Eminem's Brother Speaks On Being Raised By A Rap Icon

BYErika Marie24.2K Views
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37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony - Inside
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 05: Inductee Eminem attends the 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Microsoft Theater on November 05, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
We don't hear much from Nate Mathers, but Em's little brother is sharing what it was like with a superstar sibling.

He's a GOAT rapper who has spent half of his life in the spotlight, but Eminem is a reclusive character in the industry. He placed his traumas on wax throughout his career, making fans believe they knew the rapper intimately. However, Em spends much of his life fiercely private, but we've received insight into his home thanks to his daughter, Hailie Jade. On her recent episode of her Just A Little Shady podcast, Hailie was joined by her "bruncle."

Nate is my uncle — my dad’s younger brother — but also we kind of grew up together because Nate lived with us for a while when I was young," said Hailie. "I would say brother-uncle, you definitely act younger than your age. We are closer in age than you are to [my] dad, but still, I never realize how much older you are than me because I feel like you are like a brother.”

Read More: Hailie Jade Announces Engagement, Eminem’s Daughter To Marry Long-Term Boyfriend

Eminem and Nate share a mother, and he was 12 when Hailie was two. She recognized that people speculated about what it was like living with Eminem. His lyrics have cast a dark shadow over his life. "Oh, yeah, I mean going off the lyrics and everything – I could see that," said Nate. "He was the best role model I could have had to help me be the dad that I am today.”

Hailie also mentioned that although she has memories of her father's early fame, Nate was old enough to understand what was happening. "Yes, I started understanding a little more when reality would hit when I would start seeing [Eminem] on TV and going to shows and all the signatures and crazy people," said Nate. "I am like, ‘Alright, well, this is real’… A few years later, when I was able to leave from being under my mom’s care, I moved in with you guys.”

Read More: Eminem’s Daughter Hailie Jade Explains If She’s Bothered By Questions About Her Father

It didn't take long for Em's younger brother to begin copying his style. “[Eminem] would get so many free clothes, and would buy clothes — I would just take them,” Nate recalled. “I would take his hand-me-downs… When I was 12 and went to your dad's first show, my cousin, John, convinced me that not only should I dye my hair, but that my brother dyes his eyebrows. Being young, I am like, ‘Oh, really? I want to dye my eyebrows too. Sounds like the perfect idea — I want to look like twins.’ Not the case.”

Being surrounded by the industry also inspired Nate to also get involved with music. He said he began writing at a very young age, and later, began to take lessons from Eminem. "I had learned from your dad how to do music and how to write formulas, compound syllables and tested it out in the beginning," he also shared. "From there, I started looking around for beats and whatnot and got comfortable enough with my voice and writing skills that I started recording and getting a feel for how I would deliver songs and how that would formulate to where people would enjoy it.”

Nate was aware that anything he did musically would be compared to Eminem. For him, "it was never about that." He just wanted to have fun and "do something that other people would enjoy. Check out the Just a Little Shady episode below.

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About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.
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