That said, 8 Mile was a pivotal moment of Rap God’s career. It’s a semi-biopic hip-hop drama about a white, blue-collar worker who attempts to make his breakthrough in Detroit’s rap battle scene and his great underdog story. To celebrate the movie, here are the ten facts of Eminem’s 8 Mile.
10Eminem Overworked Himself During The Movie’s Production
During the movie’s production, Eminem admitted to having overworked himself. According to the rapper, he’d work “16 hours a day” because it was such a hectic year for the rapper. Besides filming 8 Mile, preparing to launch 50 Cent’s career, and recording The Eminem Show, he also had to collaborate with several artists for the movie’s accompanying soundtrack album and produce the debut album of his Detroit rap pack, Devil’s Night.
9It Led Him To Further Substance Problems
Unfortunately, Em’s crazy work ethic led him to worsen his substance abuse problems. On his next record, Encore, the rapper sounds exhausted, and it seems like a desperate cry-for-help.
8He Wrote ‘Lose Yourself’ On Set
Eminem’s signature song, “Lose Yourself,” was written during the breaks on the 8 Mile set. The song creatively sums up Em’s on-screen character’s struggles and how they relate to the rapper’s personal life. Its narrative delivery pumps everyone who listens to it. The song made history as the first hip-hop song to win an Oscar, but Em didn’t even bother to attend the ceremony and spent time with his daughter instead.
7Eminem Wasn’t The Only Rapper To Appear In The Movie
However, Eminem wasn’t the only rapper to appear in the movie. There was Proof, Eminem’s long-time best friend and the de jure leader of D12, who portrays Lil’ Tic, B-Rabbit’s first battle opponent. Xzibit, another protégé of Dr. Dre, also made his foray into the movie by playing the rapper at the food truck who battles Rabbit.
6Eminem Indirectly Squashed Jay-Z & Nas’ Feud With The Movie’s Soundtrack Album
5Chin Tiki, The Movie’s Infamous Spot, Has Now Been Abandoned
During the movie, B-Rabbit and his friends used to hang out at Detroit’s infamous Chin Tiki. In real life, it’s an exotic-themed nightclub in the Motor City owned by Marvin Chin. It’s been closed since 1980 due to Detroit’s economic downturn, but the building itself was torn down in 2009, seven years after 8 Mile premiered.
4‘Southpaw’ Was Meant To Be The Spiritual Sequel To ‘8 Mile’
Knowing how bad he could get while filming a movie, Eminem has never taken any other leading roles in a movie or series since 8 Mile. However, in 2009, he was close to signing the leading role of Southpaw before it ended up on Jake Gyllenhaal’s hands. The producing duo, Alan and Peter Riche, came up with an idea to make the movie a spiritual sequel to 8 Mile.
“I thought this guy hasn’t done a movie in a number of years, this might be interesting to him and, dare I say, a sequel to 8 Mile. Not literally in story, but a good fit for him,” Peter said.
3Mekhi Phifer Almost Lost His Role As Future
2Eminem Lost 24 Lbs For The Movie
Eminem is known for taking extreme measures to complete any work he’s doing. For this movie, he’s reportedly lost 24 lbs to portray the suburban white kid who lives in a trailer park. He even dyed his hair back to brown and covered his tattoos to distinguish the character, B-Rabbit, from Eminem’s rapper persona.
1Quentin Tarantino Was Once Rumored To Direct The Movie
Could you imagine how several scenes in 8 Mile would look like if Quentin Tarantino directed it? In fact, the renowned filmmaker was rumored to have been approached to direct the movie. Unfortunately, he was already busy with making Kill Bill. Another world-renowned director, Danny Boyle, met with Eminem and other producers before realizing they had creative differences. Curtis Hanson ended up sitting on the director’s chair.
