Eminem

Released: May 26, 2002

Songwriter: Jeff Bass Eminem

Producer: Jeff Bass Eminem

[Intro]
Where's my snare?
I have no snare in my headphones
There you go, yeah, yo, yo

[Verse 1]
Have you ever been hated or discriminated against?
I have, I've been protested and demonstrated against
Picket signs for my wicked rhymes, look at the times
Sick as the mind of the motherfuckin' kid that's behind
All this commotion, emotions run deep as oceans, explodin'
Tempers flarin' from parents, just blow 'em off and keep goin'
Not takin' nothin' from no one, give 'em hell long as I'm breathin'
Keep kickin' ass in the morning and takin' names in the evenin'
Leave 'em with a taste as sour as vinegar in they mouth
See, they can trigger me, but they'll never figure me out
Look at me now! I bet you're prob'ly sick of me now
Ain't you, Mama? I'ma make you look so ridiculous now!

[Chorus]
I'm sorry, Mama
I never meant to hurt you
I never meant to make you cry
But tonight I'm cleanin' out my closet (One more time!)
I said I'm sorry, Mama
I never meant to hurt you
I never meant to make you cry
But tonight I'm cleanin' out my closet (Ha!)

[Verse 2]
I got some skeletons in my closet
And I don't know if no one knows it
So before they throw me inside my coffin and close it
I'ma expose it; I'll take you back to '73
Before I ever had a multi-platinum-selling CD
I was a baby, maybe I was just a couple of months
My faggot father must've had his panties up in a bunch
‘Cause he split, I wonder if he even kissed me goodbye
No, I don't, on second thought, I just fuckin' wished he would die
I look at Hailie, and I couldn't picture leavin' her side
Even if I hated Kim, I'd grit my teeth and I'd try
To make it work with her at least for Hailie's sake
I maybe made some mistakes
But I'm only human, but I'm man enough to face 'em today
What I did was stupid, no doubt it was dumb
But the smartest shit I did was take the bullets out of that gun
‘Cause I'da killed 'em, shit, I woulda shot Kim and him both
It's my life, I'd like to welcome y'all to The Eminem Show

[Chorus]
I'm sorry, Mama
I never meant to hurt you
I never meant to make you cry
But tonight I'm cleanin' out my closet (One more time!)
I said I'm sorry, Mama
I never meant to hurt you
I never meant to make you cry
But tonight I'm cleanin' out my closet (Uh)

[Verse 3]
Now, I would never diss my own mama just to get recognition
Take a second to listen 'fore you think this record is dissin'
But put yourself in my position, just try to envision
Witnessin' your mama poppin' prescription pills in the kitchen
Bitchin' that someone's always goin' through her purse and shit's missin'
Goin' through public housing systems
Victim of Münchausen's Syndrome
My whole life I was made to believe I was sick when I wasn't
'Til I grew up, now I blew up
It makes you sick to your stomach, doesn't it?
Wasn't it the reason you made that CD for me, Ma?
So you could try to justify the way you treated me, Ma?
But guess what, you're gettin' older now
And it's cold when you're lonely
And Nathan's growin' up so quick
He's gonna know that you're phony
And Hailie's gettin' so big now, you should see her, she's beautiful
But you'll never see her, she won't even be at your funeral (Ha-ha!)
See, what hurts me the most is you won't admit you was wrong
Bitch, do your song, keep tellin' yourself that you was a mom!
But how dare you try to take what you didn't help me to get?!
You selfish bitch, I hope you fuckin' burn in hell for this shit!
Remember when Ronnie died and you said you wished it was me?
Well, guess what, I am dead, dead to you as can be!

[Chorus]
I'm sorry, Mama
I never meant to hurt you
I never meant to make you cry
But tonight I'm cleanin' out my closet (One more time!)
I said I'm sorry, Mama
I never meant to hurt you
I never meant to make you cry
But tonight I'm cleanin' out my closet

A legendary hip-hop icon who started as an underground battle rapper in Detroit, Marshall “Eminem” Bruce Mathers III (1972 – present) has developed a career full of controversy, wild swings, and some of the most noteworthy raps in the history of the genre.

Eminem has broken countless barriers, shifting and impacting the culture in several ways. In June 2017, “Stan” was added into the Oxford Dictionary, and in 2019, to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. He was the first rapper to win the Grammy Award for Best Album for three consecutive albums. “Rap God” set the Guinness World Record for most words in a song. He was also the first rapper to win an Oscar. His albums The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show became certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2011, making him one of the few artists to have more than one Diamond album. This has helped him become the highest selling hip-hop artist of all time. In January 2020, with his 11th studio album Music to Be Murdered By debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200, Eminem became the first artist in history to have 10 consecutive #1 debuts.

Produced and co-signed by Dr. Dre, Em had an unprecedented run of success from 1999 up until 2003, releasing three well-reviewed multi-platinum albums, stealing the show on countless collaborations, and even starred in a hit movie. However, it all came crashing down around 2004, when a string of problems ranging from drug dependence to depression to the tragic death of best friend Deshaun “Proof” Holton in 2006 led to a long hiatus from music and a pair of what were, by his own admission, sub-par albums.

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