From the Elvis soundtrack featuring an exclusive track called The King and I" to "Lose Yourself" in the trailer for Minions: The Rise of Gru, Eminem music in movies shows up in diverse places. The Detroit rapper had his own cinematic trysts with his semi-autobiographical movie 8 Mile along with other movies for which he has contributed to the soundtracks including the likes of Southpaw, Venom, and many more. Given Slim Shady's impact on pop culture, it is not surprising to find several other movies and shows that incorporate his iconic rap tracks.
Eminem is one of the few rappers who is an Oscar voter, winning the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2003 for "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile. He has also added several awards to his history at the AMA, Billboard, and Grammys, with Eminem winning 14 awards at the biggest ceremony in music. Add in his work as an actor in shows and movies like BMF, The Interview, Entourage, and 8 Mile, and he has ingrained himself into the realm of movies, both with his presence and his award-winning music.
10 Real Steel - Till I Collapse
Real Steel is one of the most unconventional boxing movies of recent times. So, it is only suitable for a power anthem like "Till I Collapse" to feature in a story about robot boxers fighting it out in the ring. The song plays out when protagonist Charlie walks into a fight with his new contender, Noisy Boy, a robot fighter crafted in the likeness of a samurai. Not only are Eminem's expressive bars hype-worthy in the scene, but the late Nate Dogg's chorus is also equally motivational. Lyrics like "Till the roof comes off, 'till the lights go out, 'Till my legs give out, can't shut my mouth" are tailor-made for Eminem music in movies.
9 Human Resources - The Monster
A spin-off TV show from Netflix's Big Mouth, Human Resources tends to focus on the everyday misadventures of the so-called "Hormone Monsters" that accompany every human being. Going back to the start, the first episode of Human Resources closes with the character Becca giving birth to a child. In a darkly funny sense, Eminem and Rihanna's collaboration "The Monster" starts playing. This Eminem music in tv shows is only apt for the "Lovebug" Emma to be unimpressed with the child's appearance as she too feels that the youngling looks like a monster. A single from MMLP2, "The Monster" is one of Eminem's more introspective tracks as he reminiscences about the inner demons that plagued his life.
8 Cradle 2 The Grave - Go To Sleep
An aggressive diss track directed at Ja Rule, "Go To Sleep" is an aggressive needle drop that might not suit everyone's musical tastes. But within the context of the action thriller Cradle 2 The Grave, it seems more than fitting to use this Eminem music in movies. The movie stars martial artist star Jet Li along with rapper-turned-actor DMX. In fact, DMX also joins in on the track marking this as his first collaboration with Eminem. Shady Records alumnus Obie Trice also hops in for a verse. "Go To Sleep" is one of those tracks in Eminem's early-2000s career when he was ready to be at his rawest to warn his contenders from messing around with him.
7 The Equalizer - Guts Over Fear
Breaking out in the 1990s, Eminem boasts an artistic legacy that continues to inspire new-age artists. With "Guts Over Fear," Eminem takes a backseat and touches upon his current status as an industry veteran. He regrets the times that he has hurt people in his career while also expressing his fear now that his career can come to a close. When it comes to movies that use Eminem music, the song received more popularity when it played in the trailers for the first part of Denzel Washington's The Equalizer movies, also playing during the end credits. Given that Washington's character is also a man with a broken past, the Eminem track from the compilation album SHADYXV seems like the perfect fit.
6 8 Mile - Various
Playing B Rabbit in 8 Mile, Eminem tried out his hand at acting, delivering a performance that was acclaimed by critics and fans alike. The story was inspired by Em's own upbringing in Detroit as his character evolves from an aspiring rapper with stage fright to one of the most savage battle rappers out there. Within the movie, his last three rap battles offer a masterclass in battling while the movie's Oscar-winning lead single "Lose Yourself" has become an inspirational cult favorite. The 8 Mile soundtrack features some other lesser-known Eminem music in movies such as "Love Me," "8 Mile," and "Rap Game," a track by his former hip-hop group D12.
5 More Than The Game - Forever
Back when Drake was starting, one of his most star-studded collaborations was "Forever," a song about success and never giving up. Joining the Canadian rapper are icons in the game like Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and Eminem. The song found its way into LeBron James' 2009 documentary More Than A Game along with a mention in Eminem's Relapse. The latter's verse is regarded as one of his best guest verses and was so influential that his fellow collaborators decided to rewrite their verses. According to the Eminem fansite Southpawers, Kanye West canceled appointments and took two days to write a fresh verse after listening to Eminem's.
4 Southpaw - Various
Eminem was supposed to star in the boxing drama movie Southpaw. However, Jake Gyllenhaal eventually went on to star as the short-tempered boxer who attempts to make a comeback after the death of his wife. Still, Eminem went on to curate the soundtrack recording a few exclusive singles, such as "Phenomenal" and "Kings Never Die" as some of the best Eminem music in movies. The first one plays during a training montage when the lead character Billy Hope trains with his coach. While "Phenomenal" serves as a self-affirmation anthem, the second track "Kings Never Die" is more victorious in its sound, during the end credits.
3 Venom Series - Venom & Last One Standing
From Spider-Man to Batman, Eminem is a huge fan of comic book characters, and it was only due time for him to record exclusive superhero theme songs. The Venom franchise proved to be Eminem's calling towards the comic book genre. In the first movie, he performed the title track which plays during the end credits sequence. The wordsmith even added the track to his 2018 album Kamikaze. As for the sophomore Venom adventure, Eminem dropped in for a guest verse for the Skylar Grey song "Last One Standing" in which Polo G and Mozzy also get verses.
2 Elvis - The King And I
The star-studded soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann's latest musical biopic Elvis features several reworkings of the titular Rock n' Roll star's greatest hits. A case in point is the Cee Lo Green and Eminem single "The King and I" which samples Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock." As is evident from the title, Eminem uses the lyrics to not just express his respect for Presley but also how he feels they both would have related to each other. He goes on to touch upon parallels like how they both have been hailed as "kings" in their respective genres and how both he and Elvis owe their stardom to black music influences, proving the song's place in movies that use Eminem music.
1 Bodied - Various
With Eminem serving as producer, Bodied might be the best feature film on the art of battle rapping after 8 Mile. Doubling as a coming-of-age story for an aspiring battler, Bodied touches upon the battles, the controversies, and the uncaged drama of it all. Real-life battle rappers such as Dizaster and Dumbfoundead also have parts to play, adding an authentic touch to the movie. As is obvious, the soundtrack is filled with a couple of Eminem songs such as "Freak" in which he joined forces with Anderson .Paak and WESTSIDE BOOGIE, and the title track "Bodied" by fellow D12 member dEnAun. The soundtrack is also produced by Eminem's own Shady Records, some of the more personal Eminem music in movies.