For Eminem 8 miles is a fictional autobiography with some freestyle rap battles. I’d like to take a few minutes and highlight my favorite catchphrases that occur during the various battles and explain why those letters are so powerful in the movie.
Outside the lunch truck: “Your style is doo doo… You’ve worked here longer than me. I make more than you!” followed by “Look at this yo yo, he cashed all his check and bought 1 ho ho!”
“I’ll break your shoulder blade and hit you so hard Elvis will roll over in his grave…”
“So sue me… This is a horror movie, but the black man doesn’t die in this movie”
“Is this a new bra? Look, Snoop Dogg’s got a boob job!”
These lines make me smile every time I see 8 Mile. So what makes these lines especially powerful, and how can battle rappers improve their punchlines? As you will notice, each finial mentioned here has a few elements in common:
They are specific. Whether it’s making fun of someone who’s broke or whose shirt is too tight, these jokes only work on the person they’re thrown at. That’s why they work so well; We’ve all heard a million “Yo Mom” jokes, but as we’ve seen Eminem (aka B. Rabbit) and other rappers do time and time again on film, it’s the details that win the day.
The punchlines are also well delivered. Each one has a pause between the preparation and the auction. Just like a heavyweight boxer, it is important to combine strong double punch to knock out opponents. Eminem is a well-known freestyler, having placed second in the Freestyle Olympics (which caught the attention of Dr. Dre), and most of the actors in 8 Mile freestyle too. His smooth delivery of it is not an accident; for maximum effect, they pause so the audience can really understand where they are taking the lyrics.
For Eminem, 8 Mile as a film is an opportunity to demonstrate his artistic skills, richly and on screen. For those who have seen the bonus battles on DVD, you can certainly attest that he can freestyle anyone in 8 Mile! He was able to beat random MC’s who were chosen to be extras in the movie because they beat everyone else. If you haven’t seen the bonus DVD, I highly recommend it.
As for rappers in movies, which one do you prefer? Eminem 8 Mile or 50 Cent: Get rich or die trying?