{"id":25110,"date":"2017-04-27T18:30:44","date_gmt":"2017-04-27T22:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=25110"},"modified":"2017-04-28T00:45:28","modified_gmt":"2017-04-28T04:45:28","slug":"8-mile-dealing-with-pain-through-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2017\/04\/27\/8-mile-dealing-with-pain-through-music\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Mile: Dealing with Pain through Music"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It’s hard<\/span> to believe<\/span> that \u201c8 Mile\u201d arrived<\/span> in theaters<\/span> fifteen years<\/span> ago and took<\/span> the world<\/span> by surprise<\/span>. That’s essentially<\/span> what Eminem’s career<\/span> has always<\/span> been<\/span> about: Surprising people<\/span> who have<\/span> always<\/span> doubted him. After the stigma<\/span> of white<\/span> hip<\/span> hop<\/span> artists permeated<\/span> music for years<\/span>, Eminem stomped<\/span> on to the world<\/span> of hip<\/span> hop<\/span>. He did<\/span>n’t just<\/span> make<\/span> a name<\/span> for himself, but he challenged<\/span> everything about the world<\/span> he was<\/span> in, the music<\/span> he performed<\/span>, and the people<\/span> he ran<\/span> across every single<\/span> day<\/span> of his life<\/span>. Here<\/span> was<\/span> a man<\/span> who kind<\/span> of tore<\/span> through the fa\u00e7ade of fame<\/span>, and also<\/span> challenged<\/span> the conventions<\/span> of hip<\/span> hop<\/span>, which by the late<\/span> nineties<\/span>, was<\/span> more about fame and wealth<\/span> than hardships<\/span> and confronting<\/span> a harsh<\/span> society<\/span>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

That’s why it has<\/span> its rightful<\/span> place<\/span> in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as Hip Hop and Rock and Roll are<\/span> cut<\/span> out of the same<\/span> cloth<\/span>, regardless<\/span> of how much Gene Simmons cries<\/span>. Despite what you think<\/span> of Eminem aka Marshall Mathers, he was<\/span> dealt<\/span> a harsh<\/span> hand<\/span> and had<\/span> a lot<\/span> of aggression<\/span> to spit<\/span> in music that was<\/span> raucous<\/span>, funny<\/span>, and filled<\/span> with anger<\/span> and frustration<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Curtis<\/span> Hanson’s \u201c8 Mile\u201d proved<\/span> many people<\/span> wrong<\/span> in being<\/span> a simple<\/span> vehicle<\/span> for Eminem and ended<\/span> up being<\/span> a testament<\/span> to the poet that was<\/span> Marshall Mathers. It often<\/span> garners<\/span> comparisons<\/span> to \u201cFlashdance,\u201d but \u201c8 Mile\u201d is<\/span> so<\/span> much<\/span> more. \u201cFlashdance\u201d is<\/span> a fairly<\/span> popular<\/span> eighties<\/span> movie<\/span> known<\/span> mostly<\/span> for its soundtrack and one iconic scene<\/span>, while \u201c8 Mile\u201d is<\/span> about the lower<\/span> class<\/span>, and how we deal<\/span> with pain<\/span> and poverty<\/span> through art<\/span> and music. We’re currently<\/span> living<\/span> in a society<\/span> where the arts<\/span> are<\/span> being<\/span> defunded, and dismissed<\/span> as an unnecessary<\/span> part<\/span> of the social and political climate<\/span> we live<\/span> in.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Art is being<\/span> pushed as <\/span>insignificant<\/span> and trivial.<\/span> \u201c8 Mile\u201d is<\/span>n’t about<\/span> Eminem. It’s about how the poor<\/span> deal<\/span> with pain<\/span> through art<\/span> and music. At the end<\/span> of \u201c8 Mile,\u201d \u201cB-Rabbit\u201d is<\/span>n’t confronted<\/span> by a sharply<\/span> dressed<\/span> record<\/span> executive<\/span> who offers<\/span> him a billion<\/span> dollar<\/span> record<\/span> deal<\/span>. At the end<\/span> of his story<\/span>, \u201cB-Rabbit\u201d viciously<\/span> destroys<\/span> the hip<\/span> hop<\/span> clique<\/span> \u201cThe Leaders of the Free World,\u201d and then<\/span> leaves<\/span> his victorious<\/span> rap<\/span> battle<\/span> to go<\/span> back<\/span> to his minimum<\/span> wage<\/span> job<\/span>. Much<\/span> like the lower<\/span> class<\/span> and folks<\/span> living<\/span> in poverty<\/span>, most times<\/span> the only<\/span> way<\/span> we can survive<\/span> or endure<\/span> the pain<\/span>, is<\/span> by expressing ourselves through art<\/span> and or music.<\/p>\n

We live<\/span> through music, we make<\/span> music, we dance to music, and we find<\/span> ways<\/span> to provide<\/span> an outlet<\/span> for our frustrations<\/span>. Hip<\/span> Hop was<\/span> built<\/span> out of the need<\/span> to express<\/span> the various<\/span> injustices<\/span>, and living<\/span> in drug infested<\/span> neighborhoods<\/span>, and enduring<\/span> police<\/span> corruption<\/span>. As well<\/span> there<\/span> was<\/span> being<\/span> dropped<\/span> in to a dysfunctional<\/span> family<\/span> that you couldn’t change<\/span>, but only<\/span> tolerate<\/span>. Various<\/span> forms<\/span> of what’s considered<\/span> mostly<\/span> urban forms<\/span> of art<\/span> also<\/span> arose<\/span> from the need<\/span> to vent<\/span>, from graffiti<\/span>, and break<\/span> dancing, right<\/span> up to hip<\/span> hop<\/span>. The latter allowed<\/span> everyone to hear<\/span> what was<\/span> going<\/span> on in ghettos and neighborhoods<\/span> in the Bronx and New York. All of which were<\/span> holes<\/span> filled<\/span> with gang violence<\/span>, drug abuse<\/span>, and folks<\/span> with absolutely<\/span> no way<\/span> out.<\/p>\n

\u201cB-Rabbit\u201d is<\/span> a young<\/span> man<\/span> in 1995 Detroit, who loves<\/span> hip hop<\/span> and struggles<\/span> to confront<\/span> his stage<\/span> fright<\/span>, as he takes<\/span> to various<\/span> rap<\/span> battles<\/span> as a means<\/span> of putting<\/span> to music what he can’t often<\/span> put<\/span> to words<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>When we first<\/span> meet<\/span> him, \u201cB-Rabbit\u201d can’t vocalize<\/span> during competitions<\/span> too<\/span> well<\/span>, and is<\/span> booed<\/span> off stage<\/span> after reluctance<\/span> during a rap<\/span> battle<\/span>. He manages<\/span> to find<\/span> strength<\/span> in a private<\/span> journey<\/span> that involves<\/span> falling<\/span> in love<\/span> with a girl<\/span> who cheats<\/span> on him mid-way, putting<\/span> up with an alcoholic<\/span> mother, living<\/span> in a trailer<\/span> park<\/span>, and having<\/span> to raise<\/span> his little<\/span> sister<\/span> as best<\/span> as he can. One of the most<\/span> gut<\/span> wrenching<\/span> scenes<\/span> involves \u201cB-Rabbit\u201d being<\/span> viciously<\/span> jumped<\/span> as sister<\/span> Lily watches<\/span> on, screaming<\/span> in horror<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\u201cB-Rabbit\u201d has<\/span> a lot<\/span> of heart<\/span> and strength<\/span> for someone<\/span> who is<\/span> basically<\/span> a minority<\/span> in his neighborhood<\/span> and subjected<\/span> to the label of white<\/span> trash<\/span>. In the end<\/span>, what we see<\/span> is<\/span> an unleashing<\/span> of frustration<\/span>, emotion, and anger<\/span> as he’s tasked<\/span> with confronting \u201cThe Leaders of the Free World,\u201d and three of their most<\/span> talented<\/span> free<\/span> style<\/span> lyricists<\/span>. Like a champion<\/span>, \u201cB-Rabbit\u201d knocks<\/span> down<\/span> all of them with amazing<\/span> and witty lyrical<\/span> comebacks<\/span> while also<\/span> gaining<\/span> some sense<\/span> of therapy in front<\/span> of a crowd<\/span> of fans<\/span> that are<\/span> waiting<\/span> to see<\/span> him fall<\/span> on his face<\/span>.<\/p>\n

What we see in the compelling finale is that the only way “B-Rabbit” is able to confront his demons and hardships is by staring them down and embracing them as apart of his life. Too often he’s soaked in running from what his life essentially is, but once he finally has the courage to look in to his life, he’s able to courageously bring down rapper Poppa Dock (Anthony Mackie in a very early role) in a crushing verbal beat down that still is painful to endure. Yes, Poppa Dock is an asshole, but B-Rabbit slaughters him in public, and reveals him to be yet another person running from his past. “B-Rabbit” wins because he’s true to himself, and he can only hope to take his pain day by day, and soothe the hurt through music and poetry.<\/p>\n

When all is<\/span> said<\/span> and done, \u201cB-Rabbit\u201d is<\/span> still<\/span> \u201cB-Rabbit\u201d, a man<\/span> who has<\/span> to work<\/span> over time<\/span> to put<\/span> food<\/span> on his table. But at least he manages<\/span> to topple<\/span> and overcome<\/span> a part<\/span> of his life<\/span>, and vocalize<\/span> his struggles<\/span> once<\/span> and for all. Music<\/span> and art<\/span> can be<\/span> a life<\/span> blood<\/span> for many, and when that’s gone<\/span> you’re left<\/span> with a voice<\/span> that’s been<\/span> pushed<\/span> in to the margins<\/span>. \u201c8 Mile,\u201d Eminem’s only<\/span> film<\/span> to date<\/span>, is<\/span> a very<\/span> strong<\/span> still<\/span> relevant statement<\/span> on why hip<\/span> hop<\/span> was<\/span> created<\/span> and manages to change<\/span> the face<\/span> of music to this day<\/span>. It’s expression<\/span> of anger<\/span> and frustration<\/span> at an unfair<\/span>, hard<\/span>, and impossible<\/span> world<\/span> where the poor<\/span> and impoverished<\/span> only<\/span> have<\/span> art to inspire<\/span> them to get<\/span> up and keep<\/span> moving<\/span> forward<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Art is trivialized because it’s powerful. Art can inspire, challenge, and provoke, and through it, it can also build dissension, defiance, and rebellions, as well as encourage individuality. Those are qualities that can bring down corruption, far and wide.<\/p>\n