Background and Early Life

Ok, let's start off with some basics. Marshall Mathers was born on the 17th of October 1972, in St.Josephs, Missouri. His dad left when he was a child and he wrote to him in California regularly but all the letters were sent back stamped 'Return to Sender'. Marshall is of German, English, Polish, Scottish and Swiss decent. During childhood, Marshall and his mom Debbie moved house frequently and moved around between Missouri and Michigan. In Missouri they moved around places such as Savannah and Kansas City. They settled in western Michigan when Marshall was eleven. He attented Linchon High School. In Marshalls early teens he enjoyed story telling and aspired to be a comic book artist before he discovered Hip-Hop. he heard his first rap song when he was nine which his uncle Ronnie showed him. Ronnie committed suicide 10 years later. he began rapping when he was 14 with his high school friend, Mike Ruby. Mashall had his first run in with the cops when he and his friends were part of a drive by shooting with a paintball gun. This was the start of his rapping career.