Eminem is one of the highest-profile rappers in music history, having sold millions of records and stayed at a consistently high level since the mid-1990s. He's also not afraid of upsetting people. His sexually explicit and often violent lyrics once saw him called a 'threat to the youth of America' in the press. A graphic description of how he'd like to murder his ex-wife in one track appalled women's groups, and he's frequently been accused of using homophobic language in his music as well. Add that to his drug use and multiple arrests for assault, and you have to concede that Marshall Mathers isn't a role model.
Much has changed for Eminem in the past decade, though. As he was getting clean from drug addiction, he cited Elton John as a mentor to him, with the British singing legend calling him every week to check on him. According to his mother, Eminem has been bi-polar for most of his life, which may explain some of his more extreme behavior. Through the Marshall Mathers Foundation, he provides financial and strategic aid to disadvantaged young people.