Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph), better known by his stage name Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He gained rapid popularity in 1999 with the release of the album "The Slim Shady LP", which won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album that year. His next work, "The Marshall Mathers LP", became the best-selling solo album in U.S. history. This made him known around the world, and helped publicize his record label, Shady Records, and his group, D12.