news archives

September 30, 2002 - Cedric Muhammad of Black Electrorate has news on Jay-Z scheduled to make an appearance on 60 Minutes, the hoopla surrounding Funkmaster Flex's simmering "beef" with Steph Lova, and 50 Cent being loved by all right now except Ja Rule, who has battled 50 on wax and with real fisticuffs. Ja reportedly told The Source, "If you're gonna be authorizing [50 Cent] to spew records on me, then I wanna do what I gotta do to take your company under. And that goes for Dre, Em or whoever." Read more.

September 28, 2002 - The Sun reports Christina Aguilera's new album 'Stripped', due October 29, has an opening track 'Stripped Part 1 (Without Eminem)' which includes a clip of an MTV interview with Eminem. Aguilera doesn't stop there with an attack on Slim and her other critics in 'Can’t Hold Us Down.' "It’s Christina sticking two fingers up," said an insider. "She really has a go."

September 28, 2002 - WENN reports Eminem has found himself a new fan in India.Arie. The two singers met up recently during a 106 And Park taping last month. "There's two different sides to that," she said when asked about Slim. "I have an opinion about his effect on minds that are young and impressionable, obviously. On the other side of it, I love great art. And loving words, rhyme schemes and stories the way that I do, Eminem is brilliant. I'm just newly realising that about him - and Jay-Z too." Read more.

September 27, 2002 - The Click2Music website in Finland has a track listing posted for Christina Aguilera's new album 'Stripped', due October 29. Track one is shown as 'Stripped Pt. 1 (w/o Eminem)', leading many to wonder is track 17 -- 'Stripped pt. 2' -- with Eminem? Given their history, a secret collaboration would be shocking to say the least. Read the full track listing here.

September 27, 2002 - Suge Knight to F.E.D.S. magazine on Eminem: "How could Dre can make a song dissing Jemaine Dupri with a white boy? I ain't no racist motherfu**er, but he ain't fit to get in our game and talk about our people. This motherfu**er talked about Puffy, now Jermaine Dupri, Will Smith and he's doing it with a nigga, that ain't paid enough dues. I don't give a fu** how much you wanna act black, "Boy you ain't no nigga" People need to listen what he says, the motherfu**er sounds like he Elvis. He's the first whiteboy to make more money off black people than Elvis." Read the entire transcript here.

September 24, 2002 - The Enquirer reports Queen Elizabeth has banned Eminem from all royal palaces after listening to the rapper's lyrics, which were being played by Prince William - one of Slim's biggest fans. "Prince William is a really big Eminem fan," said Bradley McIntosh of S Club 7. "He recommended 'The Eminem Show' and said he was playing it in his car all the time. I can't wait for Wills to be King so I can meet him and say, 'Yo, bro - how's it going?'"

September 24, 2002 - WENN reports Eminem's mother Debbie Mathers is waiting for her son to apologize to her so that the pair can be reunited. Debbie insists she never meant to sue her son, things just got out of control. "I never intended to sue my son. The lawsuit was my attempt to hold on to my home," Debbie said. "I'd given Marshall my trailer to rent when I moved back to Missouri. But Kim fell behind with the payments. I figured I had to sell it to pay the debt, but she wouldn't let me. She threatened me with a lawyer, so I consulted one myself. Then the whole thing just escalated. The first thing I knew, I swear, was when Marshall rang me and said, 'Mom, why are you suing me for $10 million?' I nearly fell over. It was ludicrous. Then word got out and the world saw me as an evil bitch from hell. What mother sues her own son? I was cursed in public, spat at in shopping malls." Read more.

September 24, 2002 - The new Lycos 50 is out today and it sees Britney Spears rise a spot to #7, maintaining her dominance as the most searched for human. Others on the list include Eminem rising 5 to #19, Avril Lavigne dropping 3 to #23, Nelly jumping 4 to #25, Jennifer Lopez rising a notch to #37, Shakira up 3 to #40, and Tupac Shakur up 5 to #42. 'American Idol' dropped out of the top 50. Read more.

September 22, 2002 - Corey Levitan of the New York Post spoke with Uncle Kracker, who talked about growing up in Detroit with fellow musicians Kid Rock and Eminem. "Marshall was always awesome," Kracker said. "Even back then, that kid was rapping tongue-twisters and sh**, you know? He and his friends would come in their pickup trucks, take me to their basement, and we'd do freestyle rap sessions and record them." Read more.

September 22, 2002 - Dan Reines of the San Francisco Weekly spoke with Slug (aka Sean Daley) of Atmosphere, the Minneapolis-based hip hop duo comprised of himself and DJ/beat-maker Ant (Anthony Davis). Though Slug is the racially mixed grandson of a black jazz trumpeter and he has always identified as black, he looks white, thus the inevitable comparisons to Eminem. "Let's face it," says Daley, "Eminem is a fu**ing icon right now for a lot of fu**ing people. So [the comparison] is flattering. It's almost ludicrous, though." Read more.

September 21, 2002 - Peoplenews.com quotes Eminem's mother Debbie Mathers saying, "People should know that, when they look at Eminem and think what a cool, tough guy he is, they should remember that he actually lived at home with his mom 'til he was 26."

September 18, 2002 - The Lycos 50 is out and interest in September 11 caused Britney Spears to dip to the #8 spot, though she's still the most searched for person. Others on the list include Avril Lavigne dropping 3 to #20, Eminem tumbling 11 to #24, Nelly jumping 11 to #29, Jennifer Lopez dropping 5 to #38, Shakira dropping 19 to #43, Tupac Shakur jumping to #47 after the LA Times report on his death, and 'American Idol' freefalling from the #14 spot to #49. The show's winner Kelly Clarkson jumped though to the #60 spot. Read more.

September 18, 2002 - BBC News reports the Eminem starring '8 Mile' is one of dozens of movies that will receive their UK premiere at the 2002 London Film Festival. The two-week event, which runs from 6 to 21 November, is traditionally a highlight of the UK cinema calendar and this year features more than 100 films from more than 48 countries. Read more.

September 18, 2002 - DirectEminem.com has a pair of new Eminem songs, plus the Xzibit track featuring Eminem on his Man Vs. Machine album. 'Stimulate' is the "lost" track from 'The Eminem Show', 'Lose Yourself' is the new cut off the '8 Mile' soundtrack (due Oct. 29), and Slim is featured on Xzibit's 'My Name'. And on the Xzibit track, I hear the entire album has leaked to the net ahead of its October 1 release (check KaZaA or Morpheus). Check them all out here.

September 18, 2002 - Donny Osmond was on the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn last night and talked about when he met Eminem. Donny said, "He comes towards me and says, 'I used to grow up with your music. You're a big influence on me.' All my friends say, oh, it's your fault." He wasn't able to name one Eminem song though. Watch the clip here.

September 18, 2002 - Eminem's '8 Mile' co-star Brittany Murphy talked with Rolling Stone magazine and was quizzed about her rumored romance with Slim. "Regarding Marshall," she said coolly, "I will utilize his lyrics and say, 'I am whatever you say I am/If I wansn't , they why would I say I am?' We became very, bery close on the set, and that's all I'll say about that. He's really an avid professional. Excessively professional." Asked if she had the pet name "Marshy" for him, she responded, "Oh, ew! Oh, my God, no!" Had she named his penis? "No!"

September 16, 2002 - WENN reports Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn has gone on the attack against Eminem for targeting somebody like Moby. Flynn said, "The world's most controversial rapper is in a beef with Moby? Jeez, the guy's some techno, hippie vegan. This is his arch enemy? Who's next - Malcolm in the Middle? Kermit the Frog?!"

September 14, 2002 - EW.com has outtakes of Justin Timberlake's cover story in Entertainment Weekly. Besides photos, they have Justin address Eminem. Timberlake said, "I met Eminem for the first time ever [at MTVs Video Music Awards]. We passed each other at Radio City Music Hall and I said, 'Congratulations on your awards. I really think you deserve them.' He said, 'Thanks, man, I appreciate it,' and gave me five and kept walking. But to me it was like a mutual respect. I'm such a big fan of his. He's amazing. He's a storyteller. Nobody will come along like him for another 10 years.'' Check out the photos and the quotes here.

September 14, 2002 - Mike Walker of the National Enquirer reports Eminem was in his limo recently when he saw an old guy in a pickup truck stuck on the side of the road. Eminem and his posse got out, pushed the truck out of traffic and helped the guy get it started.

September 13, 2002 - Brittany Murphy talked with MTV News about working with Eminem in '8 Mile'. "Eminem is incredible in [the] film," she says. "His acting is unbelievable. And Curtis Hanson is an incredible director. And it's just beyond the pale, amazing. It's one of those things in life that you're about to be part of something important and that will change some things. I think this is an important film to be made." Meanwhile, on TRL Thursday she gave the exact identical answer on whether she and Slim had a romance on set. "I'll never tell," she said in the line that made her famous. Read more.

September 12, 2002 - Cindy Adams of the New York Post reports Universal execs have had a tough time trying to convince Eminem to do any PR for '8 Mile'. So far he hasn't said yes, no or bleeping maybe, and he won't do interviews unless he's sure they won't ask him whether he's making it with Brittany Murphy, or any other embarrassing, stupid questions.

September 11, 2002 - The latest Lycos 50 is out today, and Britney Spears remains the most searched for human at #6. Eminem jumps to the #13 spot, just ahead of 'American Idol'. Avril Lavigne slips to #17 while Shakira falls to #24. Jennifer Lopez jumps to #33 and Nelly jumps to #40. For the complete list, click here.

September 10, 2002 - The National Enquirer reports after *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake performed his debut solo cut 'Like I Love You' at the MTV Video Music Awards, he was heckled backstage by Eminem and his posse." A spy revealed, "They accused him of lip-syncing his acoustic rhythm song and then they were calling him 'Baby Michael', a reference to Justin allegedly stealing some moves from Michael Jackson. They were mean!"

September 10, 2002 - Lou Lumenick of the New York Post reviewed the "work in progress" premiere of the Eminem starring '8 Mile' Sunday night at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie got a great reaction from him and the crowd attending. Lumenick said, "You can't take your eyes off the controversial white rapper, while the gritty and often hilarious film speaks to an audience well beyond his core constituency of alienated teens." He added, "'8 Mile' is destined to become the most talked-about movie of the season." Read more.

September 10, 2002 - The Toronto Sun reports fans mobbed Yonge St. last night outside the Elgin Theatre for the first-ever showing of '8 Mile' at the Toronto Film Festival, hoping Eminem would be attending the premiere, even though they were told he wouldn't... and he didn't. Director Curtis Hanson did attend however and addressed fans. As for the film, the Sun staff says, "Eminem acquits himself nicely in this debut and for a newcomer he gets a hell of a great love scene with Brittany Murphy. Kim Basinger is also in 8 Mile in the role of Eminem's mother. His fans are going to love it." Read more.

September 10, 2002 - Associated Press reports a tour bus used for Eminem's managers on the Anger Management Tour caught fire on a highway in Pittsfield Township on Sunday after friction from a flat tire caused flames to develop, which eventually fully engulfed the bus by the time the fire department was on the scene. Pittsfield Township Fire Sgt. John Maguire said the bus driver, who was not injured, was alone on the bus when the fire started. Read more.

September 9, 2002 - The Sun has highlights of an Eminem interview that will air tonight on MTV UK. Slim talked about his narrow escape from getting a jail sentence saying, "I didn’t know exactly what, but I thought that I was a goner for a little while. I can recall a few times when I was walking round the studio and I thought I might be going down. The fellas were trying to keep my spirits up, but one of the things I had to do was stay in the studio, just to be able to function." Read more.

September 9, 2002 - Buddyhead updated their gossip column with their thoughts on the MTV Video Music Awards. "Eminem won a lot of awards, proved he was a jock by yelling at Moby, and then rapped over his CD. Now that was exciting, live entertainment at its best for sure. How come no one else is thinking rapping over your cd is lame?" Read more.

September 9, 2002 - Adam Graham of The Detroit News gives us the "ABC's of Eminem, an up-to-the-minute update of life in the rapper's world." Amongst the letters, A is for Aguilera, Christina, I is for Insane Clown Posse, N is for *NSYNC, and V is for Vanilla Ice. Read his further explanations of each letter here.

September 6, 2002 - WENN reports Eminem has opened up about his troubled relationship, or lack thereof, with his dad Marshall Mathers II. Eminem recalled coloring in hundreds of pictures to pin on his dad's fridge, which sadly wound up in the garbage as a particularly nightmarish early memory. He says, "I was always over at my father's aunt's house, and he would call there. I would be on the floor coloring. He would talk to them and never asked to talk to me." While Eminem refuses to see his father, he has seen him on TV. "It was cool to see him, to know this is what I'm gonna look like when I get old, but that's it. I mean, I got this fu**ing unmistakable nose!" Read more.

September 6, 2002 - Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton tells Launch.com that the group was surprised and pleased by Eminem sampling their classic 'Dream On' on his latest album, 'The Eminem Show'. "We were really excited, you know, when we first heard that he wanted to do it, and it came out great," he says. "It kinda surprised me a little, in a really nice way. I figured that someone like that would probably be influenced by something more recent than 'Dream On.'"

September 6, 2002 - Sonia Murray of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was on hand at HiFi Buys Amphitheatre last night for the latest stop on the Anger Management Tour. The show had Eminem blowing away a mock Moby doll, and Ludacris onstage drinking from a can of Coke after he was dropped by Pepsi over Bill O'Reilly's protests. Read more.

September 6, 2002 - Eminem saw a sales rise but a album position drop as 'The Eminem Show' dropped to the #2 spot with The Dixie Chicks release of 'Home'. Clipse got the #9 spot with 'Lord Willin'', while Nelly landed at #4 with 'Nellyville'. Read more.

September 5, 2002 - Comedian Janeane Garofalo chatted with Conan O'Brien on Wednesday's episode of Late Night. Janeane talked about 'American Idol' and the MTV Video Music Awards, where she took shots at *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Eminem the state of music on MTV, and more. Read here for a transcript.

September 5, 2002 - Triumph the Comic Insult Dog's appearance on the red carpet at last week's MTV Video Music Awards, along with his Eminem run-in and subsequent press conference were featured on Wednesday's Late Night with Conan O'Brien show. Triumph chatted with *NSYNC's Joey Fatone, Sammy Hagar, David Lee Roth, and others, while cracking jokes at Christina Aguilera, Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs, Busta Rhymes, and others. Read here for a transcript.

September 5, 2002 - Conan O'Brien joked during his tonight show monologue on Wednesday, "At the VMAs, Christina Aguilera and Eminem ended their feud, which began when Eminem falsely bragged that she had once given him oral sex. And apparently, Aguilera was so happy that the feud was over, she gave Eminem oral sex. I couldn't believe it -- it's true."

September 4, 2002 - WENN reports that Eminem admits the schedule for filming his debut movie '8 Mile' was so rough, it was like being in jail. "You'd get just enough time to go home, go to sleep, and you've got to hit it again," he explained. "It felt like I was in prison - that's how gruesome the schedule was."

September 4, 2002 - Howard Stern got back from vacation today and talked about last week's MTV Video Music Awards. Howard mentioned Eminem and how he was trying to be tough by picking on Moby. Howard said that's like picking on a girl though. He goofed on him about that and played the clip where he threatened Moby saying that he would ''hit a man with glasses.'' Read more.

September 4, 2002 -  Evelyn McDonnell of the Miami Herald reviewed the Anger Management Tour stop at Sunrise's National Car Rental Center on Sunday. McDonnell commented on Eminem's set saying, "Eminem is a skilled craftsman and showman who works diligently to keep his bond with his audience, not an ingratiating crowd-pleaser. But he's not a walking time bomb either. His concert -- The Eminem Show -- is a carefully thought-out presentation. At times, it's too thought out." Read more.

September 3, 2002 - WENN reports Eminem is afraid to see himself on-screen in his film debut '8 Mile'. "Truthfully, I don't know what it's going to do," he admitted. "I've seen the trailer, but I don't know what the rest of it looks like because I didn't watch any playbacks - I'm scared to death." Read more.

September 2, 2002 - Rush & Molloy of the New York Daily News has more news on Eminem flying off the handle at the MTV Video Music Awards. "Eminem was calling Moby 'that little bitch,'" says our spywitness. "He was screaming at the MTV people for ambushing him. At one point, [Robert Smigel, the man behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog] was walking in his direction and someone told him, 'I wouldn't go that way. He'll kick your ass.'" Read more.

September 1, 2002 - Us Weekly talked about the Oscar buzz that Eminem's film debut '8 Mile' has been getting, but Tom O'Neil, the host of the award-predictions website GoldDerby.com says Slim shouldn't count on winning. "The Oscars are a club, and he represents antiestablishment. I imagine it will be a terrific film, but Slim Shady has slim chances." Of course this story was out before his Video Music Awards blow-up accepting an award, which should hurt his chances of not only further Oscars, but further music nods as well.

September 1, 2002 - A source tells the New York Post that Moby ran and jumped into a chair in the audience at Radio City Music Hall for the MTV Video Music Awards when Eminem's army approached him. "They were pointing fingers at him and saying stuff like, 'We're going to get you after the show,' " says a witness. "Moby ran and jumped into the seat in front of us to get away." Read more.

September 1, 2002 - Not only was the Triumph the Insult Comic Dog / Eminem exchange edited out (including Triumph asking Moby why Eminem was mad at him), but so was all the booing and Eminem's acceptance speech hissy fit. Fans and non fans are wondering if Interscope pressured MTV/Viacom into this move or if MTV didn't want to bring down it's biggest rating draw. All await the "we had to trim for re-airing because the show ran long" excuse from MTV.

September 1, 2002 - Popdirt.com's latest poll focuses on the Eminem dust-up with Moby and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, hardly a beef that's gonna bring Slim any street cred. What do you think about it? Vote here.

September 1, 2002 - Yahoo! has a photo of Eminem confronting Moby, giving him the finger, and is held back at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Thursday (August 29). Check it out here.

September 1, 2002 - Tony Hicks of the Contra Costa Times reviewed the MTV Video Music Awards explaining the few highs and mostly lows of the show. Amongst the lows was Eminem, "Whose medley started big, fizzled badly when his lip-syncing went haywire. He showed typical grace and humility by not acknowledging presenter Aguilera when winning an award. The Eminem show didn't stop there," according to Hicks. Read more.

September 1, 2002 - Jim Farber of the New York Daily News gave his thoughts on the MTV Video Music Awards, making up his own awards along the way. Eminem was a double winner getting 'Lamest Performance' (Who lip-syncs a rap?) and Worst Sport: "Eminem, for having his bodyguards keep away Triumph the Insult-Comic Dog, thus proving he can dish it out but he can't take it." Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs also got a mention. Read more.

September 1, 2002 - Moby told fans on her official site today that he was not booing Eminem at the MTV Video Music Awards on Thursday. Moby said, "And I do feel the need to clarify one last little point. When Eminem accepted his award I was not booing. Ironically enough, I was clapping because that seemed like the polite thing to do. Everyone around me was booing him, but I was sitting there politely clapping. I don't know why he accused me of booing him, because for what it's worth I certainly was not. Ok, that's it."

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