Eminem has officially endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden by approving the use of his signature hit, “Lose Yourself”, in a new campaign ad.
Released on the eve of Election Day, the 45-second ad is titled “One Opportunity” and advocates for voter turnout by featuring black-and-white footage of everyday Americans standing in line to vote. Those scenes are interspersed with clips of Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, campaigning in Eminem‘s home state of Michigan. It’s all soundtracked by the rapper’s Oscar-winning song, which appeared in the 2002 movie 8 Mile.
While sharing the video on Twitter, Mr Biden referenced the song’s lyrics by writing, “We have one shot. One opportunity. One moment.”
Eminem echoed the presidential hopeful by tweeting the video alongside the caption, “One opportunity… #Vote.”
Eminem has been outspoken about his political beliefs over the years, whether criticising then-president George W Bush in the 2004 song “Mosh” or attacking Donald Trump in various records. At the 2017 BET Awards, the Detroit rapper dedicated an entire five-minute freestyle diss to the president, rapping, “Any fan of mine who’s a supporter of his / I’m drawing in the sand a line / You’re either for or against / And if you can’t decide who you like more in your split / Or who you should stand beside / I’ll do it for you with this / F— you.”
The Biden ad marks the first time Eminem has licensed one of his songs to a political candidate, and one of only a few instances in which the 48-year-old artist has granted clearance for any type of outside use of his music. He joins a growing list of music superstars who have publicly endorsed Biden, including Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Bruce Springsteen.