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Having discovered hip-hop at the age of 11 from a copy of Ice-T's "Reckless" given him by his uncle Ronnie Polkinghorn, Mathers' dream began. And after 12 years of changing scenery, Nelson and her pre-teen son settled down on Eight Mile Road, a place that became a harbinger in the form of music and fame. It's tough to always be the new kid at school. He often faked illnesses, once going so far as to smash his arm through a glass door, cutting a main artery in his wrist. An equally terrified Mathers would desperately cling to his mother at drop-off time in front of the school, not wishing to be subjected to further torture from his classmates. A terrified Nelson would plunk a football helmet on his head before allowing him outside to play. Doctors warned his mother that another blow to the head could kill him. He spent four days in the hospital and had to relearn basic things like tying his shoes and pouring cereal. At 9 years old he was beaten so badly that he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. Photo: Chris Gottardo, via Flickr, CC 2.0In her memoir, My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem, Debbie Nelson describes how Marshall was often the target for bullies at school because he was much smaller than the other kids.
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Finding herself unexpectedly alone and with a baby to raise, Mathers' mother began what would become a 12 year search for a place to settle down. As wrenching as it was, events like Proof's were standard fare in the life of Marshall Bruce Mathers.Īrriving into this world October 17, 1972, in St Joseph, Missouri, Mathers' father waited until the boy was all of 18 months old before making himself scarce. Mario Etheridge, a friend of Bender's, returned fire and shot Proof in the head, killing him instantly. In the midst of the argument, Proof knocked Bender to the ground and shot him twice.
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One example supporting this belief is of Eminem's long-time friend and band mate, DeShaun Holton, aka "Proof." The Detroit Free Press reported that on April 11, 2006, in the early morning hours at the Triple C nightclub on Eight Mile Road, Proof got into a dispute over a game of pool with Keith Bender, a medic and veteran of the first Gulf War. Many residents believe the crime and poverty rampant around Eight Mile Road is inescapable. In 2012 Forbes magazine ranked it #1 as the most dangerous city in the U.S for gang-related violence, with a murder rate second only to New Orleans in cities with a population over 200,000. Businesses here include mainly pawn brokers, sex shops, topless bars, fast food restaurants, and cheap motels known as havens for prostitutes and drug dealers.ĭetroit has a well known reputation for crime. Abandoned cars and burnt-out shells of homes line the streets on the south side, providing a view comparable to a war zone. Scattered in between are occasional vacant lots, a few residences, manufacturing plants, and strip clubs. Photo: Sean Loyless, via Flickr, CC 2.0A largely blue collar commercial zone containing around 1,500 businesses ranging from auto-repair shops to fast-food restaurants landscapes the north side of Eight Mile Road.
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