Eminem included a heartfelt apology to his children in his newly released track, Somebody Save Me, from the album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace).
The haunting song appeared to imagine a scenario where the legendary rapper did not survive his 2007 overdose, a near-fatal incident that emerged from his addiction to prescription medication.
The song opens with an emotional audio recording of a young Alaina, Eminem’s daughter, calling him “daddy” and begging him to join the family for a meal. This tender moment sets the stage for a track filled with remorse and what-ifs.
Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, dropped his new album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace), on Friday, July 12
Image credits: Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic via Getty Images
“Daddy?” a young Alaina is heard saying in the clip from her childhood. “…Food’s here.”
“Alaina, I’m so tired,” a voice responds before saying, “Alaina, I’ll be there in a minute. I promise. Stop.”
Throughout the song, the rapper, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, vividly recounts the milestones and precious moments he fears he would have missed if he succumbed to his addiction.
One of the most heart-wrenching lines addresses Alaina directly: “Alaina, sorry that you had to hear me fall in the bathroom.” The line is believed to be a reference to the traumatic experience where Alaina, who would have been around 14 years old at the time, heard him collapse following his overdose.
The song, Somebody Save Me, serves as the rapper’s apology to his children for his faults as a father
Image credits: Eminem / Instagram
Alaina is the hitmaker’s adopted daughter. She is the biological daughter of Dawn Scott, the twin sister of Eminem’s ex-wife, Kim Scott.
The rapper had legally adopted Alaina in the early 2000s due to her mother’s struggles with addiction and her inability to care for her.
The 31-year-old daughter has been a significant part of Eminem’s life, and he often mentions her in his songs, showcasing the deep bond they share.
An old recording of Alaina, urging Eminem to join the family for a meal, is heard at the beginning of the track
The Detroit rapper is also a father to his biological daughter, Hailie Jade Scott, 28, whom he shares with ex-wife Kim. Hailie got married in May this year.
He also adopted Stevie Laine Scott, 22, who was born to Kim and her then-boyfriend, Eric Hartter. The rap artist legally adopted Stevie in 2005.
The 8 Mile star has said in the past that he wants his children “to have things [he] didn’t have: love and material things.”
“But I can’t just buy them things,” he told Rolling Stone in 2004. “I have to be there. That’s a cop-out if I just popped up once in a while, didn’t have custody of my daughter and my niece.”
The Mockingbird rapper has said in the past that his kids have helped him “through so many things”
“I was always there for Hailie, and my niece has been a part of my life ever since she was born,” he said in the same interview. “Me and Kim pretty much had her, she’d live with us wherever we was at.”
During a 2010 interview with the New York Times, he also said his “kids” helped him stay sober.
“I love them so much, and they’ve helped me through so many things,” he told the outlet.