Fatherhood might be as terrifying an experience as it is wonderful when one knows how to do it right. A good father should be more than just a financial provider or a haughty presence in the child’s life. Personal struggles and life’s ups and downs aside, fatherhood can unlock an unfathomable joy that no money or fame can buy. Eminem is living proof of how being a great dad can save one’s life and make others’ lives better as well.

Through his music, the Rap God artist not only deals with his childhood traumas but also captures reflective aspects of parenthood that offer a good number of lessons on fatherhood. For him, it seems that being a dad to Hailie at a very young age has been the greatest joy. Like a novel, he unravels the story of his life as a dad fighting his demons and raising kids through various albums and heartfelt moments spent with his children: Hailie Jade, 28, Alaina, 31, Stevie, 22, as well as his much younger brother Nate, 38.

5 fatherhood lessons from Eminem you can learn:

1. When Eminem attended Hailie Jade’s wedding

Marshall Mathers showed up in a black tuxedo and black shades at his daughter’s wedding as they shared a lovely father-daughter dance. Later in Em’s Temporary music video, fans can see him bursting into tears upon seeing Hailie in her wedding dress for the first time. Now we know why the shades were important.

In his latest song, Somebody Save Me featuring Jelly Roll, Em reflects on death, sharing a list of family milestones involving his children that he would have missed if he hadn’t survived his 2007 overdose.

A crucial aspect of fatherhood is to simply be there for your child, especially at the important events of their lives. Mathers had himself suffered from a toxic childhood, having an absent father. However, his attendance at Hailie’s wedding or silently watching her get crowned as homecoming queen from an empty classroom breaks the cycle.

2. When he fought his own demons for his kids

Raising three children as well as his younger brother while battling addiction and returning to life after a near-fatal overdose in 2007 is commendable for a once-troubled kid who found a father figure in Hip-hop. Eminem has expressed in numerous songs how his love for Hailie helped him fight through his mental health struggles. Some of those heart-wrenching songs include When I’m Gone, Hailie’s Song, Mockingbird, Castle, and more.

Championing your demons to become the father you never had is important. He has dedicated scathing lyrics to his parents, expressing deep-seated anger towards them. In songs like Cleanin’ Out My Closet, My Mom, My Name Is, Stepdad, and more, he talks about his deadbeat dad and how his mother bullied him into taking pills as a child.

However, he apologized to his mother and extended an olive branch in the song Headlights from The Marshall Mathers LP 2 in 2013. Not losing yourself in your past struggles and staying focused on attaining happiness with your kids is a step towards becoming a great father.

3. When Eminem let his kids be their own person

As a world-renowned rapper and one of the highest-selling artists of all time, the pressure of public scrutiny becomes part of the package. However, the Houdini hitmaker has always been notoriously private about his family life, protecting his children from the public eye.

While his music is violent, and he was often accused of homophobia early on in his career, Em did not let it impact his private life. He ensured that his upbringing would allow his kids to pursue their passion and be who they want to be.

Though Em never went on to pursue higher studies, as per People, Hailie graduated from Michigan State University with a psychology degree and from high school with summa cum laude. As for his youngest child, Stevie, who was born Whitney, came out as gender fluid and uses the pronouns he/she/they.

As a father, it is vital to provide opportunities for your kids to accept themselves, after which they can grow into confident people.

4. When he admitted his regrets as a parent to daughter Hailie

In her Just a Little Shady Podcast, Hailie stated, “Like a lot of people were concerned that he wasn’t going to be a good dad or something. But here we are.” Nate followed suit and stressed how Marshall has been his perfect role model for a father. Being upfront and open about your struggles makes fatherhood less complicated. While communication is key, a great father never fails to open up about his regrets to his children.

However, what’s important for Mathers is a clear conscience and deepening his bond with the four people he raised. Hailie Jade has been targeted by several of Slim Shady’s rivals and faced their wrath in diss tracks such as those of Ja Rule, Benzino, Machine Gun Kelly, and more.

In his song Castle from the album Revival, Em sings about feeling the pressure of raising Hailie when he was struggling himself. In the lyrics, he openly expresses his fear of potentially exploiting his own child for the sake of his career. As raw as it can get, he says, “I said your name but always tried to hide your face. This game is crazy, I wanted to claim my love for you but damn. I never knew it’d be like this. If I did, I wouldn’t have done it. You ain’t asked for none of this s—. Now you’re being punished? Things that should’ve been private with me and your mother is public.”

In his latest album, The Death of Slim Shady, Em continued to express his regrets about handling fame poorly, though his children would disagree.

5. When Eminem fiercely protected his kids

Standing up for your kids should be one of the greatest priorities of a father. Slim Shady, one of the greatest wordsmiths of the century, was never devoid of feuds. And his family unavoidably got caught up in the mess numerous times. But once bullied as a kid, he never let that happen ever again.

Whoever took Hailie’s name in vain to come at Shady lost the beef with some even losing their careers for good. Some instances include MGK and Ja Rule’s beef with Em. In 2018, Em dissed Machine Gun Kelly with Killshot, who had sent out disrespectful tweets about Hailie while she was still a minor. Once upon a time, Ja Rule sang, “Em, you claim your mother’s a crackhead and Kim is a known s*** / So what’s Hailie gonna be when she grows up?”

In response, a furious Shady and his crew smoked Ja Rule in the song Hailie’s Revenge, reminding him that he could do nothing more than copy Tupac’s style.