8 Mile is a 2002 American hip-hop drama film, directed by Curtis Hanson and starring Eminem, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy and Mekhi Phifer. Detroit Vs. Everybody. The film marked the first screen appearance by Anthony Mackie, who plays Papa Doc. Lotto is seen again when his crew is in the Parking Lot, heckling the rappers there. By the time Eminem (AKA Marshall Bruce Mathers III) came around to creating his feature film, 8 Mile, he had already propelled himself towards stardom as one of the biggest recording artists in history. Rosenberg: The character Future is based on Proof, and initially we had hopes that Proof would kill the audition and he would come in and play the part. The reason Phifer almost passed up the role was that he was required to travel to Detroit for the audition two days after the 9/11 attack, and Phifer was residing in New York City. Responsible Gambling. Thats what the whole movie was building toward. In 8 Mile, DeAngelo Wilson starred as Jimmys friend and Sols brother, DJ Iz. Casting directors couldnt pick a more perfect actress to play Alex, Jimmys love interest, than Brittany Murphy. I remember him saying in a magazine interview (I think Vibe magazine), he was doing a ton of pills during 8 mile filming and also around the time of his Encore album. Unfortunately, things didnt work out with Eminem as the lead, and the project fell through. He is known to go to extreme lengths in everything, good or bad. The movie follows an aspiring/struggling white rapper named B-Rabbit. They do let people win the smaller $50k prizes. Eminem portrays the character as it was based on him. He actually started working on a second 8 Mile where a boxer loses custody of his daughter and tries to get her back. Jigga teams up with State Property frontman Freeway for "8 Mile and Runnin'" while Nas's song, "U Wanna Be Me . 2014s Something Wicked was the starlets last movie. She went on to star in hit films like Just Married, Uptown Girls, Sin City, and more. Who is B-Rabbit? She was offered a recording contract from Dupri with So So Def Records but ultimately turned down the deal claiming it was not enough money, opting to be an independent artist. Everyone was under the weather. Plus, it showcases the rappers lyrical genius. The fire was started by unknown causes. Coincidence? This shit is a horror flick, But the black guy doesn't die in this movie! That shit you spit was written.. Do this. My biggest thing was just trying to be on the same level as Mekhi fucking Phifer.2. Byrd: Those battle scenes: Man, you could feel that Detroit really, really loved those scenes. Well, that thought came to the mind of highly sought-after director Kurt Sutter (who created the Sons of Anarchy series). [7], Stephens' second mixtape, Latto Let 'Em Know, was released in April 2017. Danny Boyle was in early discussions to direct but his vision for the film didn't match Eminem's as well as Curtis Hanson's did. Perhaps it was so that audiences could distinguish between Marshall Mathers, the rapper, and the character he is playing. Just months later, Simon was found dead under the same mysterious circumstances. 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. Fenelon: We wanted the feel of a boxing match, or some kind of underground sporting event. Jones: The actual guys who battled were obviously rappers. Really, just every detail, we made sure it looked right. He spent extended days -- from about 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. -- on that set. All rights reserved. The whole crowd was going, Ohhh! In addition to his demanding movie work, Eminem was getting ready to launch 50 Cents career and recording his own album, The Eminem Show. Which is sort of how I felt. I wanted it to be about a guy not trying to make it, but just trying to figure it out. Jones: It was tough Detroit. I didnt know he was gonna do that, and thats why thats the expression on my face in the movie. Silver: I can remember sitting there and watching that last scene like, Oh, this is unbelievable. Those startling battle rap scenes were faithful re-creations of the actual battles Em came through on his way to the top. Jones: He was just supposed to be mumbling stuff, pretending for the camera. This is who I am. And I like that, at the end, he goes back to work. Spitting out rhymes and such impressive lyrics is definitely not as easy as it looks. [14] On the same day, Latto was featured on NLE Choppa's single "Make Em Say", taken from his debut studio album, Top Shotta. Its usually considered a good thing when an old, dingy, run-down place is able to turn itself around and become a respectable place of business. [13] The song samples Gucci's 2007's single, "Freaky Gurl". She was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2023 Grammy Awards. But it worked. Although the gender of the sibling differs, this comes really close to Eminems real family dynamic growing up. The reason his character is nicknamed Bunny Rabbit is that Eminem has pretty big ears. Yep, Papa Doc, the guy who was supposed to be the top-dog of Free World and dethrone Eminem as the ultimate freestyle rapper, was Anthony Mackies first acting role. [19], In January 2021, it was announced that Latto would be changing her stage name from "Mulatto" following the controversy of the term being deemed as colorist. And hes doing Lose Yourself, and hes going, No more Mekhi Phife Mekhi was, like, so happy! I think he had this shit already wrote for me, honestly. The director told him, you have to save your voice, so they cut his mic off. And then he starts writing his rebuttal right then and there. They hook up, he develops feelings for her, and then he walks in on her cheating on him with some dude. Fuck the Free World!" ~MC Bob Cheddar Bob now known as M.C Bob is Jimmy 's "dumb friend" and a member of Jimmy's gang known as "313", They are involved in a street war with a rival gang known as "Tha Free World", Cheddar Bob is portrayed as rather dimwitted, but makes up for this by his loyalty, Cheddar was played by Evan Jones. These kids were in there for two weeks! Fuckin' wit Lotto, dawg, you gotta be kiddin! Byrd: And all of a sudden Em shook his head like, Hey, man I cant let you get away with that. Marshall Mathers got his rap moniker in a pretty simple way, from his initials, M.M., or more famously, Eminem. Ohhhhhhhhh!, Strike: Em said, How you gonna get up here with some shit you wrote in your no. He said his rhymes weren't as good during this drug period because his mind was sluggish. And Paul Rosenberg was conducting [audition] battles out and about in the cold. When we pulled up to the [auditions], we actually thought it was the feds. Everybody gave up one of their free days to come over and do rehearsal. You had to battle people for the montage. In real life, neither Eminem nor his friends ever burned a house down. He took me and we got three Phat Farm jean outfits, matching Timberlands. Fenelon: We rehearsed. I pulled him to the side and I told him he sucked. B Rabbit vs Lotto 8 MileCopyright to NBC Universal and Universal Pictures Eminem: I only had to come up with some of the other rappers lines so that my replies would tie in. I just never thought her character would show up to that battle, and she wouldnt show up dressed like that. He ended up just getting booed off the stage. Hollywood Gossip alluded to the fact that the costars had a more than a professional relationship during production, but the rapper shot down these allegations saying, [That] was completely untrue, emphasizing that I would not tell a lie. I believe him. Silver: Just as an aside [Dr.] Dre was a producer on the movie, and I had to pitch him, too. Boyle even met with Eminem and producers but came to the conclusion that Boyle wouldnt be able to direct the movie the way he wanted due to creative differences. You gotta get to that moment in the end: Fuck you, you dont define me. The song even went on to win an Oscar, making it the only rap song to ever win that coveted award. Hes acting for the first time, hes basically in every single scene, he was raising his daughter, he had relatives in town, he had to do the soundtrack album, he had to constantly come up with lyrics. Bro you're actually kind of right lol I remember watching 8 Mile for the first time in 2013 and I thought Eminem won the final 3 battles, no debate. Although Jake Gyllenhaal was brought in as a replacement, the entire potential 8 Mile sequel subplot was nixed. Quentin Tarantino wasnt as close as Boyle, but rumor has it that Tarantino was extremely interested in working on the film. Lotto won so clear it was actually weird they didn't just make his rounds worse, Id love to see someone like Hollow get to rap after Eminems round of dissing himself. She first appeared on American rapper Jermaine Dupri 's reality television series The Rap Game in 2016, where she was known as Miss Mulatto and won the show's first season, but she . You think these niggas gonna feel the shit you say? Although his career gained him respect, recognition, fame, and wealth, things werent always easy for the aspiring rapper. The remainder is then kept for administration costs and charitable donations or tax revenues. Before that it was only known as UDP: Untitled Detroit Project. Throughout the movie, we saw B-Rabbit and his friends often chilling at the Chin Tiki. He actually took a job as a short-order cook at a restaurant called Giberts Lodge. Jay-Z partnered up with State Property frontman Freeway for 8 Mile and Runnin, and Nass track was U Wanna Be Me, number 10 on the album. But Em wasnt supposed to talk because his voice was raw. 8 Mile is a semi-autobiographical film that follows Jimmy Smith Jr, a struggling young rapper. [21] In March 2021, she became the first female rapper from Atlanta to have a solo record be certified gold and platinum with "Bitch from da Souf" (2019) and "Muwop" (2020). I feel bad that I gotta murder that dude from ", I used to like that show, now you got me in fight-back mode, But oh well, if you gotta go, then you gotta go, I hate to do this, I would love for this shit to last, Ward, I think you were a little hard on the Beaver. Fenelon: We tried to shoot the movie as much as possible in [chronological] order. When Em battled, Proof wouldnt, and vice versa: They never went at each other. If I were to describe Eminem in one world, I think extreme would be the way Id sum him up. This works better than anything I could have dreamed of. That rap was so much better than anything that I wrote. {lotto} I'll spit a racial slur honkie sew me. But unless youre a Detroit native, this little detail probably flew over your head. The track received a second life thanks to being used in a rap battle for 2002's 8 Mile, but it wasn't until the Eminem-starring blockbuster's premiere that Fredro Starr found out the . Ask yourself if you . But according to police reports, the paintball didnt even break anything, and Eminem didnt even shoot it; his friend did. Plus, Claus doesnt seem nearly as endearing as Cheddar Bob. To celebrate, Grantland will devote an entire week, fromApril 11 through April 18, to the various stories of this wholly original place. That was one of those rare moments of inspiration: How about Cheddar Bob, this really dumb character, tells him exactly what the guy is gonna say? For example the line where he says: "I ain't hear a word you said. An oral history of the 8 Mile rap battles. his real name is Jimmy Smith Jr., though we never . ShortList is supported by you, our amazing readers. [8], In January 2019, Latto released the song "Bitch from da Souf". I wrote the lyrics and faxed them over. Id just stack a few punch lines up and mostly freestyle about the guy in front of me. If you didnt notice them the first time around, keep your eyes peeled the next time you watch the film. But are you surprised? 8 Mile featured a lot of great freestyle raps but which one among the group is considered the best? Much respect to Curtis Hanson he pulled us in the back: If you guys dont get this shit right now, Im gonna remove you out the whole fucking movie. He straightened us out real quick. She was also the voice behind Luanne Platter on the animated series King of the Hill. He can make fun of anyone with his clever rhymes. Great movies you can stream on Amazon Prime Video now. From the 80s Pistons to Bob Seger, Eminem to Miguel Cabrera, the Motor City is a rich tapestry of compelling figures, unbelievable moments, and uniquely American ingenuity. Here are 15 things to know about 8 Mile Eminem was asked by director Curtis Hanson to dye his hair back to its natural brown. Just like Marshall Mathers, B-Rabbit worked odd jobs in order to pay the bills while he was pursuing his music-making dreams to become a rapper. Strike: Everybody there in the crowd was a performer, a rapper, a ex-rapper, a never-could-really-rap-for-real real rapper. Gary Sinise was the first choice to play Greg, the boyfriend of Jimmy's mother (Kim Basinger). Quality-wise, I think this battle is comparable to the ones in 8 Mile (to be fair, if you can't write as well as someone else can freestyle, you're a really lousy writer.). During that time, he appeared in films like Imposter, Honey, and Dawn of the Dead, to name just a few. He was way too nervous about getting on a plane right after the tragedy, which is totally understandable. Another distinguishable difference is Eminems tattoos; he covered them all up for the movie. Quality-wise, I think this battle is comparable to the ones in 8 Mile (to be fair, if you can't write as well as someone else can freestyle, you're a really lousy writer.) He was such a professional. He saw it as a mastery and respect for the power of the word. Now, thats a behind-the-scenes fact that is terrifying for two reasons. Personally I think he lost to Lotto but I gave him the rounds against Lyckety-Splyt and Papa Doc. Rosenberg: He, uh, he was quickly hushed. It's been nearly 20 years since Eminem starred in 8 Mile, a sideways take on the rapper's life. UPDATED: The very best movies of the 90s - a glorious decade in film. Latto's mainstream breakthrough came with the release of "Big Energy", the lead single from her second studio album 777 (2022). biggest rap concert attendance,