iSound

In a few short months, Eminem has gone from being one of the most heralded emcees in independent hip-hop to one of the most provocative, controversial rappers in contemporary pop music. The overnight success of his debut album, The Slim Shady LP, literally rocked the rap world, making him one of the biggest music success stories of 1999. But Eminem is more than the latest rap artist to blow up. He\\\\\\\'s spent the last several years paying his dues, and his lyrics, which cover topics such as poverty and single parenthood, reflect a rough upbringing. His unlikely acceptance by the pop mainstream has made some wonder how his popularity will affect the future of hip-hop music. Before he had the world singing along to \\\\\\\"My Name Is …,\\\\\\\" he was Marshall Mathers, a poor kid growing up in Warren, Mich. \\\\\\\"It\\\\\\\'s like the real, stereotypical, trailer park, white trash,\\\\\\\" Eminem told Rap Pages earlier this year. As a child, he and his mother...