Lose Yourself (2002) – Eminem

Every now and then, I find myself out and about – perhaps at the gym – when the music of Eminem blasts through the speakers. There’s simply no confusing his vocal delivery with that of any other rap artist; it’s sharp, raw, and undeniably distinct. Although rap and hip-hop have never been my preferred genres, I’ve often found myself pausing thinking, “Wow, this music is actually quite good.” Just the other day, my son Jesus – quite the admirer of Eminem – brought him up in conversation. I remarked how I really ought to include Eminem in my music project, given his enormous influence on the rap genre and broader pop culture. But I wasn’t sure which track to focus on. So, I put the question to Jesús: “What’s your favourite Eminem song?” Without hesitation, he replied, “Lose Yourself.” Instantly, I recognised it and told him how much I liked it too. He called him ‘the crack‘. And so, here we are today.

Upon researching this article, it would appear my son has good tastes since Eminem’s 2002 hit Lose Yourself, from the 8 Mile soundtrack, is a landmark track not just in his own discography but in the genre as a whole. Its themes of ambition, struggle, and seizing opportunity (“You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow”) resonated far beyond traditional rap audiences. It’s said Lose Yourself captured the genre at a turning point, where emotional depth met lyrical complexity, wrapped in mainstream appeal. It elevated rap to a new cultural echelon, and for those of us who might not gravitate to the genre naturally, it served as a gateway – that sometimes powerful music can transcends taste.

A lot of the following was interspersed with extracts from the Wikipedia article below:
Lose Yourself is a mid-tempo hip hop track with an urgent narrative delivery. The lyrics were written by Eminem on set, during breaks while filming 8 Mile – a film I still haven’t seen in it’s entirety, only bits and pieces. The song’s lyrics explicitly sum up the background of Eminem’s character in 8 Mile, B-Rabbit, with the first verse summing up much of the plot of the movie. The song incorporates several aggressive themes, largely dealing with the struggles dealt with by B-Rabbit, and how he eventually overcomes his many problems and obstacles to gain the respect of other rappers.

Lose Yourself was the lead single from the soundtrack. Eminem recorded the song in a portable studio on the set while he was on a break from shooting, using only one take for each verse. The sheet on which he wrote the song appears in 8 Mile in a scene where his character is writing while riding the bus. The song’s production incorporates piano, drums, violins, and several other string instruments

Lose Yourself was a commercial success, becoming Eminem’s first Billboard number-one single and remaining there for twelve consecutive weeks. It reached the top of the charts in nineteen other countries. Lose Yourself received widespread acclaim from music critics, with many critics praising the song’s inspiring, aggressive themes and describing it as as among Eminem’s finest, as well as one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time.

Lose Yourself won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, making it the first hip hop song to receive the award. In 2004, it was one of only three rap songs from the 21st century to be included on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, being the highest ranked at number 166. It is also the second most streamed song on Spotify from the 2000s.

The video presented below is a mixture of multiple scenarios, including scenes from and reminiscent of the movie 8 Mile, and Eminem rapping next to the “8 Mile Rd. Mobile Court” sign that appears on the cover of the movie’s soundtrack.

[Intro]
Look, if you had one shot or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted in one moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?
Yo

[Verse 1]
His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
There’s vomit on his sweater already, mom’s spaghetti
He’s nervous, but on the surface, he looks calm and ready
To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgetting
What he wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud
He opens his mouth, but the words won’t come out
He’s chokin’, how? Everybody’s jokin’ now
The clock’s run out, time’s up, over, blaow
Snap back to reality, ope, there goes gravity
Ope, there goes Rabbit, he choked, he’s so mad
But he won’t give up that easy, no, he won’t have it
He knows his whole back’s to these ropes, it don’t matter
He’s dope, he knows that, but he’s broke, he’s so stagnant
He knows when he goes back to this mobile home, that’s when it’s
Back to the lab again, yo, this old rhapsody
Better go capture this moment and hope it don’t pass him

[Chorus]
You better lose yourself in the music
The moment, you own it, you better never let it go (Go)
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo
You better lose yourself in the music
The moment, you own it, you better never let it go (Go)
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo
You better

[Verse 2]
His soul’s escaping through this hole that is gaping
This world is mine for the taking, make me king
As we move toward a new world order
A normal life is boring, but superstardom’s
Close to post-mortem, it only grows harder
Homie grows hotter, he blows, it’s all over
These hoes is all on him, coast-to-coast shows
He’s known as the Globetrotter, lonely roads
God only knows he’s grown farther from home, he’s no father
He goes home and barely knows his own daughter
But hold your nose ’cause here goes the cold water
These hoes don’t want him no mo’, he’s cold product
They moved on to the next schmoe who flows
He nose-dove and sold nada, and so the soap opera
Is told, it unfolds, I suppose it’s old, partner
But the beat goes on, da-da-dom, da-dom, dah-dah-dah-dah

[Verse 3]
No more games, I’ma change what you call rage
Tear this motherfuckin’ roof off like two dogs caged
I was playin’ in the beginning, the mood all changed
I’ve been chewed up and spit out and booed off stage
But I kept rhymin’ and stepped right in the next cypher
Best believe somebody’s payin’ the Pied Piper
All the pain inside amplified by the
Fact that I can’t get by with my nine-to-
Five and I can’t provide the right type of life for my family
‘Cause, man, these goddamn food stamps don’t buy diapers
And there’s no movie, there’s no Mekhi Phifer, this is my life
And these times are so hard, and it’s gettin’ even harder
Tryna feed and water my seed, plus teeter-totter
Caught up between bein’ a father and a prima donna
Baby-mama drama, screamin’ on her, too much for me to wanna
Stay in one spot, another day of monotony’s gotten me
To the point I’m like a snail, I’ve got
To formulate a plot or end up in jail or shot
Success is my only motherfuckin’ option, failure’s not
Mom, I love you, but this trailer’s got
To go, I cannot grow old in Salem’s Lot
So here I go, it’s my shot; feet, fail me not
This may be the only opportunity that I got

[Outro]
You can do anything you set your mind to, man

References:
1. Lose Yourself – Wikipedia