Eminem’s Brother: He Calls Eminem “Young Dad” While Eminem’s Daughter Calls Him “Bruncle”

Born into hardship (Feb 3, 1986)

Nathan Kane Samara (professionally “Nate Kane Mathers”) was born on February 3, 1986, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Debbie Nelson (later Mathers) and her boyfriend Fred Samara. When Marshall “Eminem” Mathers III was just 13, Debbie had Nate — thirteen years younger, by all accounts .

When Nate was around 8, the state removed him from Debbie’s custody, placing him into foster care — a traumatic blow well documented in Eminem’s songs like Headlights (2014), where he reflects on his and Nate’s stripped childhoods. Eminem told Rolling Stone in 2004: “I watched him… he was so confused… I cried just going to see him at the foster home” — underscoring the chaos Nate endured early on.

Eminem as “young dad” (2003–2004)

Eminem made several attempts to secure legal custody, but at 20 years old, he lacked the means. By 2003–04, Nate was about 16–18 and in Eminem’s care, effectively becoming his guardian. In hindsight, Nate has referred to Eminem as “the best role model… to help me be the dad I am today” — a gentle jab at Marshall’s assumption of paternal duties decades before becoming an actual father.
“He was the best role model I could have had to help me be the dad that I am today.”

Contrast this with Eminem’s own reflections on fatherhood (symbolized through Hailie, Alaina, Stevie and Nate himself), and you see a funny inversion: Nate jokingly calling Marshall a “young dad” decades before the rapper became a real dad.

Nate’s own journey: rapper, DJ, actor

Under the moniker Nate Kane, he’s carved out his own creative path. Highlights include:

His 2009 track “Slide on Over”, later performed at his niece Alaina’s wedding reception.

Appearances in Eminem-era music videos like The Way I Am (2000), Without Me (2002), and Sing for the Moment (2003)

Acting roles in the 2020 film Devil’s Night: Dawn of the Nain Rouge, plus the video for Swifty McVay’s “Scariest Thing”.

Working as a DJ, music producer, and entrepreneur.

Family life and the “bruncle” bond

On May 6, 2018, Nate married childhood sweetheart Ashley Mae Mathers — and they now share three children: daughter Audrianna and sons Liam and Carter.

While Nate saw Eminem as a surrogate father, Eminem’s daughter Hailie Jade Scott — born December 25, 1995 — sees Nate much more as a brother‑figure. On her “Just a Little Shady” podcast (February 2023), she introduced him as her “bruncle” (bro-uncle), since Nate is closer in age to her than to her own father. That’s ironic: to Nate, Eminem is a dad — but to Hailie, Nate is that cool older buddy‑uncle.

Hailie: “bruncle” — a cross between a brother and an uncle

In that same podcast, Nate reflected on learning music‑craft from Eminem:

“I had learned from your dad, my brother, how to do music… I started looking around for beats… got comfortable… started recording…”

Mother’s death & fractured legacy

Their mother Debbie Nelson passed away Dec 2, 2024, at age 69 due to lung cancer. Nate expressed “hatred and mixed emotions today” on Instagram, reflecting their lifelong pain and complexity. Their relationship with Debbie had been muted or strained, marked by Eminem’s public fallout (Cleanin’ Out My Closet) and later reconciliation (Headlights)

A family portrait turned upside‑down

Eminem → Nate: The little brother becomes the “son”/“kid” until adulthood; Eminem is the “young dad”.

Nate → Hailie: Larger age gap but closer in lifestyle; Nate earns the badge of “bruncle” — more buddy than uncle.

The Mathers sibling dynamic is a layered portrait of reversed roles and blurred lines. Nate Mathers grew up with Eminem as both big brother and father figure. Now, as a father himself, Nate cheekily attributes his paternal instincts to the rapper. Meanwhile, Hailie’s playful “bruncle” tag underscores how Nate transcends generational roles — an actor‑DJ‑father who’s a brother, mentor, and friend all at once.

It’s simultaneously tender and comedic: a family that reshuffled traditional roles and redefined them in their own style — with Nate at the intersection, bridging brotherhood, fatherhood, and uncle‑hood.