Eminem paid a special tribute to his estranged mother on Mother's Day with the release of his new music video, "Headlights."
The Spike Lee-directed clip is largely told from the perspective of his mother, Debbie Mathers, and features video clips and photos from the rapper’s youth. It revisits their tumultuous relationship and eventually shows the two reconciling with a warm hug.
The 41-year-old rapper, whose
real name is Marshall Mathers, has had a rocky relationship with his
mom. He famously rapped about her in his debut single, "My Name Is": "My
mom smokes more dope than I do." In 1999, Debbie filed a lawsuit
against Eminem, accusing him of slander. The lawsuit turned the mother
and son into tabloid fodder, with Debbie making the talk show rounds and
later writing a book "My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem," as a rebuttal to
being vilified in songs by her son.
Eminem is now asking whether he took it too far. "Never thinking about who, what I
said hurt, in what verse / My mom probably got it the worst,” he raps
in "Headlights." "But regardless I don't hate you 'cause, Ma, You're
still beautiful to me, 'cause you're my mom."
He also raps: "Ma, I forgive you … you did your best … oh, what a tangled web we have."