Eminem
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Eminem has picked a legal fight with two “Real Housewives” over their efforts to register the name of their Reasonably Shady podcast as a trademark.
Citing his Slim Shady nickname, lawyers for the superstar (real name Marshall B. Mathers) last week quietly launched a case aimed at blocking Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon (stars of the Real Housewives of Potomac) from securing a federal trademark registration on their podcast’s name.
In a petition filed on Dec. 14 at the U.S. trademark office, Eminem’s attorneys said American consumers view the term “Shady” as a “unique and distinctive” term that’s linked to the rapper – meaning they would likely think that “Reasonably Shady” was somehow connected to Eminem.
“Confusion is unavoidable,” the rapper’s lawyers wrote. “Applicant’s mark ‘Reasonably Shady’ simply looks and sounds like ‘Shady’ and suggests that it represents the services of Mathers.”
In a statement to Billboard on Tuesday (Feb. 21), Dixon and Bryant’s attorney Andrea H. Evans said the duo “intend to defend their trademark application” in the face of Eminem’s accusations. “The trademarks are not confusingly similar and the services are not related,” Evans said.
Bryant and Dixon launched “Reasonably Shady” in 2021, describing it a series of “conversations about being fearless women as they recount stories from their exciting lives.” They’ve released 80 episodes since, covering dating, relationships, motherhood, style, current events and other topics.
Last year, the duo applied at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to secure a trademark registration on the name for a wide range of offerings, including not just producing a podcast but also selling cosmetics, candles and apparel. If granted, the registration would make it easier for Bryant and Dixon to sue someone who used the term “Shady” for similar goods or services.
But last week, Eminem’s attorneys filed their case at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, a court-like body within the USPTO where rival trademark owners can battle over who has better rights to a disputed name.
The rapper, who has “Slim Shady” and “Shady” for decades as the name of a dark alter ego, already owns a number of such trademark registrations on those names, covering music services and merchandise. Giving the similarity of the names, his lawyers say consumers will associate Bryant and Dixon’s proposed trademark with Eminem.
“Applicants use and registration of the mark ‘Reasonably Shady’ is likely to cause confusion in the minds of consumers,” his attorneys wrote, saying the star would be “damaged” by the registration of Bryant and Dixon’s trademark.
A rep for Eminem did not immediately return a request for comment on the case. Dixon and Bryant have until March 26 to file a formal response at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Read Eminem’s entire petition here:
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Eminem recently filed legal opposition to the name of a podcast that uses a portion of his famous nickname. In the filing, the Real Slim Shady believes that a burgeoning podcast, Reasonably Shady, will cause confusion as it pertains to his likeness and brands.
Page Six exclusively reports that on Feb. 14, Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers, filed the objection to the name Reasonably Shady, a podcast series hosted by Real Housewives of Potomac stars, Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon. The pair filed for a trademark to sell merch with the title of their series emblazoned upon the gear.
The outlet adds that Eminem believes the show’s title would confuse many of his consumers who know him as Shady, and it was reported that he also owns the trademark to Shady for use on merchandise.
Bryant and Dixon’s podcast launched in 2021 and they recently filed for the trademark for Reasonably Shady at the top of the year, hence Eminem’s filing this earlier this month in response. The hosts intend to sell hoodies, socks, water bottles, and other merchandise.
As Page Six shared in their report, a reply from Bryant and Dixon has yet to occur.
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Fans first became familiar with Eminem’s daughter through his many references to her in his early music. However, Hailie Jade is all grown up at 27, and she recently got engaged to her boyfriend Evan McClintock, according to Page Six.
Hailie Jade Mathers shared three photos with the caption “casual weekend recap… followed by a crying and ring emoji.” In one photo McClintock is seen on one knee holding a ring box. In another the couple is popping champagne.
Fans chimed in the comments section to congratulate the happy couple. Several wondered if McClintock asked Mathers’ Grammy-winning father for permission.
“Imagine having to ask Em to marry his daughter,” one person wrote, while another joked, “I wonder if knees were weak and his arms were heavy,” quoting Eminem’s 2002 hit “Lose Yourself.”
Hailie and Evan met while they both attended Michigan State University in 2016. The couple has been together ever since.
According to Page Six, Eminem shared a rare glimpse into his private life when he was asked if Haille had children of her own yet. “No babies,” Eminem replied. “Just a boyfriend. She’s doing good,” he added. “She’s made me proud for sure.”
Hailie hosts a podcast called Just a Little Shady and recently appeared at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony with her legendary dad. In his speech, Eminem referenced his daughter saying, “I almost died of an overdose in 2007, which kind of sucked because — Hailie, plug your ears! — because drugs were f**king delicious and I thought we had a good thing going.”
According to Entertainment Tonight, Haillie talked a little about growing up with her famous father on the podcast last summer, saying, “It’s so fun to look back [now], thinking back as an adult, I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s so, so surreal,’” she reflected at the time. “Those memories of me thinking those were normal things, now I look back like, ‘Holy crap, that was cool!”‘
Written By D.L. Chandler , Senior Editor Posted 16 mins ago @dlchandler123 D.L. Chandler is a veteran of the Washington D.C. metro writing scene, working as a journalist, reporter, and culture critic. Initially freelancing at iOne Digital in 2010, he officially joined the iOne team in 2017 where he currently works as a Senior Editor […]
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50 Cent’s next Hollywood endeavor will pair him back up with Eminem. He confirms a television adaption of 8 Mile is on the way.
As spotted on Deadline the Queens, New York native is penning a love letter to the 90’s Detroit Rap scene for his next on screen production. During his last visit to Big Boy TV he revealed that he is bringing Slim’s come up to a scripted series format. “I’m going [to] bring his 8 Mile to television. We’re in motion,” he explained. “It’s going to be big. I ain’t got no duds. I’m batting a hundred, I’m batting a hundred.” Fif went on to give further context on his reasoning why the culture needs this version. “I think it should be there for his legacy because it’s important to me that they understand it.”
The original 2002 film contains autobiographical elements from Eminem’s life, follows white rapper Jimmy Smith Jr. aka B-Rabbit (Eminem) and his attempt to launch a career in Hip-Hop. The title is derived from 8 Mile Road, the highway between the predominantly African-American city of Detroit and the largely white suburban communities to the north that Eminem originally lived in.
The film garnered numerous award nominations and wins, including an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Lose Yourself” win for Eminem, Luis Resto and Jeff Bass at the 75th Academy Awards. 8 Mile was named one of the best films of 2002 by several publications. 8 Mile opened with $51,240,555 in its opening weekend. The soundtrack also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with over 702,000 copies sold in the 1st week and 510,000 copies sold in the 2nd week also finishing the year as the 5th best-selling album of 2002 with US sales of over 3.4 million.
Photo: Bernard Smalls
To celebrate the Midwestern rapper who overcame a rocky childhood to become one of rap’s biggest international sensations, we’re taking a look at Eminem’s 30 biggest hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
He may go by a handful of names — Eminem, Marshall Mathers, Slim Shady — but the rapper/producer/actor has never shied away from being himself, and only himself, sharing his trials and tribulations in his music with fans since stepping up to the mic in his teens. Along the way, the man from 8 Mile has earned seven Billboard 200 No. 1s, five Hot 100 No. 1s, countless of awards, and respect from just about everyone in hip-hop.
See below for Eminem’s top Hot 100 hits.
This chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.
It’s been 16 years since Akon unveiled his R&B hit, “Smack That,” and the 49-year-old star shared how Eminem came to be a producer as well as a featured artist on the track.
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While appearing on the Bootleg Kev podcast this week, Akon discussed his past collaborations with the superstar rapper. “It’s interesting because every record I ever put out, I actually produced, except ‘Smack That,’” he explained. “Eminem produced that record. Isn’t that crazy? He always had them small little sounds, it was something minute, but it felt like Eminem.”
Akon went on to admit that he didn’t expect Em to be such a good producer. “He gave me a folder with, like, 30 tracks in there. And out of 30, I picked five. And I recorded all five, and the one that stood out was ‘Smack That.’ I was like, ‘Bro, this is it’,” he recalled.
“Once he heard my concept to it, he was like, ‘Yo, I’m jumping on this one’. And I said, ‘You know what, if he jumps on this one, this will be a single,’” he continued. “And that’s the only one we ever had together, besides all those we did. But I still have them. I literally still have those records today. These are all the records that’s gonna drop in the future.”
“Smack That,” which was featured on Akon’s 2006 album, Konvicted, peaked at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 dated November 4, 2006, and spent 30 total weeks on the chart.
Watch the full interview below.