It will come as no surprise whatsoever to learn that Eminem’s name isn’t actually Eminem - in fact, he makes no secret of it, having given frequent nods to his real name in his material, including the title 2000 studio album The Marshall Mathers LP and its 2013 follow-up. 

So if he’s really called Marshall Mathers, where does the Eminem part come in? The prevailing explanation is a pretty simple one, as it’s all down to his initials: M and M.