To say that Eminem's family is dysfunctional is the understatement of the century. Anyone who has listened to his songs knows how he felt about his abusive mother Debbie Mathers. Oh sure, when he got rich and famous the father who deserted him, his mother, and his half-siblings were coming out of the woodwork to "make contact". He pretty much flipped them off. And they, to their discredit, just didn't understand why.
But we are happy to say he is tighter than tight with one Nathan Kane Samara. Who the heck is he? Well, he's Eminem's half-brother. When they were young, the two lived with their mom Debbie. According to both the brothers, Eminem was more of a parent to Nate than Debbie ever was. The two boys formed a strong bond. And by the time Nate was 16-years-old he was living with Eminem in Detroit. This was in the early years of Eminem's success as a rapper. It was a totally sweet time for the long-suffering brothers.
But who is Nathan Kane Samara? Well, he's a budding (more hopeful than budding) rapper, a personal trainer, and a husband and dad of 3 cute kids, who occasionally makes appearances in very bad films and Eminem music videos. Reportedly, the brothers are still tight. Here's what we know about Nathan Kane Samara, a.k.a. Nathan Mathers.
Updated on September 1, 2021, by Michael Chaar: Eminem and Nathan Kane Samara, also known as Nathan Mathers, share quite an upbringing following their time being raised by their mom, Debbie Mathers. The duo are half-brothers and have remained somewhat in contact today, however, Nathan shares more of a close relationship with his niece, Eminem's daughter, Hailie Jade. While Nathan's start was a rough one, he has since found his way in the industry, appearing in films such as Devil's Night: Dawn Of The Nain Rouge, all while pursuing music, too. Nathan's greatest accomplishment remains his marriage to his wife, Ashley Mae, with whom he shares his two sons.
A Really Lousy Childhood
Eminem's father Marshall Mathers and mom Debbie had a band called Daddy Warbucks. They traveled around the Dakotas and Montana reaching the dizzying heights of playing in Ramada Inns. The two split when Eminem was very young. Until he became rich and famous, daddy Marshall didn't want to have anything to do with the kid.
After that, Debbie, with Eminem in tow, mooched around the Midwest doing not much, never staying in one place long. Years later, she hooked up with one Fred Samara, producing Eminem's half-brother Nathan Kane Samara in 1986. Fred, like Marshall, did a disappearing act pretty early on, leaving an ill-equipped, usually unemployed Debbie to bring up her sons as best she could.
Her best was pretty bad. Eminem and Nate have been very upfront about Debbie and her abusive nature. Eminem, to a certain extent, has made his peace with his sick mom. But not Nate. He is still very angry at what he sees as her failure as a mother and a human being. Life with Debbie was pretty rough on both her sons, but particularly the youngest Nate. Early on, Eminem became his protector, more a father figure than a brother.
Some stories claim that social services removed Nate from Debbie's house. But by 2002, just when Eminem's rap career hit the stratosphere, the 16-year-old Nate was living in Detroit with the rapper. It was heaven compared to the hell of a life with Debbie. He has since legally changed his name to Nathan Mathers.
True to his musical roots, Nate has tried to build a career as a rapper, with singles such as "Slide on Over" and "Shadow of a Celebrity". He's not too bad. But Eminem he isn't. In the past, Nate has also toured with Eminem, appeared in the odd music video, and even accepted an award or two on his big brother's behalf.
Luckily, he still gets the occasional gig with Eminem. But his "day job" is as a personal trainer. Apparently, he is pretty good at it too.
Nate Is Happily Married And A Proud Dad
Nate's wife Ash (Ashley) and he have known one another since they were teenagers. They had three kids together, a girl and 2 boys, only finally deciding to get married in 2018. The kids even came to the wedding.
Nate and his family appear to be living the good life in Detroit. Reportedly, Nate is something of a super-dad. And he is totally in love with Ash, calling her the best woman he has ever known. Sweet, isn't it?
Is Nate Close To Eminem's Daughter Hailie Jade?
Although Eminem and Nate don't see each other too often, Nate has still managed to remain close to Marshall's daughter, Hailie Jade. The duo have maintained quite a close relationship from when Hailie was a young girl, to today!
Recently, Nathan posted a photo of the two outside of Haili's home in Detroit, Michigan, wishing his niece a very happy birthday. "Happy birthday to my beautiful niece," he posted. While it's clear that he and Eminem's tumultuous upbringing caused a rift in their relationship, it's refreshing to see Nathan is still close to Haili.