Eminem, born Marshall Mathers, is reportedly hanging up the microphone.
The Detroit Free Press reported that Mather’s latest album
Encore will be his last release. Insiders told the paper that the rapper
has been planning on retiring to concentrate on production and other ventures.
Eminem’s manager Paul Rosenberg told the paper that Encore
was “certainly the cap on this part of his career” and that decision
to retire was held off by the retirement of fellow Hip-Hop superstar, Jay-Z.
“He didn’t want to seem like one of those guys who’s playing
a trick on his fans, or playing with their heads," Rosenberg told The Detroit
Free Press. "It’s part of the same struggle he goes through in his music
— ‘How much of my inner thinking should I be putting out there?’”
Rosenberg also stated he was surprised no one caught on to the
possibility of Eminem retiring, due to numerous clues on the Encore
album. An insider also stated that Eminem has grown weary
of the spotlight and was struggling writing as “Eminem.”
“Em has definitely gotten to the level where he feels
like he’s accomplished everything he can accomplish in rap," D-12 member
Proof added. "He wants to kick back and get into the producing thing."
Insiders said Eminem’s
inner-circle of friends knew in advance that Encore would be the best-selling
rapper of all time’s last album.
Eminem is not doing
interviews this summer and representatives for Eminem did not comment as of
press-time.