In Curtis Hanson’s 8 Mile, Jimmy Smith Jr. (Eminem), more commonly known as Rabbit or B-Rabbit, is an aspiring white rap artist struggling to be recognized for his lyrical talent in a music form that is dominated by black artists. The story takes place in 1995 Detroit, Michigan. It is a city rapidly falling prey to economic devastation, where Eight Mile Road marks the line that separates black urban streets from white suburbia. The film depicts the rough aspects of Jimmy’s life through his job at a metal-pressing plant and his relationship with his self-serving alcoholic mother, Stephanie Smith (Kim Basinger).

The argument is abruptly and is ended when Jimmy is pulled to the stage by his friend Future (Mekhi Phifer) who is the M.C. of the rap battle. The reality of Jimmy’s fears becomes apparent when he steps out onto the stage and stares out onto the crowd. He stands there frozen in time, while the camera comes over his left shoulder moving forward to pan across the endless sea of black faces. There is an atmosphere of hostility which can be sensed throughout the crowd as Jimmy comes face-to-face with his opponent Papa Doc (Anthony Mackie). The battle quickly comes to an end when Jimmy is unable to retaliate due to the abusive rants of Papa Doc lyrics. As he stands there humiliated and embarrassed, the crowd begins to boo and taunt Jimmy, screaming for him to leave the stage. His failure to perform creates an immediate separation in the space between Jimmy and Future, which seems to act as an indicator of how the rest of their relationship will progress. Jimmy’s fears are also manifested around his friends. In his attempt to realize his dreams of becoming a rap artist, he maintains his status as a key man in a dead-end rap group accompanied by his friends Future, Cheddar Bob (Evan Jones), Sol George (Omar Benson) and DJ Iz (De’angelo Wilson), who call themselves “three-one-third” after the Detroit area code. Future, who is one of Jimmy’s biggest fans and the neighborhood leader, sees Jimmy’s talents as a potential for greatness and is constantly urging him to enter upcoming rap battles. Other than Jimmy and Future the group is relatively untalented, and their only hope for success is on the coat tales of Jimmy’s talent. Unfortunately, the fears of that night plague him throughout the film and cause disruptions between Jimmy and Future which brings animosity to the group. However, their strong friendship is shown throughout the film and ultimately, their underlining values of true brotherhood reign supreme.

For today’s audiences, 8 Mile still has quite the captivating hold. Being a recen

Some topics in this essay:
Jimmy Future, Kim Basinger, , Phifer MC, Mile Road, Papa Doc, Rabbit B-Rabbit, Future Jimmy’s, Anthony Mackie, Detroit Michigan, jimmy future, 8 mile, rap music, genre music, jimmy’s life, beginning film, rap artist, jimmy’s fears, everyday life, throughout film,