Eminem has returned to the stage following his mom Debbie Nelson‘s death.
While the rapper has not publicly spoken out about his mother’s passing, he did refrain from saying the line “f–k you, Debbie” from his 2002 smash hit “Without Me” at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix on Dec. 7.
While performing onstage, Eminem—born Marshall Bruce Mathers III—chose to let the audience scream out the lyrics instead, according to the New York Post.
And though some fans believe the omission was the 52-year-old’s subtle way of paying tribute to Debbie, with who he had a complicated mother-son relationship, others pointed out that the lyric change has been in place for decades.
In fact, Eminem did not say the line when he performed at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards three months after the track’s release.
The 15-time Grammy winner also allowed the crowd to fill in the controversial lyrics while performing at the Austin F1 Grand Prix this October.
“Without Me” was written during the early aughts on the heels of Eminem’s legal battle with Debbie, who sued him for defamation after detailing her alleged drug-use in his 1999 album The Slim Shady LP.
Debbie received a $25,000 settlement as part of the legal proceedings, prompting him to put the matriarch on blast in 2002’s The Eminem Show, which includes “Without Me” and “Cleanin’ Out My Closet.”
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In 2011, it appeared that the “Stan” emcee had a change of heart. “Even though we don’t really speak, she is my mother, I do love her,” he told BET at the time. “And I think I got a better understanding of what she was going through or what she may be going through.”
Eminem later apologized to Debbie in his 2013 song “Headlights,” saying that he was sorry for what he said about her in the past.
“At the time I was angry, rightfully? Maybe so / Never meant that far to take it though,” he rapped on the track. “‘Cause now I know it’s not your fault, and I’m not makin’ jokes / That song I no longer play at shows / And I cringe every time it’s on the radio.”
