Finding Peace in Hip-Hop
Eminem slowly made a name for himself in the underground hip-hop world as both a solo artist and as a member of the rap group D12, also known as the Dirty Dozen. In 1996, Mathers came out with his first album, Infinite. Unfortunately, it didn’t sell very well, so the aspiring rapper continued to work odd jobs.
Photo by Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic / Getty Images
But in 1997, Eminem won second place in the freestyle category at the Rap Olympics. That’s when he caught the attention of Dr. Dre, founding member of pioneering rappers N.W.A., but more importantly, the head of Aftermath Entertainment.