PHOTOS6 Things Eminem Has Said About His Upbringing: Relationship With His Father, the People Who Truly Loved Him and More
Before Eminem became a rap icon, he went through struggles and challenges in his early life, which shaped him into the man he is today.
Eminem Was Bullied as a Kid
The harassment caused Eminem to frequently change schools.
During an appearance on 60 Minutes, Eminem looked back at his rough childhood and the bullying he dealt with while growing up.
"[I got] beat up in the bathroom, beat up in the hallways, shoved in the lockers, just, for the most part, being the new kid," he told Anderson Cooper of the treatment he used to receive whenever he changed schools.
Eminem Had a Harsh Life
Eminem is now a father to three children.
In an interview, "The Real Slim Shady" rapper refused to give "the sob story" while sharing what his life looked like "growing up in a single-parent home."
"Never knew my father, my mother never worked, and when friends came over I'd hide the welfare cheese," he said.
His biological father, Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr., died following a heart attack in 2019. Meanwhile, Eminem's mother, Debbie Nelson, passed away in December 2024 after battling lung cancer.
Eminem added, "I failed ninth grade three times, but I don't think it was necessarily 'cause I'm stupid. I didn't go to school. I couldn't deal. We just kept moving back and forth because my mother never had a job. We kept getting kicked out of every house we were in. I believe six months was the longest we ever lived in a house."
Eminem Was Still Loved
Eminem reportedly never met his father.
Although his parents did not provide the best childhood experience, Eminem named the family members who truly loved him.
"My Aunt Edna, which would be my great-aunt Edna, and my Uncle Charles, my great-uncle Charles. This was in Missouri. They're from my dad's side," he told Rolling Stone.
The "Mockingbird" rap star, 52, continued, "They took care of me a lot. My Uncle Charles passed in '92 or '93, and Aunt Edna passed away just six months ago. She was, like, eighty-six. They were older, but they did things with me; they let me stay the weekends there, took me to school, bought me things, let me stay and watch TV, let me cut the grass to get five dollars, took me to the mall. Between them and my Uncle Ronnie, they were my solidity."
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Eminem's Father Never Asked to Speak With Him
Eminem wrote songs about his estranged parents over the years.
In the same Rolling Stone interview, Eminem opened up about spending time at his great-aunt and great-uncle's house and hearing his father contact them. However, the patriarch reportedly never asked to speak to him.
"A lot of times he'd call, and I'd be there — maybe I'd be on the floor coloring or watching TV," he shared. "It wouldn't have been nothing for him to say, 'Put him on the phone.' He could talk to me, let me know something. 'Cause as far as father figures, I didn't have any in my life."
Eminem Said He Never Knew His Father
Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. only tried reaching out to Eminem when the rapper skyrocketed to fame.
In 2001, Eminem's father told The Mirror he desperately wanted to meet the artist and "tell him I love him." However, the "Sing for the Moment" rapper revealed he used to write him letters, but they were returned unopened.
"My father? I never knew him. I've never even seen a picture of him," Eminem told the outlet. "I heard my dad is trying to get in contact with me, but not now. I never got one letter. I never got anything from him and I think he could have at least tried to write. He could have done something – made an effort."
Eminem's Life Was 'F----- Up'
Eminem created his alter-ego persona, Slim Shady, using his identity to share his resentment toward the world.
In the July 2024 video interview "Slim Shady vs. Marshall Mathers: The Face-Off," Eminem spoke with an AI-generated younger version of himself about the beginning of his career.
"I invented you because my life was f----- up. My music was going nowhere and I was broke," said the "Rap God" hitmaker. "You're the reason I had to self-medicate. Because of you I almost lost my f------ career, my f------ family, my life. Life's been great since you've been gone."
Eminem notably released a mock obituary for his alter-ego persona before the release of his 12th studio album.
