Both got it bad, but I'd say that neither were innocent. It doesn't justify what he says in Cleanin' Out My Closet or Kim. Two wrongs don't make a right. (both great songs though

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Amadeo wrote:metsfan1121 wrote:His Mom but his Mom definitely deserved it more than Kim. Seems Kim didn't really ever do anything that bad, it was just that sometimes relationships just don't work out.
A few people have said Kim used to beat the shit out of him and was basically a cunt.
Nobody makes a song like "Kim" just to be a dick.
Yep. That's abuse, plain and simple, and it shouldn't be ignored simply because it's female to male. I'm willing to bet that they were mutually emotionally abusive to each other as well, which can be equally damaging.
What's also interesting is how Eminem usually portrays Kim as the victim (think Kim, Stronger Than I was if it was from Kim's POV) but from most accounts, she treated him worse. Is it because he would rather not admit how she's treated him? He's relatively open about how his mother treated him, but when it comes to Kim, he almost portrays himself as the bad guy.
As for his mother, she used to kick him out constantly. She may deny it, but Eminem's friends, relatives, and co-workers etc. have reported similar things. I think that she did try to be a mother, buying him gifts and all that, but that she was also very unpredictable, possibly using drugs. His home life was most likely EXTREMELY unstable. As Em's stated, she's told him that she wished he was dead, etc. I doubt that was the only time she's said something similar to that. Shit like that can do a lot of damage, which may have caused some of his deep-seated insecurities. It's just that they' both seem to be defensive people, and as a result, she focuses on all the good she's done while Em focuses on all the bad. She's trying to justify the lawsuit and he's trying to justify his lyrics.