Featured as the main single on the soundtrack to rapper Eminem's biopic film, 8 mile, the song, "Lose Yourself", is seemingly the perfect theme song for the underdog. Written and performed by Eminem," Lose Yourself", gives voice to the need for one to take advantage of every single opportunity that comes his or her way because no one knows which opportunity might be the one that will change his or her life's trajectory. This essay will examine how the rapper effectively employs ethos, pathos and logos in his lyrics to convey his view of life-you only have one shot. .
Born Matthew Marshall, III, American rapper, producer and actor, "Eminem", represents himself as an authority on notion of carpe diem. Before Eminem takes his audience on a lyrical voyage through his life via his autobiographical lyrics in "Lose Yourself", he opens the song with a rhetorical question asking his audience if they had "one shot, or one opportunity" would they "capture it or just let it slip"? By doing this, Eminem positions himself as an authority on the subject. As a white artist, who has achieved an incredible amount of success in a genre dominated predominately by African Americans, Eminem's accomplishments not only validate his credibility, but they also connect him with his audience in that they serve as proof that anything is possible if you seize the moment. Furthermore, in the song's hook, Eminem advises his audience to "lose yourself in the music", to own the moment and "never let it go" as you "get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow this opportunity" as it only comes "once in a lifetime." Again, based on his life's turbulent past, which he has talked about at length, Eminem further proves his authority on the subject of seizing a life-changing moments because they do not come around too often.