According to producer Dilizza, Eminem used to want Mariah Carey to play his mom in *8 Mile*, who said the singer “don’t like that at all.”
allhiphop.com
Since 1998, Allhiphop.com has pioneered hip-hop news. Get our daily email for exclusive news and weekly digestion, all curated for true hip-hop enthusiasts. Stay connected and learn about the heartbeat of hip-hop culture. Subscribe now!
subscription
According to longtime music director Damion “Damizza” Young, Eminem once played the role of Mariah Carey for his troubled mother.
Damizza revealed unexpected actor ideas during her podcast appearance last week.
Speaking on the TFU podcast, Damizza claimed that the Detroit rapper reached out to him directly, willing Carey to portray Jimmy “b-rabbit” Smith’s mother in a semi-autobiographical hip-hop drama in 2002.
Mariah Carey was four years older than Eminem at the time, but he reportedly thought she was the right fit for emotionally complex characters.
“So I went to Maria, and I thought, ‘Look, Eminem wanted to see you’, and she was like, ‘No,’,” Damiza recalls, describing his first attempt to contact both artists.
According to Damizza, the conversation happened when he advised Carey not to accept the sharp glittering part.
Once he clarified, Eminem proposed a reconsideration of the film’s role (rather than the duo).
The producer said he initially tried to speak out Eminem’s thoughts.
“I begged him not to take on a movie role for Mariah,” Damisa said, but he finally agreed to arrange a call between the two.
During that phone conversation, Damizza claimed that Eminem told Carey directly: “I want you to play my mother.”
“She doesn’t like that at all,” Damisa said. “*Her insecurity was kicked to a large extent.*”
Part of B-Rabbit’s alcoholic mother ended up going to Kim Basinger, whose performance was praised for her broken parents in a struggling Detroit family.
The 2002 release of 8 Mile received a box office success, winning Eminem’s “Lost Yourself” Best Original Song Award.
The film remains a decisive moment in his career and is a staple in hip-hop cinemas.
