Cleanin' Out My Closet

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“Cleanin' Out My Closet”
“Cleanin' Out My Closet” cover
Single by Eminem
from the album The Eminem Show
Released September 17, 2002
Format CD
Genre Hip hop
Length 4 min 57 s
Label Shady/Aftermath/Interscope
Producer Eminem and Jeff Bass
Eminem singles chronology
"Lose Yourself"
(2002)
"Cleanin' Out My Closet"
(2002)
"Business"
(2002)

"Cleanin' Out My Closet", released in 2002. It was from his worldwide hit album, The Eminem Show, which was also released that year. This would be the #2 released single from the album following "Without Me". However, unlike the preceding single Eminem departed from his humorous Slim Shady persona to take observers on a solemn journey into a deeply personal reservoir of fury and pain. In the song, Eminem introspectively examines his life reflecting on such topics as his troubled childhood, marital conflicts, and resentful feud with his mother. Eminem underscores his animosity towards her by chanting a hauntingly sarcastic apology in the chorus, claiming "I never meant to hurt you". This is one of his most successful singles, reaching #4 on the United States Billboard Hot 100.

[edit] Lyrical Content

In the song, he describes how others protest to his lyrics. He expresses the anger that he feels towards his family and how he is better off without them now, and goes on to reassure his audience that his words regarding his mother are not done for the sake of public attention ("now I would never diss my own mama just to get recognition"). "Cleaning out my closet", he was regarding to taking out his anger.

[edit] In culture

In 2003 the Australian comedy duo Scared Weird Little Guys produced a rap version of the folk song "Waltzing Matilda" called "Cleanin' Out My Tuckerbag", which parodies both "Lose Yourself" and "Cleanin' Out My Closet", but does not credit Eminem.

[edit] See also