Eminem has taken to social media to announce that the soundtrack for his 2002 movie 8 Mile is getting a special release for its 20th anniversary. For many, the film was what announced the arrival of the rapper as a cultural heavyweight, with it a semi-autobiographical retelling of his early career, and him showing his rapping and acting prowess.
Starring the likes of Anthony Mackie, Kim Basinger, and the late Brittany Murphy, 8 Mile is one of the highest-rated hip-hop movies ever released, with it grossing more than $240 million (£207 million) worldwide (per Hip Hop DX).
As well as it opening everyone’s eyes up to a part of America that not many people were aware of at the time, it also reflected Eminem’s talents as an actor, with director Curtis Hanson, who also helmed the revered L.A. Confidential praising his work. He said: “Marshall gave me all a director could ask for from an actor – enormous talent, focus, dedication and a total commitment to the story we were trying to tell. He came at the job with humility, respect and tremendous self-discipline.”
Duly, Eminem excitedly shared the news of the soundtrack’s anniversary release on Twitter last week, alongside a montage of clips from the movie. “‘I’m still standing here screaming ‘f*** the Free World,'” he wrote in reference to a line from 8 Mile. “#8Mile 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of the soundtrack drops on streaming Friday!”
The new deluxe edition of the record will contain instrumentals of every song, as well as a demo of its most famous track, ‘Lose Yourself’. The song made history when it won Best Original Song at the Oscars in 2003, as it was the first rap song to do so. It then went on to win Best Rap Song and Best Male Rap Solo Performance at the following year’s Grammys. It was also Eminem’s first number one hit.
The soundtrack was first released in October 2002 and features a host of other rap heroes such as Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Rakim, Nas and Gang Starr.