Simply Abu Dhabi VIII

Marshall’s skill quickly became evident, although his breakthrough did not occur until the mid-nineties, when legendary producer Dr Dre discovered his work and tracked him down. The two worked together on the superb Slim Shady LP, which was an international success, and since then, Eminem has just got better and better. Eminem also worked with Dre on his second LP. The reception of this album, the Marshall Mathers LP (released in 2000), established Eminem’s as an act of pure class. It won three Grammies and it was the first ever rap album to be nominated for the prestigious Album of the Year accolade. Within the United States alone, this brilliant creation sold over 8 million copies. And at the 2001 Grammies, Eminem’s position as a global superstar was cemented when he performed the popular song Stan with the legendary Elton John. No fewer than four brilliant albums have followed this success, the most recent being 2010’s Recovery. The multi-talented Eminem also starred in the superb movie, 8 Mile, in 2002, and has acted in many other films. We are huge fans of 8 Mile. It’s about the struggles of a white rapper to break into a hip-hop industry dominated by African-Americans, in an echo of Eminem’s own story. It’s incredible to think that even when Eminem’s rapping ability was recognised, he was sometimes rejected simply on the grounds of his race. Here in Abu Dhabi, we have an incredibly diverse population with a cosmopolitan outlook – and we are always receptive to messages of peace and prosperity. OK, so ‘peacefulness’ may not be a quality that you’d automatically associate with the high-octane Eminem. But while much of the superstar rapper’s infectious energy comes from his anger, he also displays a thoughtful side. For example, one of the most moving songs of the evening was Like Toy Soldiers, in which Eminem makes an impassioned argument for the ending of violence and ‘beefs’ between rappers. It’s dedicated to Proof, a former hip-hop artist who was sadly shot in 2006. The video behind his live performance showed rappers who have previously died – such as Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls – as well as Proof, who actually played a rapper who was shot in the song’s video only a year before he himself died. At this concert, we were delighted to be entertaining sophisticated and elegant guests from across the world, and each of them was thoroughly impressed by the energetic performance they had witnessed. Phillipe Ducroix, who had travelled here by private jet from Monaco, said that he found the rapper’s raw energy “absolutely compelling”. “I am so glad to have seen Eminem perform live,” he said. “You have had so many stars perform here in Abu Dhabi, but there is no one that I would have rather seen tonight.” Two of our other good friends were also in attendance. The Tan sisters – Eileen, from Singapore, and Claudia, who now lives in Hong Kong – had arranged to meet in Abu Dhabi during the Formula One festivities. “It’s one of the happiest days of my life,” said Eileen, who had not seen her sister for over a year. She is a huge fan of Eminem and had recently bought a pair of Dr Dre’s popular ‘Beats’ headphones to listen to his albums on. Both women had made a real occasion of the event, flying first class into Abu Dhabi’s sensational airport accompanied by their own private security officers. Claudia confided to us that she had listened to Eminem’s music “virtually non-stop” throughout the flight, and she had been ecstatic to find that 8 Mile was available to view on the in-flight entertainment system. “Why not treat yourself to a little luxury now and again?” said Claudia. Eminem’s performance to close the Formula One weekend follows in the footsteps of many celebrated artists, including Aerosmith, Prince and Paul McCartney. He can certainly stand tall among these names: from his humble beginnings, the man was clearly born to be a star. 7 0 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I