What's The Real Meaning Of Eminem's Temporary? Here's What We Think

It's the end of an era for Eminem. His new album, "The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)," kills off the anti-hero alter ego that propelled him to fame and fortune. Fittingly, Shady meets a violent and savage end, finishing the way he started 25 years ago when he burst onto the music scene with "My Name Is." True to form, Eminem's new songs fuel shock and controversy, while offering a peek inside the rapper's world. Still, there's also heart and soul on display in the tracks, such as "Temporary," which is a farewell ode to Eminem's daughter, Hailie Jade Scott.

Unlike some of the other titles, "Temporary" doesn't have any ambiguity or mystery about its meaning — Eminem gives it up in the intro. "A lot of people ask me, am I afraid of death? The truth is, I think what scares me the most is not being able to say all the things I wanna say to you when I'm no longer here. So this song is for Hailie, for when that day comes," he raps.

"Temporary" features Eminem's frequent collaborator, Skylar Grey, and old recordings of Hailie as a toddler. Eminem reminisces about their times together when she was young and reassures her that he'll always be there, even when he's gone. Despite it being an ode to Hailie, Eminem references his two other daughters by telling her, "How should I start? Just wanna say, look after Alaina, Stevie, and Uncle Nate."

Eminem's "Temporary" is a tear-jerking farewell to his daughter Hailie Jade Scott. "And, sweetie, be strong. I know I was your rock. And I still am. Saying goodbye is just not. Ever easy. But why you crying? Just stop Hailie, baby, dry your eye, this is not. Forever," he raps.

Hailie was six when her dad name-checked her in "Cleanin' Out My Closet" in 2002. "Hailie's gettin' so big now; you should see her; she's beautiful," he boasted. "But, you'll never see her. She won't even be at your funeral." True to his word, Eminem and Kim kept Hailie out of the spotlight while she was growing up. However, now she's an adult with a husband and over 3.4 million Instagram followers.

Eminem and Hailie's musical collaborations go way back. She was featured in 1999's "97 Bonnie & Clyde." In the song, Eminem raps about killing her mom, Kim Mathers, and then enlisting Hailie to help dispose of the body. Not surprisingly, his ex was less than thrilled. "I lied to Kim and told her I was taking Hailie to Chuck E. Cheese that day," Eminem told Rolling Stone in April 1999. "But I took her to the studio. When she found out I used our daughter to write a song about killing her, she f****** blew. We had just got back together for a couple of weeks. Then I played her the song, and she bugged the f*** out." These days, Hailie's place in her dad's music thankfully seems slightly less nefarious.