Eminem And Elton John Hug
Elton John (R) hugs rap singer Eminem after they performed the song "Stan" at the 43rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles February 21, 2001. Eminem won the Grammy for Best Rap Album earlier in the evening. Reuters

Aside from being a successful rapper, Marshall Mathers III, better known as Eminem, also does charity works. However, he prefers to keep his philanthropic acts privately, according to Howard Hertz, the secretary of the Marshall Mathers Foundation.

Hertz recently told Crains Detroit that Eminem’s reasons for giving do not include making himself look better. Instead, the Detroit rapper gets involved in philanthropy simply because he wants to help.

In the early days of Eminem’s career, Hertz represented the record producer that signed the rapper. The Detroit musician soon became known for several rap songs, including “Rap God,” “Lose Yourself,” “Love the Way You Lie,” “Without Me” and “Not Afraid.”

Eventually, Hertz represented Eminem on some of his personal ventures, which include the Marshall Mathers Foundation. According to Hertz, grants from the "Rap God" rapper and his foundation are usually not made without the condition that they will be kept private.

According to Hertz, Eminem does not personally believe in “publicising philanthropy.” However, she pointed out that there are some charity works that are made public to leverage additional contributions.

Hertz also explained that Eminem does not only give money to organisations. As an artist, the rapper has also been “storytelling around the needs of disadvantaged youth in Detroit” and has “amplified exposure for the Marshall Mathers Foundation's partners.”

In general, most of the grants from the Marshall Mathers Foundation support metro Detroit charities. However, the foundation also award grants to other out-of-state groups, one of which is the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

While Hertz shared some details about how Eminem keeps his charity works private, another recent interview revealed that the Detroit rapper also has a funny side. In a recent interview with Details, “Orange is the New Black” ("OITNB") actress Taryn Manning said he learned about Eminem’s sense of humour during the filming of "8 Mile."

"He's hilarious," the “OITNB” star said of her “8 Mile” co-actor. She added that the rapper is “a real goofball,” always cracking jokes. Manning also shared that she had a great connection with Eminem.

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