Debbie Nelson, the mother of American rapper Marshall Bruce Mathers popularly known as Eminem has passed on at the age of 69. The sad news was confirmed by Eminem’s representative, Dennis Dennehy, to US media.
Debbie’s cause of death has not been revealed, though she was known to have been battling lung cancer. Her diagnosis was first revealed in September and reports at the time said she didn’t have long to live.
Eminem’s relationship with his mother has been a rollercoaster of drama. In his early career, he publicly accused her of being neglectful and abusive, airing their their relationship in tracks like “Cleanin’ Out My Closet.”
In 1999, his mother sued him for defamation in further straining their bond, and also wrote a tell-all 2007 memoir, ‘My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem’.
The rapper has not yet issued a public statement regarding his mother’s passing.
Eminem’s success is considered to have broken racial barriers to the acceptance of white rappers in popular music.
His most successful songs on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 include ‘The Real Slim Shady’, ‘Without Me’, ‘Lose Yourself, ‘Not Afraid’, ‘Love the Way You Lie’, ‘The Monster’, ‘Godzilla’ and ‘Houdini’.
Eminem’s two releases, The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) and The Eminem Show (2002), were worldwide successes and nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. The Eminem Show became the best selling album worldwide of 2002.
The American rapper is among the best selling music artists of all time, with estimated worldwide sales of over 220 million records.
Eminen had won for best hip-hop act at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
