Back in 1999, he said he was âa Detroiter for life,â but where does Eminem live now? Well, the acclaimed rapper, also known by his real name, Marshall Mathers, has stayed steadfastly true to his word. Though he ventured into the suburbs shortly after his meteoric rise to fame, Mathers has always opted to stay close to where it all began.
âI can always go back and revisit my old neighborhood any time I want. And stuff like that is very important. Even if I just want to drive by one of my old houses or something,â he said in 2009 of the decision to stay. âIt brings back memories for me. And there are a lot of memories I have here in Detroit. I’m just so comfortable here.â The rapper, who recently became a grandfather, is so comfortable in his Michigan home that he hasnât bought another property in over two decades.
Below, we trace the legendary artistâs real estate journey, from a small house off of Detroitâs 8 Mile Road to a mansion that clocks in at over 17,000 square feet.
Childhood home
The Detroit home where Eminem spent his teenage years was immortalized in 2000 when Mathers appeared sitting on its steps on the cover of his third studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP. âI had a lot of good and bad memories in that house. But to go back to where I grew up and finally say, âI’ve made it,â is the greatest feeling in the world to me,â he said in regards to the decision to put the humble abode on the albumâs cover. Tucked in between 8 Mile and 7 Mile roads, the 767-square-foot brick two-bedroom at 19946 Dresden Avenue became a fan landmark.
Even Mathers himself used to occasionally revisit the place. âIt may sound corny, but Iâll go by and try to remember how things were when I was in those houses,â the rapper told Spin in 2010. âIâll go back and remember, like, fâ, man, how life was back then. How much of a struggle it was. As time goes by, you might get content and forget things.â
After a fire left it structurally unsound, the home was torn down in 2013. That same year, it appeared on the cover of another Eminem album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2, albeit in a much more decrepit state than when it was pictured 13 years prior. Reportedly, the musicianâs former home âsat on a street with more than 70 vacant dwellingsâ at the time of its destruction. In 2016, Eminem sold 700 of the houseâs bricks as official collectibles, complete with his signature and a commemorative plaque.
The empty lot has since been put to good use: Local nonprofit Detroit Hives announced plans in 2022 to convert it into a bee sanctuary.
Sterling Heights pad
In the summer of 1999, Mathers and his then wife, Kim Scott, paid $450,000 for a nearly 5,000-square-foot 1980s dwelling in Detroitâs Sterling Heights neighborhood. Reportedly, the on-again, off-again pair redid the kitchen and primary bedroom, plus added in bright purple carpet.