Police seize Eminem show tapes

LONDON, England -- Police are studying videotapes of rapper Eminem's debut British concert to see if he incited teenage fans to take drugs.

Eminem has caused a storm of protest with his act, appearing on stage with a chainsaw and simulating his own death in an electric chair.

The controversial American star's concert was a sell-out in the northern city of Manchester on Thursday night with more than 15,000 fans attending.

Asked about reports that he had also urged the audience to take Ecstasy tablets, Chief Inspector Steve White told Reuters news agency: "We are particularly looking to see if he was inciting people to take drugs."

"We had people inside watching the act. We have seized the videotape the arena used to record the act," he said.

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Asked if Eminem would be taken in for questioning, White said: "Not at this stage."

Controversy follows Eminem wherever he goes -- both on and off stage -- and his shock value has assured multi-million album sales and packed concert halls. The 28-year-old Detroit rapper's chequered family life constantly makes headlines.

First his mother, then his father and now his grandmother all want to make up with Eminem, whose rise to superstardom became a real-life soap opera.

"I would like to stop this war between us because life is too short," Eminem's grandmother Betty said on Friday.

His mother may drop a $10 million lawsuit against Eminem and his father now says he wants to get to know the son he walked out on as a baby.

Eminem, accused of being a homophobe and misogynist whose lyrics are dripping with hate, was met by 100 demonstrators when he kicked off his British tour. "Stop the bigotry, stop the hate," they chanted.

His grandmother insisted that rap's white shock trooper is "a very kind, loving and caring father."

She told BBC radio: "Everywhere he goes -- to a McDonald's drive-in to give his daughter a sandwich or shopping with his family -- there is always somebody coming up to him, wanting an autograph ... he has no life anymore."

His grandmother wanted the family to bury its differences. "It is heartbreaking. He is my first grandchild. I was there when he opened his eyes. I love that boy," she said.

"Eminem was not given a gold spoon or a silver spoon when he was born. His mother had a one-room apartment. He had no father in his life. He tried to write to his father many, many times. The letters were always returned."

His father -- Marshall Mathers II -- now wants to extend a belated hand of friendship to his son.

"I desperately want to meet my son and tell him that I love him," he told Britain's Mirror tabloid from his home in San Diego, California. "I'm not interested in his money. I just want to talk to him."

The plea followed a peace offering from Eminem's mother Debbie -- on Thursday she said she might consider dropping a $10 million lawsuit against her son.

In one of his controversial songs, he sings: "My mom smokes more dope than I do."

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.

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Eminem

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