Lose Yourself - Eminem (Textual Analysis)

In this essay I will look at how an artist is represented in their music video. The artist I will be analysing is Eminem in the music video for Lose Yourself. Lose Yourself is a song from the soundtrack for the film 8 mile, which Eminem stared in. The film is about a young white boy who wants to become a rapper. This is shown in the music video, it is in a way a mini film itself. Due to this song being the soundtrack for the film, the job of the music video isn't only to show fans and interest new listeners but also to sell the film. The music video is also therefore narrative based. Here is the video:

The genre for this song is Rap. Today Eminem is one of the most famous white rap artists. Rap is genre generally stereotyped with black people, which the video emphasises. The video starts with a close up of Eminem, wearing a black hat and oversized clothes, this could show he is trying to hide under them as he is nervous of his new venture. A tracking shot follows him onto a nearly empty bus. The bus has been graffiti'd on, and the low key lighting further makes it look run down and poor. This represents the poverty area where Eminem grew up.

As the famous, powerful piano chords are played, the location changes to low key lit toilet, who's walls are covered in defacement something which is associated with deviant youths who are also stereotypically fans of the rap genre. A variety of camera angles show Eminem practising in the mirror. This creates an image of hardworking boy, as with his working/lower class background he wants to use his talents to better himself.


A close up shot shows an apprehensive Eminem  as the lyrics say 'His nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready'. A shot reverse shot then reveals he is on stage, infront of a huge crowd of people in a dingy, low key lit room. The crowd are predominantly black, fitting the stereotype of rap music. He is the only white man in the room, however instead of being shy and hiding away he is on the stage, this represents him as a confident man. Whilst on stage the lyrics sing 'he opens his mouth but the words won't come out', and visuals show a dumbstruck Eminem, this shows that the video is illustration in terms of Goodwin's theory.

The location changes to what looks like a car park. It is full of mostly black men, one of which tries winding up Eminem, who responds by starting to fight the man. This shows Eminem as aggressive, which is also a characteristic of rap videos, as the rap genre is known for its threatening lyrics and lifestyle.


Further on into the video, we see Eminem back on the stage, this time with a lot more confidence and courage. This location is used every time the chorus is played. This shows he is willing to keep trying for he wants, even though he knows some of the people in the crowd will instantly judge him for being white. Whilst on stage he proceeded to pull down his pants and show his bottom half to his rap challenger. This shows he is controversial and could come across as rude, however the rap genre can be associated with being impolite.

The pace of this video is fast as there is always new locations and visuals to look at. The fact the video is from a film may help, as there was already hours of footage for them to use. The next location seen is a urban town street. Eminem is seen hanging out the side of a car window grasping a gun, shooting at a police car. Violence is another association with the rap genre. The image of Eminem shooting the gun makes him a scary, criminal individual, however moments later we see a whole different side to the rapper as he sees his young daughter. As the lyrics sing, 'he goes home and barely knows his own daughter', he tucks her up in bed showing his loving side.





On the third chorus, the location returns back to the stage and Eminem looks even more confident. His eyes are puffy and red, foreshadowing he is tired and been up working hard to perfect his raps. The look in his eyes shows determination, which is proven by showcasing how far he has come when each chorus is played. His determination and hard
work can also be seen when he is shown turning his anger and hurt into lyrics on a page.

The next scene shows Eminem once again being aggressive and confronting a black man. They are surrounded by other black men, once again a characteristic of rap music. There is then yet another fight and there is a heavy sense of gang culture, which is affiliated with the rough rural streets where rap music is listened to.

When we reach the last chorus, the lighting of the room has changed. Although it is still low key lit, it is less musky and more how you would expect concert lighting to be. Eminem has the whole crowds attention. As he ends his rap, the visuals on screen illustrate the lyrics, 'you can do anything you set your mind to'.

In terms of selling the film and the artist I think the video does a great job, as it shows a range of scenes and locations from the film which interest the viewer, however as the clips are silent so we can hear the song we don't know what is really going on. After watching this music video I would definitely want to see the film 8 Mile.