Former President Barack Obama invoked rapper Eminem’s hit song “Lose Yourself” when he professed that “his palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy” as he took the stage at a rally for the Harris-Walz campaign in Detroit on Tuesday night.
“I was feeling some kind of way following Eminem,” Obama told the crowd adding “I thought Eminem was going to perform, I was ready to jump out.”
During the rally Eminem took a departure from his typical quick-witted, tongue-twisting turn of phrases saying instead that, “Going into this election, the spotlight is on us more than ever.” The Michigan native introduced Obama, who has often said he is an Eminem fan and used to listen to “Lose Yourself,” while campaigning in 2008.
The rapper has not been shy about his disdain for former President Donald Trump, previously saying a “f****** turd would have been a better president.” Lyrics deemed “threatening” by the U.S. Secret Service in his 2017 Trump diss track resulted in him being interviewed by the agency.
Obama also acknowledged the differences in music selections between the Trump campaign and noted that the Harris campaign playlist “might be better. I’d have ‘Lose Yourself’ on there,” Obama said.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
“Music is a very effective shorthand for making connections with perspective voters and certain constituencies without having to say certain things,” Loren Kajikawa, music program chairman of the music program at The George Washington University’s Corcoran School of the Arts & Design told Newsweek via phone on Tuesday. “You can tap into certain attitudes and feelings embedded in the music. It can be a way of saying ‘I am like you, because we share this music together.’ It can also be a way of sharing presidential identity.”
Harris’ musical guests on the campaign trail have included Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Usher, Lil Jon, Maren Morris, Quavo, Lance Bass, and Stevie Wonder. She has been endorsed by Taylor Swift, Cher, John Legend, Stevie Nicks, Olivia Rodrigo, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Moby, Lil Nas X, Katy Perry, Kesha, Jon Bon Jovi, James Taylor, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Bon Iver, Ariana Grande, Barbra Streisand, Cardi B and Bruce Springstein.
Harris’ music choices, such as Beyonce’s “Freedom” “works well to have her fashion herself from top cop Kamala to someone who is going to be on the side of the marginalized and vulnerable in our society,” Kajikawa said.
This is a recurrent theme in many of the songs played at her events.
“Beyonce is a smart choice, connects her to another strong Black woman with a large fan base,” Kajikawa said. “It’s liked by millennial and Gen Z fan base who she needs to show up.”
Trump’s choices, Kajikawa said, are much like his maverick persona–ranging from country tunes to operatic arias.
Trump has received support from Jason Aldean, Kid Rock, Kanye West, Sexyy Red, Anuel AA, Justin Quiles, Azealia Banks, Billy Ray Cyrus, DaBaby, Waka Flocka, Lil Pump, M.I.A., Kodak Black, according to Billboard Magazine.
“Trump’s musical choices are eclectic and when I think about the use of music in his rallies, it’s usually music to get people in a good mood and what he likes,” Kajikawa said. “He also had made choices that match his identity, music that signals his defiance, throwing out conventional etiquette of what politicians are allowed to say or do.”
Since Trump’s 2016 campaign he has also received a number of cease-and-desist orders from artists who don’t want to be associated with him.
Eminem, however, is complicated, Kajikawa notes.
“What’s complicated about Eminem is that a lot of the white men who grew up listening to Eminem are Trump voters,” Kajikawa said. “Eminem the person is saying one thing, but the personal, the character in Eight Mile, good chance he is a Trump voter,” Kajikawa said about the white, male, blue collar fictional character “B-Rabbit” Eminem depicted in the film. “The other thing is that the GOP under Trump is the party of insurgency, and the Democrats are defending our institutions and our norms.”
The irony, Kajikawa said, is that currently in politics “the left is ‘the man,’ and hip hop is anti-establishment music.”
