Lose Yourself

"Lose Yourself"
Single by Eminem
from the album Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture 8 Mile
Released	October 22, 2002[1]
Format	CD single digital download
Recorded	September 2001 – 2002; (Detroit, Michigan)
Genre	Hip hop[2] rap rock[3]
Length	5:20 (album version) 4:27 (radio edit)
Label	Aftermath Shady Interscope
Writer(s)	Marshall Mathers
Producer(s)	Eminem Jeff Bass (add.) Luis Resto (add.)
Certification	6x Platinum
Eminem singles chronology
"Cleanin' Out My Closet" (2002) "Lose Yourself" (2002) "Rap Name" (2002)
Music video "Lose Yourself" on YouTube

"Lose Yourself" is a song by American rapper Eminem from the soundtrack to the 2002 motion picture 8 Mile. The song was written by Eminem and produced by Eminem along with longtime collaborator Jeff Bass, one half of the production duo Bass Brothers, and Luis Resto. It was released in October 28, 2002, as the lead single from the soundtrack.

"Lose Yourself" received acclaim from music critics, with many critics praising the song's aggressive themes and describing it as Eminem's best work to date. Eminem's rapping ability, the lyrics and the production were also praised as well. In many retrospective reviews and lists, critics have cited the song among Eminem's finest, as well as one of the best hip hop songs of all time. "Lose Yourself" was a commercial success, peaking atop of the charts in eighteen countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia. In the United States, "Lose Yourself" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first of five Eminem singles to top the Hot 100.

"Lose Yourself" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2003, making it the first ever rap song to have received this accolade,^[4] and also won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Solo Performance in 2004. In 2004, it was one of only three hip hop songs from the 21st century to have been included on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time", and was also the highest ranking, at number 166. Rolling Stone also ranked it one of the top 50 hip hop songs of all time. The song was certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America,^[5] and as of October 2015, it has 6.7 million downloads in the United States alone.^[6] It was ranked number 93 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs list. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 57 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".^[7]

Background

Eminem says that "Lose Yourself" was written on set, during breaks during the filming of 8 Mile.^[8] Taryn Manning, who played Eminem's ex-girlfriend Janeane in 8 Mile, said in an interview with MTV, that during the filming of the movie, in any downtime, Eminem was writing and that "you could just see him formulating stuff in his head."^[9] According to studio engineer Steven King, who spoke to Rolling Stone magazine, Eminem recorded the song in a portable studio on the set while he was on a break from shooting, recording all three verses in one take.^[10] The sheet on which he wrote the song appears in 8 Mile in a scene where his character is writing while riding the bus. A Drum & Bass remix has been made and was released on the mixtape Straight from the Lab, as a European bonus track.

The official demo version of this song, titled "Lose Yourself (Demo Version)" with two different verses and a slightly different hook, was released on the album Shady XV November 24, 2014.^[4]

Composition

"Lose Yourself" is a mid-tempo track with an urgent narrative delivery. 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" The song's chorus consists of two repeated short verses.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The song's production incorporates piano, violins and several other string instruments. The song is one of four new Eminem solo songs featured on the soundtrack, the other three being titled "8 Mile", "Rabbit Run" and "Stimulate" (included on deluxe edition only). Several critics cited this trio of songs as the best three from the soundtrack, as well as the most aggressive songs ever recorded by Eminem. Piano chords described as "instantly recognizable" open the song.^[11] Throughout the song there is a "tense, unrelenting guitar lick".^[12] The song is composed in the key of D minor.

Critical reception

"Lose Yourself" received critical acclaim, with many critics praising the song's aggressive themes and describing it as Eminem's best work to date. Eminem's rapping ability, the lyrics and the production were also praised as well. In many retrospective reviews and lists, critics have cited the song among Eminem's finest, as well as one of the best hip-hop songs of all time. AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the song's production: "The opening track and first single "Lose Yourself" is easily equaled by the title song with its layered pianos" and he highlighted it.^[13]

NME was extremely positive: "Eminem's urgent radio hit 'Lose Yourself', you already know. It's excellent, if obviously an offcut from 'The Eminem Show', all thundering rawk guitars and Rocky-ish bassline (appropriately enough)."^[14] RapReviews also noted: "And as all great journeys begin with a single step, so too does Eminem with this album's opening song AND lead single entitled "Lose Yourself":^[15] 411 Mania praised the song: "The album wastes no time, delivering the hit 'Lose Yourself' as the first track. The song is basically as close to a ballad as Eminem will ever get. It is a very hot, adrenaline-laced track. It also continues Eminem's recent trend of putting out tracks with more of a meaning."^[16]

On the rankings site The Top Tens, "Lose Yourself" is #1 in the "Best Rap Songs" list, with 12% of the total votes from 856 total options.^[17]

Chart performance

In the United States, "Lose Yourself" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart the week of October 5, 2002, at No. 43. A week later, the single jumped to No. 18, and hit No. 1 by November 9. The single spent 16 total weeks in the Top 10, and a total of 23 weeks in the Top 50. While in the No. 1 spot (from 11/09/02 through 1/25/03), "Lose Yourself" kept several top contenders for the No. 1 spot from ever reaching No. 1, including Jay-Z, Nelly, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, and especially Missy Elliott, whose single "Work It" was at No. 2 for 10 weeks. The song also topped the Pop Songs chart for 7 weeks and hit No. 4 and No. 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rap Songs charts. The song also used some rock music origins allowing moderate success to alternative rock radio peaking No. 14 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, the rapper's only song to chart. It reached 4 million in sale by August 2011,^[18] and as of October 2015, it has sold over 6.7 million copies in the U.S.^[6]

In France, it is the 53rd best-selling single of the 21st century, with 386,000 units sold as of August 2014.^[19] By July 2015, it had sold more than 10,000,000 units worldwide.

Music video

The song's accompanying music video, directed by Eminem, manager Paul Rosenberg and Phillip G. Atwell, was released on October 7, 2002. The video is a mixture of several scenarios, largely including several scenes from 8 Mile, however it also contains scenes addressing problems the real life Eminem has addressed, as well as "B-Rabbit"'s difficulties, including the ostracism by rap communities towards him due to his color, and his difficult personal life.

The music video for "Lose Yourself" was filmed in Detroit, Michigan, and thus contains numerous shots of the city, including the Ambassador Bridge. The video 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.

It contains scenes focusing on Rabbit's and the real life Eminem's character, for example, the difficulties he has to face while rapping, the insult and booing of crowds as he is a white rapper and the trouble he has to face due to his alcoholic mother and people he hangs out with.

At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards it received the award for Best Video from a Film in the final year this award was given out. It also received nominations for Video of the Year, Best Male Video, Best Rap Video, and Viewer's Choice. He won a MuchMusic Video Award in 2003 for Favorite International Artist with the video for "Lose Yourself".

The official video (uploaded by Eminem) has been viewed over 80 million times on YouTube making it one of Eminem's most popular videos on that site. However, it was restricted from viewing in 2011, spawning various privately uploaded versions.

Legacy

"Lose Yourself" is the most successful single of Eminem's mainstream career. Upon its release, the track was a worldwide chart success, peaking at number one on 24 national charts worldwide, these included the US Billboard Hot 100, making it Eminem's first number-one hit in the United States. It had a 12-week run at #1 in the United States and Australia, and topped the charts in many other countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand and Denmark. It debuted at number nine in Canada and moved up to #1 the following week. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, "Lose Yourself" became the "Longest Running Single at Number One for a Rap Song" at 23 weeks. With over 6 million copies sold in the United States, it is Eminem's second best-selling song, just behind "Love the Way You Lie".

The song went on to receive the Academy Award for Best Original Song^[4] (the first time a rap song ever won this award), beating other nominees like U2's "The Hands That Built America." Eminem, who was not present at the award ceremony as he believed he would not win, said in a Shade 45 Behind the Boards interview with Cipha Sounds that he was actually sleeping, with cartoons on for his daughter, at the time the award was announced.^[20] This was the first time in 14 years the winner of the Best Original Song category did not perform at the ceremony. Luis Resto, one of the song's co-producers, had attended the ceremony and accepted the award on his behalf. "He's creative, he has symphonies in his head," Resto said at the lectern about Eminem.^[21] The American Film Institute later ranked it #93 on their list of the 100 Greatest Songs from American Films.

At the Grammy Awards of 2004, "Lose Yourself" became Eminem's second career nomination for Record of the Year (following "Without Me"), and the first rap song ever to be nominated for Song of the Year. It won Best Male Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Song, which was a new category at the time.

At #166, "Lose Yourself" is the highest ranked of the three songs from the 21st century featured in the 2004 List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (joining "Stan" at #290 and Outkast's "Hey Ya!" at #180). The magazine later ranked the song the twelfth best of the '00s decade.^[22] The song was the 51st best-selling single of the '00s decade in the United Kingdom.^[23] The song was placed at number 104 by Pitchfork on their list of "The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s".^[24]

In October 2011, NME placed it at number 57 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".^[7] VH1 placed it at #4 for the best songs of the 2000s. In April 2016, it was placed at number 28 by Rolling Stone on their list of "100 Greatest Hip-hop songs of all time".^[25]

Appearances in other media

• In the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final, the England national rugby union team listened to the track in the changing rooms as inspiration to their first rugby world cup win, and the song was also used by the English Rugby Union during the tournament to advertise the sport and the tournament itself.^[26]
• In 2003, Kevin Randleman used this as his entrance song at Pride Final Conflict 2003
• In 2003, a part of the tune of the song is used as the theme music on the German detective series Lenßen & Partner.^[27][28]
• In 2004, in the South Park episode "You Got F'd in the A", right after Stan's conversation with his dad in the hospital, a variation of the song can be heard in the background.
• In 2005-2006, Queen + Paul Rodgers (a collaboration between the band and the singer) used the song as the house music for all of the concerts on their Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour.^[29][30] When the song cut out, the concert would begin with Paul Rodgers singing the opening lines of Reaching Out by Rock Therapy (featuring Rogers and Queen guitarist Brian May), before launching into the first full song. A live recording of this was later used by Eminem as a sample for his 2009 track "Beautiful".
• On May 15, 2006, Jodie Foster quoted the chorus of the song in her commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania.^[31]
• In 2007, the teen drama series Instant Star named its season premiere episode after this song.^[32]
• In 2009, the character Jeffrey Barnes, in the TV show Chuck, quoted the opening lines of the song on YouTube in the episode, Chuck Versus the Best Friend.^[33]
• It is used as the pre-game song at all USC home games.
• George Sotiropoulos used this as his entrance song at UFC 101.
• Mostapha Al-turk used this as his entrance song at UFC 99.
• Pro wrestler Jack Evans uses this as his entrance song in AAA.
• ABC Radio Grandstand commentator Kerry O'Keeffe recited the chorus of "Lose Yourself" on air as cricketer Steve Waugh headed towards his famous last-ball century at the Sydney Cricket Ground test match in January 2002.
• An instrumental version of the song is sometimes played before kick off or during half time at Nottingham Forest F.C. and Millwall F.C..
• Leicester Tigers also use the tune before their matches.
• The North Dakota Fighting Sioux men's ice hockey team uses the song during game time when the visiting team scores a goal.
• On February 6, 2011, Chrysler premiered a 2-minute television commercial for the Chrysler 200 mid-size sedan, with an instrumental track of "Lose Yourself" playing in the background. Eminem appears in the commercial, which first aired on Fox during Super Bowl XLV.
• Video game DJ Hero 2 added the song as DLC as part of the Jay-Z vs. Eminem Mix Pack, mixing the song with Jay-Z's "Can I Get A..."
• The rollercoaster Bizarro at Six Flags New England has a soundtrack that is played during the ride, part of which features the song "Lose Yourself" by Eminem.^[34]
• The song was used for the character trailer of Jay Brown in Eastenders.

Cover versions

• Charlotte Diamond covered the song in a remix she called "Mom's Pasketti"
• A hit comedic remix of the song under the name of "Mom's Spaghetti," by Andy of the Hitchcock Bros, uses repetition of Eminem saying "mom's spaghetti." One of the more popular uploads of it on YouTube, uploaded in 2012 by BigMitch Baker, has garnered ~1,300,000 views as of February 2016.^[35]
• "Weird Al" Yankovic made a parody of the song, titled "Couch Potato", on his 2003 album Poodle Hat. Eminem had given him permission to parody the song, but refused him permission to film a music video.
• Irish pop rock band The Script did an alternative cover to this song in the BBC Radio's live lounge.
• In 2003, the Australian comedy duo Scared Weird Little Guys produced a rap version of the folk song "Waltzing Matilda" called "Cleanin' Out My Tuckerbag", which parodies both "Lose Yourself" and "Cleanin' Out My Closet", but does not credit Eminem.
• Christian parody band ApologetiX parodied the song as "Look Yourself". It is available on their 2003 album, Adam Up.
• The show Robot Chicken parodied part of the film in the rapping sequence involving Bugs Bunny and a collection of other Looney Tunes characters.^[36]
• Lupe Fiasco sampled this song on his track "Lu Myself" (Jypsyeye on bass) on his mixtape, Lupe the Jedi and the Touch the Sky mixtape.
• During an October 2006 interview with the K102 Morning Crew in Minneapolis, country-pop artist Taylor Swift did an acoustic rendition of the intro and first verse of "Lose Yourself" live on the air, citing it as her favorite workout song.
• The East Village Opera Company performs this song live, usually as an encore with full orchestra backing.
• Fabolous made a remix to this track to honor Eminem.
• Canadian rock band Three Days Grace have been covering "Lose Yourself" in a medley with their song "Home".
• During the farewell concert, Polish hip hop group Paktofonika performed their song "W moich kręgach" ("In My Circles") with music background from "Lose Yourself".^[37]
• Post hardcore band Serianna covered this song in 2012, which is available as a digital download on iTunes and Amazon.^[38]
• Kelly Clarkson covered this song during her Clarkston, MI show on August 10, 2012 as part of her fan request cover song.
• Jon Connor's 2012 mixtape The People's Rapper LP included a remix of the song, as well as other Eminem remixes.
• Kellylee Evans covered this song on her 2013 album "I Remember When".
• MGK covered the song while performing in front of St. Andrews Hall where 8 Mile was filmed
• Hudson Taylor covered the song as a part of their "Lose Yourself Walking on the Flume" (The Police - Walking on the moon, Bon Iver - Flume) mashup.
• A mashup of this song with German artist Nena's "Nur geträumt", created by HiFi Brown, was a German radio hit in 2003.^[39]
• Vienna Teng covers the song in live performance as a mashup along with Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine".

Track listing

US / UK / European CD single

Credits and personnel

Credits for "Lose Yourself" are adapted from the liner notes of the original soundtrack to the movie 8 Mile.^[40]

Recording

• Recorded at: Detroit, Michigan.

Personnel

• Eminem – vocals, audio mixing, producer, songwriting and drum programming
• Jeff Bass – additional production, songwriter, electric guitar, bass, piano and keyboards
• Steve King – audio mixing and recording
• Mike Strange – recording
• Luis Resto – songwriter, keyboards and programming

Charts

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[87]	7× Platinum	490,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[88]	Platinum	30,000*
Belgium (BEA)[89]	Platinum	30,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[90]	6× Platinum	480,000^
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[91]	Platinum	60,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[92]	Gold	6,304[92]
France (SNEP)[93]	Gold	386,000[94]*
Germany (BVMI)[95]	Gold	200,000^
Greece (IFPI Greece)[96]	Gold	10,000^
Italy (FIMI)[97]	Platinum	50,000
Japan (RIAJ)[98]	3x Platinum	950,000[99][100][101]^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[102]	2× Platinum	20,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway)[103]	Platinum	10,000*
Sweden (GLF)[104]	Platinum	40,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[105]	Platinum	30,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[106]	2× Platinum	1,200,000
United States (RIAA)[107]	6× Platinum	7,010,125[6]
*sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

References

External links

• "Lose Yourself" on YouTube
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics