Eminem has never been shy about sharing the ups and downs of his tumultuous relationship with his mother, Debbie Nelson, through his music. However, his recent tribute to her during a performance at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix left fans with a profound emotional moment that spoke volumes without a single word.

The 52-year-old rap icon, who had just lost his mother to lung cancer on December 2, altered a well-known controversial lyric from his iconic 2002 track, Without Me. The song, which features the infamous line, “F**k you Debbie,” has been a staple in Eminem’s discography, a symbol of his long-running grievances with his mother. Yet, during his performance on December 7, just five days after Debbie’s passing, Eminem made a subtle but significant change: he remained silent during the punchline and allowed the audience to chant the words for him.

The decision to refrain from rapping the lyric was an emotional gesture, one that displayed a deep sense of respect and perhaps even sorrow. Eminem’s relationship with his mother had been strained for years, and his lyrics have often reflected the pain, anger, and confusion he felt growing up. Songs like Brain Damage (1999) and Marshall Mathers (2000) laid bare the details of his troubled childhood, including allegations of physical abuse and his mother’s struggles with addiction.

In Brain Damage, Eminem rapped about being physically and emotionally abused, recounting a scene where his mother supposedly attacked him with a remote control. Meanwhile, in Marshall Mathers, the rapper addressed the lawsuit Debbie Nelson filed against him for defamation, referring to her as a “fing bh” and making harsh claims about her role in his own struggles with drugs. This candid portrayal of his upbringing made his early music controversial, with Debbie becoming a frequent subject in his lyrics.

However, despite the intense public scrutiny and the anger-filled verses, Eminem’s recent performance at the F1 Grand Prix reveals a quieter, more reflective side of the rapper. By choosing not to repeat the infamous line, he appeared to honor his mother’s memory while acknowledging the complicated emotions that lingered after her death.

In the wake of Debbie’s passing, Eminem has kept his comments about her death to a minimum, letting his brother, Nathan “Nate” Kane Mathers, express the family’s grief on social media. Nate shared a poignant Instagram story, writing, “Hatred and mixed emotions today,” a sentiment that many fans could understand, given the complex nature of their relationship.

Though Eminem has not publicly spoken out about his mother’s death, the change in his performance speaks volumes. It’s a rare moment where the rapper allowed silence to take the place of words, and in doing so, he offered a raw, unspoken tribute to his late mother—a tribute that reflects the complicated love, loss, and reconciliation that marks his relationship with her.

As Eminem continues to process his loss, fans are left with the sense that this small but powerful gesture marks a turning point in his personal and artistic journey. After decades of expressing his pain through music, it seems that, in the end, silence may be the most powerful tribute of all.