Eminem's Mother Sued Him for $10M for 1 Line in 'My Name Is'
Eminem‘s road to stardom was filled with plenty of speed bumps, starting from his childhood. The rapper frequently lived with other family members while his mother, Debbie Nelson, was addicted to prescription painkillers. When Eminem referenced his mother’s substance abuse issues in his breakout song “My Name Is,” she was none too pleased, and hit her son with a $10 million lawsuit.
Eminem’s song ‘My Name Is’ became his breakout
Eminem released his debut album Infinite in 1996. He’d worked hard to get his name out there as a rapper, participating in various open mic nights around Detroit before getting to recording his first project. The album flopped however, barely selling any copies, and Eminem was left feeling like his rap career would never take off. “During that time, it seemed it was just crashing ’cause nobody was listening,” he said in the documentary Partners in Rhyme: The True Story of Infinite. “I said, ‘this is the best thing I can do. If this doesn’t work, then what am I gonna do? It’s not gonna happen.’”
He caught the attention of Dr. Dre, who had made a name for himself as a rapper and producer, first with N.W.A. and later as a solo artist. He co-produced Eminem’s sophomore album The Slim Shady LP, which included his breakout song “My Name Is.”
Em’s Slim Shady alter ego was more violent and vulgar in his lyrics — a content shift Eminem himself embarked on after the tepid reception to the more radio-friendly Infinite. “After that record, every rhyme I wrote got angrier and angrier,” he told Rolling Stone in 1999. “A lot of it was because of the feedback I got. Motherf***ers was like, ‘You’re a white boy, what the f*** are you rapping for? Why don’t you go into rock & roll?’ All that type of s*** started pissing me off.”
The Slim Shady LP won Best Rap Album at the Grammy Awards, while “My Name Is” won Best Rap Solo Performance and became Eminem’s first top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Eminem’s mother sued him for one line in ‘My Name Is’
“My Name Is” was famous for being Slim Shady’s official introduction into the world. It’s the opening track on The Slim Shady LP, and its hook is centered around Slim Shady saying hello and introducing himself. One of the lyrics on the record drew the ire of his mother, Debbie Nelson.
In one line, Eminem raps, “I just found out my mom does more dope than I do.” Nelson wasn’t happy about Eminem airing out her personal life in his music, and on September 17, 1999, she filed a $10 million lawsuit against her son for slander.
The trial lasted two years, and in the end, Nelson was awarded $25,000 in damages; most of it went to legal fees, leaving her with just $1,600.
Eminem became a superstar after ‘The Slim Shady LP’
The Slim Shady LP transformed Eminem from a little-known emcee to one of the hottest new rappers in the game practically overnight. He followed up his success the following year with The Marshall Mathers LP, which contained hit songs like “The Real Slim Shady” and “Stan.” The Marshall Mathers LP won Eminem his second Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in a row, while “The Real Slim Shady” won for Best Rap Solo Performance.
In 2002, Eminem branched into the world of film with 8 Mile, based on his life growing up in Detroit. His No. 1 hit single from the movie, “Lose Yourself,” won Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. His album The Eminem Show, released that same year, remains the best-selling rap album of all time.
Eminem’s status in as an icon was honored at the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show, when he joined fellow hip-hop heavyweights Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar for an unforgettable ode to the genre.
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