Eminem appears to pay subtle tribute to dead mum with poignant choice during infamous song

Marshall Mathers, more commonly known by his rap moniker 'Eminem', appears to have publicly acknowledged the tragic death of his mother for the first time.

Debbie Nelson passed away on 2 December aged 69 following a diagnosis of lung cancer.

52-year-old Eminem's relationship with his mother appeared to be a turbulent one, as referenced in lyrics to his song 'Lose Yourself' as well as a public court case in which Nelson sued her son for defamation of character.

The rapper is yet to make an official statement, but fans picked up on a detail that is seemingly connected to the loss of his mother.

Eminem changed the lyrics to one of his songs (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

Partway through his performance at Abu Dhabi's F1 Grand Prix at the weekend, Eminem appeared to take a line out of one of his songs that referenced his mother.

When performing 'Without Me,' he chose not to sing the lyric 'F**k you, Debbie', though the crowd sang it anyway.

Further controversial lyrics regarding their dynamic appeared in 'My Name Is', whereby he sang: "I just found out my mom does more dope than I do (Damn). I told her I'd grow up to be a famous rapper. Make a record about doin' drugs and name it after her."

And in the hit 'Cleanin' Out My Closet,' he rapped that he hoped she would 'burn in Hell'.

Debbie Nelson passed away on 2 December (Mark Weiss/Getty Images)

As Eminem grew older, it seemed as though hope was on the horizon for the pair's relationship.

In 2010, Debbie was diagnosed with breast cancer, which appeared to spark a reconciliation.

Eminem's 2013 song 'Headlights' included an apology to his mother.

He rapped: "I went in headfirst, never thinking about who what I said hurt / My mom probably got it the worst," before adding he was 'mad I didn’t get the chance to thank you for being my mom and my dad'.

Reports stated they lost touch again after another falling out just three years ago, with it being unclear whether or not they had cleared the air before her passing.

Eminem is yet to make a public statement (Leon Bennett/Getty Images)

The seemingly unstable upbringing of Eminem and his family led him to adopt his half-brother, Nate, at 16, who had been placed into foster care aged eight.

Following confirmation that Debbie had passed, Nate wrote on his Instagram story: "Hatred and mixed emotions today."

Debbie attempted to use music to reach out to her estranged son Eminem during her life, releasing a song that included the lyrics: "Dear Marshall, I just wanted to start by saying I still love you / Marshall, I did the best I could. I went without so you could have."