Heartwarming / Eminem

• "Hailie's Song" from The Eminem Show.
• Also "When I'm Gone". God knows we'll all be bumping it when Em passes...
• What is tough love? Blunt, honest, "you're better than you think you are," inspirational. "All I know is you came to me when I was at my lowest / You picked me up, breathed new life in me / I owe my life to you / But for the life of me, I don't see why you don't see like I do...".
• His production of Tupac Shakur's posthumous single "Runnin' (Dying to Live)." By pairing The Notorious B.I.G. (who was already in the original Runnin' song, as it was one of the few tracks that he did with 2Pac when both were still friends) and adding a truly emotional instrumental, this doubles as a major Tear Jerker.
• Not Afraid:
  I'm not afraid (not afraid), to take a stand (take a stand)
  Everybody (everybody), come take my hand (come take my hand)
  We'll walk this road together, through the storm
  Whatever weather, cold or warm
  Just letting you know that you're not alone
  Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road

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  • "It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me. Admittedly, I probably did it subliminally for you. So I can come back a brand new me, you helped see me through—and don't even realize what you did, believe me you..."
  • "It's been a ride. I guess I had to go to that place, to get to this one. Now some of you might still be in that place and trying to get out. Just follow me....I'll get you there!"
    • Lead on, Shady, we've got your back!
  • "And to the fans, I'll never let you down again, I'm back. I promise to never go back on that promise."
• In a bizarre, sick, twisted sort of way, the last part of Stan. No, not in the sense of Stan committing a murder-suicide, but in the fact that Eminem eventually does reply to his letters, in a calm, warm tone which we very rarely see/hear.
  • Not to mention the genuine shock he displays when he understands that his inability to reply earlier led to Stan's Sanity Slippage.
  • He also encourages Stan to seek counseling to find better ways to express himself and tells Stan to treat his girlfriend better.
• You're Never Over.
  Homie I know I'm never gonna be the same without you
  I never woulda came in this game, I'm going insane without you
  Matter of fact it was just the other night, had another dream about you
  You told me to get up; I got up, I spread my wings and I flew
  You gave me a reason to fight, I was on my way to see you
  You told me "Nah Doody you're not!", laying on that table I knew
  I was gonna make it; soon as you said "Think of Hailie" I knew
  There wasn't no way that I was gonna ever leave them babies and Proof
  Not many are lucky enough to have a guardian angel like you
  Lord I'm so thankful, please don't think that I don't feel grateful, I do
  Just grant me the strength that I need, for one more day to get through
  So homie this is your song, I dedicate this to you

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• Eminem decides enough is enough and makes a plea to end the Rap Wars in "Like Toy Soldiers." The amount of emotion running through that song after the deaths of several fellow artists is so high you can't even begin to describe it.
• "Hailie's Revenge". Not only does it show how protective Marshall is of Hailie, it also shows that D12 was ready to shit stomp on Ja Rule with him.
• "Headlights". A song about how much he loves his mother. That same mother who he's been angry at his entire career; who he's attacked on multiple songs ("Cleanin' Out My Closet" and "My Mom" come to mind), and who told him You Should Have Died Instead of his uncle. Yet he still feels able to rise above it and try and bury the hatchet.
  • The entire music video, but even more heartwarming is how halfway in the video, you see what you assume to be Mrs. Mather's writing a letter to Eminem, which in later is revealed to be Eminem writing the song he's singing to her, which she receives and breaks down in heartwarming tears.
  I want a new life
  One without a cause
  So I'm coming home tonight
  Well, no matter what the cost
  And if the plane goes down
  Or if the crew can't wake me up
  Well, just know that I'm alright
  I was not afraid to die
• "Mockingbird", especially the last verse in a kind of funny, twisted way;
  And if you ask me to Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird
  I'mma give you the world
  I'mma buy a diamond ring for you
  I'mma sing for you
  I'll do anything for you to see you smile
  And if that mockingbird don't sing and that ring don't shine
  I'mma break that birdie's neck
  I'll go back to the jeweler who sold it to ya
  And make him eat every carat, don't fuck with dad (ha ha)
• The first part of "Kim" when Em is talking to baby Hailie.
  Aww look at daddy's baby girl
  That's daddy's baby
  Little sleepy head
  Yesterday I changed your diaper
  Wiped you and powdered you
  How did you get so big?
  Can't believe it now you're two
  Baby you're so precious
  Daddy's so proud of you

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  • Then again, it goes pretty downhill from there, but still.
• This section from "The Monster"
  Take you back to the days that I'd get on a Dre track
  Give every kid who got played that
  Pumped up feeling and shit to say back
  To the kids who played him
  I ain't here to save the fucking children
  But if one kid out of a hundred million
  Who are going through a struggle feels it and then relates that's great
• "Beautiful Pain". A song about personal growth through adversity, the pain of casting aside pieces of yourself to become a better person, and finding hope at your lowest moments.
• "'97 Bonnie And Clyde," from The Slim Shady LP warped though it may be, demonstrates even from the starting bell how much Eminem cares for his daughter.
  • Its prequel "Kim" from The Marshall Mathers LP also starts with Em calmly addressing Hailie and telling her how much he loves her before he directs his attention to Kim and everything goes downhill.
• On the second verse of "Cleanin' Out My Closet", Em follows his calling his Disappeared Dad a faggot with the statement that he'd never do the same thing to Hailie, and would even try to work out his differences with Kim for the sake of Hailie. Aww...
  • Goes even further in the second verse of "Headlights":
  One thing I never asked was, where the fuck my deadbeat dad was
  Fuck it, I guess he had trouble keeping up with every address
  But I'd have flipped every mattress, every rock and desert cactus
  Owned a collection of maps, and followed my kids to the edge of the atlas...
• His verse in "Best Friend" comes to mind for two reasons. Em makes it clear just how much he misses Proof after all this time, and also implies that he does believe in God and that he does pray to Him when he needs to.
• Stronger Than I Was is a heartfelt apology to his ex-wife, Kim, the same person he's attacked in numerous songs, and admits that she made him a better man.
  • Bad Husband where he apologises to Kim again, going more into the history of their relationship in a conciliatory tone.
  But I'm sorry Kim
  More than you could ever comprehend
  Leaving you was fucking harder than
  Sawing off a fucking body limb
• Forget for a second about how protective he is of his family. He cares for every child who listens to his music, or looks up to him, or listens to him and his music for guidance and strength, or any and all of the above. He mentions his young(er) fans quite a few times in his songs. He either sides with them, tells them that he's grateful for the adoration but also admits to them that he is not the right role model, or outright states that he made a certain song or two for the kids specifically. This man is most definitely THE Papa Wolf of music.
• During the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards, he gives a shout out to Colin Kaepernick, applauding him for using his status to try to change race relations, offers his sympathy towards the people suffering from the recent horrific tragedies of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the Las Vegas mass shooting. Marshall makes it absolutely clear that he loves America; he just doesn’t like the sitting president whom he sees as the representation of the worst of America.
• The only times Eminem has outright attempted career murder with a diss track instead of embarrassment are the ones against Ja Rule and MGK, for making it personal by bringing up Hailie. Don't poke rap's biggest Papa Wolf.
• Backstage during the 2020 Oscars, Salma Hayek accidentally spilled water on him and gave a hug afterword (being a fan). Eminem's response during an interview with Variety?
  [On if he enjoyed the Oscars] "Absolutely," he said. "I got to hug Salma Hayek!"