Daring to make a cameo in a Hollywood movie is a dangerous game for any musician let alone a hip hop artist. Not only does the artist in question have to navigate a brand new set of surroundings in the movie business but the character they have been portraying during their sonic career often wildly exaggerated in hip hop is now ripped to shreds and left by the wayside. One need only look at the vast range of mediocre appearances Snoop Dogg has made over the years or indeed Kanye Wests ill-fated appearance in The Love Guru to see that its a dicey game to play. However Eminem and RZA have seemingly always got it right.
Eminem of course made his name in Hollywood with the semi-autobiographical tale 8 Mile which put the rapper under the spotlight in Tinseltown. Its one thing to star in somebody elses movies but to be the figure of your narrative is altogether more complex. However somehow the star pulled it off providing his audience with a classic film and perhaps the only well-executed rap battle in Hollywood history.
The film can also boast of capturing the least embarrassing battle rap scene for a film ever which considering how many have tried is truly some feat. The playful interchange between powerful potency and jovial jabs is what makes Eminem a great rapper and lets 8 Mile be a high-quality film. RZA has also had a hand in some of the best films of the last 20 years providing the soundtrack direction for Quentin Tarantinos brilliant double feature Kill Bill.
However perhaps their finest moments on camera came as part of the brilliant Funny People. A film about stand-up comedians and featuring both Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen could swallow up RZA and Eminem. However they each handle their roles with aplomb. RZA is one of Rogens comedian friends and portrays the quick-talking grocery store worker perfectly while Eminem plays an exaggerated version of himself.
About Eminem director Judd Apatow said He was a fantastic actor and the best moments ever in my career were pitching him new jokes to say and making him laugh really hard he said. He came early and well-prepared he said. I think he felt like Im entering a world of comedy here. I got to be on my game. He was really funny willing to say anything. I thought if I pitched him certain jokes hed say No no thats too far.
Apparently you cant shock Eminem with anything you have to say Apatow laughed. To make him laugh super hard was really really fun and hes great in the movie. Im glad that his scene kills and so its really exciting. RZA recently gave his own mark of commendation for Eminem saying he knew he respected the rapper when Marshal Mathers took on Donald Trump during his election campaign. Then when the businessman gained his seat in the Oval Office Em went one further and released his evocative freestyle In The Storm. It grabbed RZA and proved Eminems worth.
I dug it RZA said to XXL about the track. When you write a lyric you know you write erase scratch and go back and you keep going. You may even write a lyric like an email. You ever write an email then look at it and go Nah Im not gon send it. He wrote it got it to where it was memorised it and then performed it. So that means he was committed. He continued I appreciate him being committed to it because for a White man to say that has different weight than a Black man say in it. A Black man sayin it all of a sudden were complaining. A White man is like Nah bro. This is a reflection that is hitting your children now hitting your people.
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