5. Eminem in 8 Mile (2002)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh9LGytJOHk The music world kind of blew up when Marshall Mathers came on the scene at the dawn of the new millennium. At least, from the perspective of the televised media, this ruthless, raunchy rapper also happened to be Caucasian, which seemed to make a big difference to headline news. The violence of his music was exploited as some product of a stereotype that he was quick to denounce. Looking back, the big news pundits never zeroed in on any of the serious shit Eminem was bringing up in his songs, including still relevant points on where we throw the blame when mentally unstable kids attack their peers. Taking this loud and angry performer seriously took a long time, but it became easier when 8 Mile hit theaters. Curtis Hansons realist exploration into the journey of an up-and-coming Detroit rapper plays out a lot like the understood story of Mathers life. And really, Eminem is on-screen as basically himself with darker hair. Yet, his familiarity with the films gritty Detroit setting lends to a starkly serious and natural performance. The theatrical qualities that the world had come to associate with Eminem were mostly comical, several colorful, parody-style music videos under his belt. 8 Mile brings out the substance that really runs through most of Eminems discography. The rap battles especially allow for his raw emotion to come through in a context that is nothing short of captivating.