Debbie Nelson, the mother of rapper Eminem, passed away on Monday evening, December 2, in St. Joseph, Missouri, at the age of 69. A representative for Eminem confirmed that she succumbed to complications from lung cancer. The news of her illness had been widely reported in September.
Who Was Eminem’s Mother?
Born in 1955 on a military base in Kansas, Nelson described her upbringing as challenging in her 2008 memoir, My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem. She recounted growing up in a “large dysfunctional family” and assuming significant responsibilities at a young age after her parents separated before she turned 10. As the eldest of five children, she often had to care for her siblings.
At 16, Nelson married Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr., Eminem’s father. Two years later, in 1972, she gave birth to Eminem, who would go on to become one of the most successful rappers in history.
Eminem’s Tense Relation With Her Mother Debbie Nelson
Eminem (Marshall Mathers III) has openly expressed his complicated relationship with his mother, Debbie Nelson, through his music over the years. In his 1999 song My Name Is from The Slim Shady LP, he sarcastically referenced her, imagining a future where he would become a famous rapper and name a song about drugs after her.
That same year, Debbie filed a defamation lawsuit against Eminem, reportedly receiving a $25,000 settlement, though much of it went to legal fees.
She later responded with a 2001 track titled Dear Marshall on ID-X’s Set the Record Straight, addressing his accusations and expressing her hurt over his portrayal of her. In an interview that year, she denied allegations of neglect and substance abuse, stating, “God knows I don’t deserve it.”
The tensions escalated further in 2002 when Eminem released Cleanin’ Out My Closet. The song delves deeply into their strained relationship, criticizing her for alleged actions and reflecting his feelings of betrayal and anger. He depicted her as absent from his life and estranged from his daughter, Hailie Jade, delivering cutting lines about her denial of past behavior and their broken bond.
Eminem on the song rapped, “And Hailie’s gettin’ so big now, you should see her she’s beautiful/ But you’ll never see her, she won’t even be at your funeral,” the recording artist rapped, “See, what hurts me the most is you won’t admit you was wrong / B**ch, do your song, keep tellin’ yourself that you was a mom! But how dare you try to take what you didn’t help me to get / You selfish b–ch, I hope you f**kin burn in hell for this s**t.”
These candid and often harsh portrayals became defining aspects of Eminem’s music, highlighting the personal struggles he faced while navigating his complex family dynamics.
