Only a year ago, the budding Detroit rapper rediscovered Eminem and began to admire his words. Even a family link to Em's masterwork had no effect on him previously.
Even the idea that his father was compensated for his role in "8 Mile" remained a surprise to him until he was older. In an interview with Bootleg Kev, Baby Money explained: I ain’t started listening to Em until a year ago. What’s that one song, “You only get one chance to blow”? “Lose Yourself”. I never actually listened to what he was talking about. Then I finally listened to him. When I finally listened, I was hearing what he was saying. I’m like, alright, this hard for real. My daddy is in 8 Mile too. He’s right behind Eminem in the last battle. He ain’t rapping, he’s in the background. I didn’t even know that until I got older. But he got a check for playing in the movie and everything.
Watch the following interview below:
In Baby Money's statement, there are two important factors to highlight. First, when the young rapper says he didn't listen to Eminem, he means he didn't pay attention to it. Although Eminem's music was definitely there, he did not focus on deciphering the meaning of Marshall's rhymes. And when the moment came, he realized how hard En works as a lyricist. The second is his father's relationship with the film.
Marshall was well-known for his desire to make the tale as realistic as possible. The rap audience in "8 Mile" was made up of folks who would actually attend The Shelter in Detroit. They represented the Detroit hip-hop scene, not youthful actors. And they were all compensated on the spot.