Eminem became a father at the age of 23. He had no career and no money, but becoming a father gave him the push to try harder and succeed.
For most people, being a parent is something they take for granted. However, there are people for whom it's not easy to have a family because of biological issues. There are also those who have been hurt so much in life that they don't associate a family with something positive. When a person like that is able to learn to love and accept love, it's possible that it fills them up with joy. Many people have found parenting rewarding even if they wanted to stay miles away from it.
Rapper Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III in 1972 in Missouri, faced many struggles in his childhood, as per Biography. He never knew his father, Marshall Mathers Jr., who left his family to fend for themselves when the rapper was still an infant. Mathers Jr. has reportedly refused to have a relationship with his child even when he tried many times.
Abandoned by his dad, Eminem was raised by his single mother, Deborah Mathers. However, she too failed him. Deborah was allegedly addicted to prescription drugs and inflicted emotional and physical abuse on him. Eventually, the 48-year-old rapper dropped out of school in the ninth grade to work odd jobs until he got his big break in 1999 with the release of The Slim Shady LP. The rapper won two Grammy Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards for the album.
Since then, he's become one of the iconic rap artists in the world but the accomplishment he prizes himself on most is that of being a parent. He has three children: Hailie Jade Scott Mathers and his adopted daughters Whitney Scott Mathers and Alaina Marie Mathers.
"I have a niece that I have helped raised, too, pretty much like a daughter to me, and she is 26," he said on Mike Tyson's podcast, Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson, as per Insider. "And then I have a younger one that's 17 now. So when I think about my accomplishments like that's probably the thing that I'm the most proud of, you know, is that — is being able to raise kids," he said.
He has one biological child, Hailie, 24, with ex-wife Kim Ann Scott. They were teenagers when they met at a house party. Eventually, she started living with Eminem and his mom claiming that she never knew her dad and that her stepfather abused her, as per Biography. The rapper's mom threw them out when he dropped out of school.
They welcomed their child when the rapper was 23 and Kim 21. Hailie was his inspiration to make something of himself. "She has been my main source of drive and motivation, especially when she was first born. I didn’t have a career yet, I didn’t have money, I didn’t have a place to live. I think that kicked me in the a*** harder knowing, 'How am I going to raise her?'" he had said in a previous interview, as per Metro.
"She’s always been the driving force for me to stay busy, stay focused, always been my number one reason for fear of failure. I can’t fail. I can’t have her grow up and not be able to say, 'My dad succeeded.' I talk about her a lot, the truth is she is all I got in this world. If everything ended tomorrow, she’s all that I have," he had added.
Eminem and Kim had a turbulent relationship during which they married twice and divorced twice. They are reportedly amicable to each other now for the sake of their child. He had also adopted the daughter of Kim's twin sister, Dawn Scott, who was an addict. Born Amanda Marie Scott, his eldest daughter is now called Alaina Marie Mathers, according to Spock and Christine.
He also adopted his youngest child, Whitney, who is the biological daughter of Eminem’s ex-wife Kim and a man she was dating after she got divorced initially. Eminem adopted her when Kim was struggling with addiction. Whitney’s biological father was also an addict who ended up in jail, as per The Things. Eminem also fought addiction and won against it, according to Billboard.
The rapper has been honest about his life, addiction, and his love for his daughter Hailie, through his music. Talking about her to Tyson, he said, "No babies, she has a boyfriend, but she's doing good. She's made me proud for sure. She's graduated from college."
References:
https://www.biography.com/musician/eminem
https://www.insider.com/eminem-is-proud-of-his-daughter-hailie-2020-3
https://spockandchristine.com/biography/alaina-marie-mathers/
https://www.thethings.com/the-reason-eminem-adopted-his-daughter-whitney-scott-mathers/
