" Lose Yourself" By Lucas Hansen

Echoes from the band next door fill the waiting room. The only other sound is my foot tapping nervously on the floor as I look around. I'm in a bright green waiting room sitting on a couch about to go out on stage and perform in front of a crowd of people. God I’m nervous, my hand are sweaty and I look like I’m gonna vomit. I reach into my pocket and go on my phone. I log into my music app and start listening to Eminem radio. “Lose yourself” comes on, and before I know it I’m bobbin my head along with song. As my nervousness melts away from me. By the time the song is over, It’s my time to go on. I’m Ready.

Eminem is an American rapper who was born on October 17, 1972. He had a very turbulent childhood never knowing his father. Eminem says that the person who inspired him to finally go up on stage and say who he was to the world was to Tupac. Also the person who inspired him to make a career out of rapping was his daughter Hailie. Eminem uses situational irony and rhyme throughout his song to convey one of the many themes, fame isn’t all it’s hyped up to be.

Eminem reveals the theme, fame isn't all it’s hyped up to be, through the use of rhyme. In the 6th verse of the song “Lose yourself”, Eminem reveals how he is not being a good father to his daughter, Hailie, because he is away all the time. Eminem raps that he wants to be a good father to his daughter but can't because his job is taking him away from her all the time. “ He’s grown farther from home he is no father, he goes home and barely knows his own daughter.”(“Lose” 6) By rhyming “father” with “daughter”, Eminem is contrasting what he should be doing as a father to what he is doing which is going to shows that are far from his family and not spending enough time with his daughter. This reveal the theme fame isn't all it’s hyped up to be by showing how unhappy he his being a rapper because he is performing far from his family and can't spend time with them anymore.

Through the use of situational irony Eminem is able to convey the theme that fame isn’t all it’s hyped to be. In the 6th verse of the song Eminem raps how he has achieved his dream to be famous and it isn’t all he wanted. “Make me king, as we move toward a, new world order A normal life is borin', but super stardom's close to post mortem It only grows harder, only grows hotter He blows us all over these hoes is all on him Coast to coast shows, he's known as the globetrotter.”(“Lose”6) While the listener expects him to enjoy the fame he worked so hard for, Eminem surprises us  by instead he is actually constantly working hard and traveling all over the coast to so shows. It’s especially shocking because he came from a bad childhood so you want to see him achieve his dream and finally be happy but ends up suffering more because of fame. This reveals the theme fame isn’t all it’s hyped up to be by him telling us how he thought he got all he wanted he but really it wasn’t.

One of the greatest strengths of, “ Lose Yourself” is the powerful message and inspirational lyrics. An example is in the 10th verse of the song when Eminem says,

“ This is my life and these times are so hard

And it's getting even harder tryin' to feed and water my seed, plus

See dishonor caught up between bein' a father and a prima-donna

Baby mama drama screamin' on and too much

For me to want to say in one spot, another jam or not

Has gotten me to the point, I'm like a snail I've got

To formulate a plot fore I end up in jail or shot

Success is my only motherfuckin' option, failures not

Mom, I love you, but this trail has got to go, I cannot grow old in Salem's lot

So here I go is my shot Feet fail me not 'cause maybe the only opportunity that I got.”

This part talks about how he feels stuck where he his and cant get out and has to or die trying.

Although overall the song is incredible, the’re are a few spot where Eminem should have added more details to his song. For example at the beginning of the song Eminem says,” His palms are sweaty, Knees weak arms are heavy,”(“Lose”1) Although this doesn’t take away from the song and make it weaker, by adding more detail he would have made it stronger.

“Lose Yourself.” is an inspiring song that tells Eminem story as well as convey an important theme that fame isn’t all it’s hyped up to be. I personally connect to the song because I’m also a performer and I get nervous going on stage, just like Eminem describes in his song. Compared to more modern Hip-Hop Eminem sets a serious tone and conveys a unique message and them well also setting the bar very high in the Hip-Hop Industry.