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Eminem Pays Homage To His 'Beautiful' City

Posted Thu Jul 2, 2009 2:05pm PDT by Billy Johnson, Jr. in Hip-Hop Media Training

Eminem puts his controversial antics on the back-burner for the fourth single from his "Relapse" album which has already sold more than 1 million copies since its May 19 release.

The video for his new record "Beautiful" spotlights his hometown of Detroit. It opens with a historical statement about the Michigan's national ranking during an economic peak.

"In 1950, Michigan was 1 of 8 states in America that collectively produced 36% of the world's GNP," the text read.

On a second screen the message continued, "Detroit was the greatest manufacturing city in the world."

The 4-minute clip shows Eminem walking through various Michigan landmarks that once thrived but are now impoverished--Beaux-Arts train station (Michigan Central Station), the original Tiger Stadium, and the former Packard Motor Car Company plant. Each of the now dilapidated structures were built prior to 1914.

Ironically, the song lyrics are not about Detroit, but Eminem's battles with depression during his bout with an addiction for which he sought rehabilitation. He raps, "I don't know how or why or when, I ended up in this position I'm in."

In a statement released via his label, Eminem said that after overcoming his trials, he realized that the song could also be used as a metaphor.

"Tiger Stadium is being torn down, and the train station is supposed to be demolished too," Eminem said. "This video is one of the last times anybody outside of Detroit is going to see them."

Eminem added, "['Beautiful'] is a reminder to keep your head up, and to see who you really are despite what you may be going through. Now that I've gotten through the toughest part, I see how the song relates to Detroit, and it feels even more powerful."


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1335 Comments

161. F. B. -
I hate rap music but I love this.

162. mel -
I love this video ,very touching.

163. Scott -
hE IS A TRUE TALENT, GOD BLESS THE USA

164. james g -
yah i agree the last verse is the best to bad they cut it but on the real it just shows how deep em truly is as a artist and why he is one of the most influential rappers of our time

165. tony -
It is truley amazing what this man can write. He can write things that make you cringe then the next song will make you angry,then there are the songs like this that make you sit back and think. This is why he is the only white rapper to make it so long, heck alot of black rappers don't make it as far as he has.

166. Yahoo! Music User -
It is not the city..it is the lousy-corrupt US Government as displayed by Detroit.

167. Noe -
nice cut,em always comes in his rawest form when hes on the serious tip

168. Wayne Y -
Eminem is absolutelly rediculous. He has a soft side? Oh, please! This guy has no idea about the current issues that are within the cities. Holy Cow - WHEN WILL PEOPLE STOP FOLLOWING THE IDIOTS OF SOCIETY AND ACTUALLY START DOING SOMETHING THAT PRODUCES SOMETHING OF SOME WORTH?

By the way he is one short step from showing up at the Pink Flamingo in Las Vegas with Miley Cyrus.

Rediculous Utterly Rediculous!

169. Jojo -
WOW!! he is just so AWESOME!! this song, video says alot about him! Just amazed......

170. dawn -
It's going to be hard for him to top this one. That was the best song and video he's made.

171. BAJA JOE -
DAMM, DETROIT IS A DUMP! I WOULD NEVER VISIT THAT UGLY CITY EVEN IF THEY PAID ME TO VISIT.

172. Mike -
Uhhh I thought his was about Detroit. Sounds like another Slim Shady sob song about being a rich famous rapper who wants to be normal. Yeah that relates to broken down Detroit, wel I guess he did walk around the city and somewhat tie it in the chorus.

Not impresed, but then again Im not from detroit either.

173. Rosalie B -
equally disheartening and heartening. Beautifully done.

174. MICHAEL S -
Slim Lamey needs to sit down and shut up somewhare and get a L.I.F.E. I mean I really hate this guy with that Evil look in his eyes!

175. jenn -
he gets better every album

176. Ted -
Any woman on this board who says she "loves" this man's sorry excuse for music should turn in her genitalia immediately - you're not a woman, you're a doormat.

177. -
I can't listen to Eminem song anymore without seeing Bruno's ass on his face

178. Jovani -
eminem makes great music

179. Kar -
wow is a ll i can say wow

180. gary -
That video has something for all of us right now.
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