The 'Slim Shady' turns 45 today: Happy Birthday, Eminem

Eminem's mother Debbie Mathers, spent 70 hours giving birth to Eminem and almost died, sued her son over lyrics in a song which she felt portrayed her in a negative light. Back in 2001 she won $1,600 following a legal battle. (Photo | Twitter@Eminem)

Eminem grew up in rough neighborhoods. He was a “street kid” who lived in a predominately black neighborhood and was regularly beaten up for being one of the lone white kids who lived there. When Eminem was 9, he was beaten so badly that he went into a coma for over a week. ( Photo | Facebook @eminem)

Eminem failed the ninth grade a total of 3 times before dropping out. ( Photo | Facebook @eminem)

With trouble all around him, Eminem had dreams of being in other worlds. This fascination with comic books, in part, helped lead to the development of alter egos like Slim Shady and characters Eminem has comically portrayed in music videos. (Photo | Twitter @Eminem)

He wrote the hook for “Just Lose It” in 30 seconds in 2004. This was the last song recorded for Encore because the album, apparently, needed a single. (Photo | Twitter @Eminem)

Eminem made his Hollywood debut in the quasi-autobiographical 2002 film 8 Mile. The movie loosely based on Eminem’s own past, was a dramatic success due to excellent performances by the entire cast. He won the Academy Award for best original song 'Lose yourself' from the film, in 2003. (Photo | Twitter @Eminem)

Eminem refused to sing at the Oscars in 2002 because they wanted him to sing the clean version of ‘Lose Yourself’. (Photo | Twitter @Eminem)

Eminem has been falsely reported dead by a car crash four times and a drug overdose once. (Photo | Twitter @Eminem)

Eminem's autobiography 'The Way I Am' was published on October 21, 2008. Detailing his struggles with poverty, drugs, fame, heartbreak and depression, it includes stories of his rise to fame, commentary about past controversies and original lyric sheets from 'Stan' and 'The Real Slim Shady'. (Photo | Twitter @Eminem)

Soundscan announced in late 2009 that Eminem was their artist, not just of the year, but of the decade. His albums, just domestically, have sold over 32 million copies. (Photo | Twitter @Eminem)

Eminem has made time to establish foundations and support numerous charities. Eight Mile Boulevard Association, Marshall Mathers Foundation, ninemillion.org and Small Steps Project are just a few of the charitable organization Eminem focuses on. ( Photo | Facebook @eminem)