Fans are only now discovering the true origin of Eminem's stage name, which dates back to his school days. The rapper, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, adopted the moniker from his initials.
According to a Reddit thread, Eminem and his secondary school friend Mike Ruby used the aliases Manix and M&M. The nickname M&M, short for Marshall Mathers, later evolved into Eminem.
How the Nickname Stuck
One user explained that Eminem initially labelled his material M&M but changed it as he began taking his career more seriously and gained attention, to avoid a potential lawsuit. Another user noted that in the booklet for the album MMLP, there is an old picture of him rapping with M&M cartoon characters on his outfit.
A third user added: "His initials are MM, or M&M, which is pronounced Eminem when said quickly." Another shared an anecdote about Eminem experimenting with M&M sweets as a child, asking someone what they spelled, and receiving the answer M&M, to which he responded, "Yeah, that's me."
Recent Milestones
The 51-year-old rapper has been a major figure in hip hop for nearly four decades, known for hits like The Real Slim Shady, Lose Yourself, Without Me, Love the Way You Lie, Not Afraid, The Monster, Godzilla, and Houdini. He rose to fame in 1999 with his debut album The Slim Shady LP.
Earlier this year, Eminem marked 18 years of sobriety, sharing a photo of himself holding a coin to celebrate the milestone.
