Eminem Reveals Shocking Reason He’ll Never Perform Infamous Mom Diss Track Again

If you ever thought your last family feud was pretty rough, spare a thought for Eminem—whose mom drama played out for the entire planet to hear . Picture this: it’s 2002, radios are blaring, and everybody’s talking about “Cleanin’ Out My Closet.” Not because it was just another catchy hit, but because Marshall Mathers (Eminem to the world, “the kid who just called me a selfish b****” to his mama) decided to air ALL the dirty laundry, no filter, no hesitation . Millions of us listened, cringed, maybe even related—and maybe, just maybe, wondered if our own “mom issues” would sound better behind a beat .

Flash forward, years and apologies later, and the wild journey between one of rap’s greatest and his mother hits you with every emotion in the book . Can a public diss track ever truly be mended by a heartfelt ballad? Should every epic apology have a Nate Reuss chorus? I keep thinking about that old saying: “If you can’t say something nice…” but honestly, can you imagine if Eminem followed that advice? We’d have a way quieter 2000s—but also, way less genuine art .

So, what happens when the music fades and reality sets in—can wounds heal when you’ve rapped the worst? Pull up a chair, keep your tissues (and maybe your own apology notes) handy, and let’s unravel one of pop culture’s most complicated family sagas .

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Rapper Eminem once issued a public apology to his mum for one of his most popular tracks.

Rewinding the clock 23 years, Eminem was fresh off the release of The Eminem Show, his fourth studio album after the critical success of both The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP.

Now a bona fide worldwide superstar, the rapper was well-respected and had garnered a following of millions.

So when he released one of his more controversial tracks back in 2002, everyone tuned in, and they were shocked – it was a diss track.

It wasn’t just any diss track, though, as ‘Cleanin’ Out My Closet’ was aimed at his mother. Fitting in perfectly with the Slim Shady character, the rapper started to shout several obscenities aimed at his mother on the nearly five-minute track.

Despite it becoming a fan favourite, Eminem would later apologise and stop performing it live.

Eminem once made an entire diss track on his own mum (Scott Legato/Getty Images)

The artist’s mum, Debbie Nelson, would pass away from complications related to lung cancer on 2 December 2024, aged 69, which marked the end of a tumultuous relationship between her and her sons.

Eminem’s brother, Nate, would post ‘hatred and mixed emotions today‘ in response to the news of his mum’s passing.

Real name Marshall Mathers, the 15-time Grammy winner spoke about his mother several times in his career, but ‘Cleanin’ Out My Closet’ is the most hard-hitting of them all.

In the song, he called his mum a ‘selfish b****h’ and said he hopes she’ll ‘burn in hell’, even accusing her of ‘poppin prescription pills in the kitchen’.

He even claimed he was a ‘victim of Münchausen’s Syndrome’ and claimed she would never see his daughter, Hailie Jade.

Debbie had previously filed a $10 million (£7.7m) lawsuit in 1999, accusing her son of slander and defamation, though she would settle for $25,000 (£19.4k) in 2001, after he said she ‘smokes more dope than I do’ on ‘My Name Is’.

But in 2013, Eminem would release ‘Headlights’ on the 2013 album The Marshall Mathers LP 2.

It was the same year as his last performance of ‘Cleanin’ Out My Closet’, but the new song, a heartfelt apology to Debbie, starts with ‘fun.’ headman Nate Reuss singing ‘Mom, I know I let you down’.

Mathers then said in his first verse: “I went in headfirst, never thinkin’ about who, what I said hurt / In what verse, My mom probably got it the worst / The brunt of it, but as stubborn as we are, did I take it too far?”

The rapper went on: “‘Cleaning Out My Closet’ and all them other songs / But regardless, I don’t hate you ‘cause ma / You’re still beautiful to me, ‘cause you’re my mom.”

He even directly addressed his previous diss track, saying on the track: “But I’m sorry mama for ‘Cleanin’ Out My Closet,’ at the time I was angry / Rightfully maybe so, never meant that far to take it though, ‘cause / Now 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.”

Debbie Nelson sued her son Eminem for some remarks he made about her earlier in his career (Mark Weiss/Getty Images)

The song was also accompanied by a touching music video showing events from his mum’s perspective, and how she drives to see him multiple times before finally getting a hug from her son.

He has not performed the diss since, and shared his love for her in the 2013 song: “But, Ma, I forgive you, so does Nathan, yo / All you did, all you said, you did your best to raise us both / Foster care, that cross you bear, few may be as heavy as yours / But I love you, Debbie Mathers.”

He also thanked her for ‘being my mom and my dad’ and even said he hoped the song would get to her.