Eminem has officially earned his 113th song to surpass 100 million Spotify plays. This time, it’s “My Mom”, a twisted highlight from his 2009 album “Relapse”.
Although it gets a modest (by Eminem’s standards) 22,000–23,000 views per day, the track has proven to be stubbornly consistent, finding fans long after its release.
A Song Rooted in Pain
Produced by Dr. Dre, “My Mom” dives deep into Eminem’s dysfunctional upbringing and substance abuse.
As the title suggests, this is yet another track where Em targets his mother, Debbie Mathers, as the root of his addictions. The song expands on a promise he made all the way back in 1999 on “My Name Is”:
I told her I’d grow up to be a famous rapper
Make a record about doing drugs and name it after her.
He did just that.
Poetry in Motion
In “My Mom”, Em traces his Valium addiction to childhood trauma, claiming his mother tricked him into taking pills.
My mom loved Valium and lots of drugs
That’s why I am like I am ’cause I’m like her…
And then:
That’s why I’m on what I’m on ’cause I’m my mom.
This lyrical shift from “like her” to “I’m my mom” says everything. He doesn’t just resemble her, he has become her. This shift from a simile to a metaphor hits a listener like a track – simple, effective, and heartwrenching.
Context in His Catalogue
The track fits into a larger arc. In “Cleanin’ Out My Closet”, Em unpacked his mother’s drug abuse and its impact on his childhood. On “Déjà Vu”, also from “Relapse”, he flipped the lens inward, focusing on how his own addiction affected his children.
At the time of “Relapse”, Eminem wasn’t holding back. But years later, after his own struggles with addiction, he expressed regret and eventually apologised to his mother.
