NASAAN, the son of the late Detroit rapper Proof and close friend Eminem, recently honored his father and Eminem in a new music video by recreating Eminem’s freestyle as a memorable moment from their past.
In the video for his track “Goated,” featuring Royce Da 5’9″, there’s a poignant scene where NASAAN references “my daddy” in his lyrics, and the footage cuts to a reenactment of Eminem’s freestyle with Proof during an MTV interview back in 1999.
“Goated” serves as the debut single from NASAAN’s first full-length project. Reflecting on the release of the video, NASAAN shared heartfelt thoughts on Facebook, revealing that the video’s scheduling coincided with the anniversary of his father’s passing.
He expressed the significance of this moment for his career and his bond with his late father, expressing a deep sense of pride and determination to make his father proud.
The relationship between Proof and Eminem was deeply impactful, and Proof’s tragic death in 2006 had a profound effect on Eminem’s life and struggles with addiction. In a 2022 op-ed for XXL, Eminem opened up about the devastating impact of Proof’s death on his drug addiction, recalling a period where his drug use escalated dramatically.
“After Proof died, I was in my house by myself, and I couldn’t move and I just kept staring at the ceiling fan,” Eminem shared.
“I remember a few months after Proof had passed, I was about to use the bathroom, and all I remember was I just fell over. The next thing I remember was waking up with tubes in me and shit, and I couldn’t talk. I didn’t understand where I was and what the fuck happened.”
Eminem’s raw and candid reflections underscore the deep emotional toll of losing Proof, depicting a period of intense struggle and near-fatal consequences fueled by grief and substance abuse.
Overall, NASAAN’s tribute to his father and Eminem in “Goated,” along with Eminem’s poignant reflections on the aftermath of Proof’s death, highlight the enduring impact of their relationship and the profound influence Proof had on Eminem’s life and music career.