On Dec. 2nd, in St. Joseph Medical Center, Missouri, Eminem’s mother Debbie Nelson tragically passed away. This year, Nelson has been battling lung cancer since her diagnosis in May 2024. She now leaves the world with her son, Eminem. While the mother-and-son duo had a complicated relationship, he still reached out to Nelson to show he loved her dearly.
Eminem’s Feud with Debbie Nelson
In his youth, Eminem, or Marshall Mathers III, had a hard time connecting with Debbie Nelson. The Rap God held much resentment towards her due to her drug addiction during her single motherhood. When he wrote and published The Slim Shady LP in 1999, Eminem wrote about Nelson in his song, “My Name Is”. The lyrics written about her said, “Grow up to be a famous rapper / make a record about doin’ drugs and name it after her.”
This fueled the fire for Nelson, sending a defamation lawsuit against her son. She wanted the settlement pay to be $10 million dollars, but Macomb County Circuit Court paid Nelson $25,000 instead. According to ABC’s report, the majority of the money went to her attorney, Fred Gibson.
In 2001, Eminem received an unexpected surprise from Nelson. She partnered with hip-hop duo, ID-X to create a diss track called “Dear Marshall”. Throughout the song, Nelson leaves messages for him, referring to him under his real name. Lamar Weeden raps her anger and Jeromie Frost sings her wish while she speaks:
“Marshall, we need to talk. How about taking responsibility for your own life? Someday, you’re gonna fall, and I hope to God, I’m there to help you. You’re still my son, and I’m still your mother. It’s not too late, Marsh, to come clean.”
She told Inside Edition that this was her response to Eminem. The process helped her express her bottled emotions to his listeners. The interview did show Nelson denying any allegations of taking drugs and being neglectful to him.
The year after, the Rap God released his soon-to-be hit single, “Cleaning Out My Closet”. He let out his aggression and added lyrics about his daughter, Hallie. He tells his mom he refused to let her see her, not even at her funeral. Eminem also tells his listeners he would not disrespect his mother for his own recognition. He even raps about Set The Record Straight, “Wasn’t that reason you made that CD for me, Ma!?” Despite their discourse, Eminem’s mother continued to support his success.
Nelson Shares About Marshall
As listeners had mixed perceptions about Debbie Nelson, she continued to try and tell the world who Marshall Mathers III really was. She published her autobiography, My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem in 2008. The novel speaks from her perspective of how she grew up in a dysfunctional family. Her parents, Bob Nelson and Betty Nixon divorced when she was 10, leaving her to care for a family of five.
These events followed her when she divorced Eminem’s father, Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. Left with a child on her own, Nelson raised Eminem for 14 years. Along the way, she married Fred Samara, Jr., and gave birth to Marshall’s half-brother, Nate. My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem was to help defend Nelson’s actions against the rapper’s portrayal of her. Nelson was diagnosed with breast cancer at the time of the book’s release.
Then 2009, Eminem responded to Nelson’s autobiography with the song, “My Mom”. This time, he expressed about his own struggles with drug addiction. He sings, “My mom loves Valium and lots of drugs / That’s why I am why I am ’cause I’m like her.” The song has him admitted that he had taken Valium, Vicodin, and Ambien. According to Asana Recovery, Eminem took these drugs between 2002-2008 and they burned holes in his stomach. Since then, the Rap God went on to go sober for 16 years.
Eminem’s Apology Song
In 2013, Eminem and Debbie Nelson decided to lay their bickering to rest. In his single, “Headlights”, he apologizes to his mother. To show he no longer raps his once popular hit “Cleaning Out My Closet”, Eminem raps to Nelson about his latest concerts.
“But I’m sorry, mama for ‘Cleaning Out My Closet’. / At the time I was angry, rightfully? Maybe so. / Never meant that far to take it though / ‘Cause I know it’s not your fault, and I’m not making jokes. / That song I no longer play at shows / And I cringe every time it’s on the radio.”
The song helped Eminem realize how much of his family drama he let into the public. It pushed him and Nelson to grow apart from one another for the past 14 years. He even regretted not allowing her to meet her grandchildren.
In Her Final Days
For over a decade, Debbie Nelson kept in contact with Eminem through writing letters during their disputes. Even when he made it to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, Nelson sent him her congratulations message. However, she soon was diagnosed with lung cancer back on May 9th, 2024, and was confirmed terminal. Eminem financially supported her during her stay at St. Joseph’s Cancer Center. Nelson was 69 years old at the time of her passing.
