grade three times before dropping out of Lincoln High School at age 17. Ronnie played a positive role in Mathers’ childhood, mentoring him and giving him emotional support.

The first rap song he ever heard was “Reckless” featuring Ice-T, given to him by his mother’s half-brother Ronnie. He first dreamt of becoming a comic book artist, but then he discovered rap. But he had a creative outlet: He loved storytelling. When he was a teenager, Mathers wrote letters to his father that all came back with “return to sender” marked on them.įor most of Mathers’ youth, he and his mother lived in a poor neighborhood in Detroit, and he was often targeted for bullying. Mathers and his mother moved between Detroit and Missouri, typically changing homes every year or so and living with family members. His father abandoned his wife and infant son and moved to California. From his less-than-humble beginnings to the pinnacle of notoriety and superstardom, Marshall Mathers has truly seen it all.īorn in 1972 to his mother Debbie and father Bruce, Mathers’ family broke apart soon after forming.

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