Just Lose It
Encyclopedia
"Just Lose It" is the first single
from Eminem's
fifth studio album Encore and was later included on his 2005 compilation album
, Curtain Call: The Hits
. The song caused controversy as its lyrics and music video
parodies Michael Jackson
, who was being accused of child molestation at the time. The song also pokes fun at Beavis
/Cornholio, MC Hammer
, Madonna
and others. It also heavily spoofs Pee-wee Herman
, going as far as imitating his signature shout during the chorus and Eminem dressing like him in the video. The song reached number one in the UK, Australia
, and New Zealand
, and number six in the United States
. Although charting high, the song did not perform as well as his two previous lead singles, "The Real Slim Shady
" and "Without Me
".
At the beginning of the song there is a lyrical excerpt from Eminem's 2002 single "Without Me
" about how "Shady's back". The line "Snap back to reality. Look! It's B. Rabbit" and "You signed me up to battle" refers to "Lose Yourself
" and Eminem's character in the movie 8 Mile
. In the second verse of the song there is a line "So fellas, fellas..." is a reference to Sir Mix-a-Lot
's song "Baby Got Back
". The line "Girl you know you're my world," from the chorus, is a reference to the chorus of his song "Superman" from his album The Eminem Show
. Finally, the video parodies the movie Bad Santa
, by displaying Eminem as a "mall santa" and even going so far to include Tony Cox (the elf from the actual movie) as his helper.
in which it is Eminem (as B-Rabbit) versus Eminem (as Slim Shady). It also contains several scenes where Eminem is walking down the streets naked. As he is doing this, Dr. Dre
is seen driving next to him, looking disgusted.
For the music video, the lyrics were edited slightly, notably the phrase "shake that ass", becoming the less provocative "shake that thing". Other changes include the muting of some parts of the second verse, and the phrase "butt naked" becoming "buck naked".
Such examples of parodies that are included in this video are Michael Jackson
, MC Hammer
and his hit single "U Can't Touch This
", Madonna
and the movie Bad Santa
.
A few of the celebrities who appeared in this music video were Paris Hilton
, Katie Cassidy
, Monica Parales, Erik Estrada
, Alyson Stoner
, BooBoo Stewart, Tony Cox
, Mekhi Phifer
and Dr. Dre
.
The video was later nominated at the MTV Video Music Awards
for Best Rap Video
, but lost to Ludacris
' "Number One Spot
".
Much Music's 50 Most Controversial Videos ranked it #50 for its jokes on famous people.
for "Just Lose It" generated controversy by parodying singer Michael Jackson's child molestation
trial, plastic surgery and an incident in which Jackson's hair caught on fire while filming a Pepsi
commercial in 1984. It was banned on the BET
channel, after complaints from Benzino
and others (but was later reinstated, as critics of the ban argued that Nelly
's "Tip Drill
" video could be seen). Both were only seen on BET: Uncut
. However MTV
did not drop it, and the video became one of the most requested on the channel.
A week after the release of "Just Lose It", Jackson called into the radio show of Steve Harvey
to report his displeasure with the video.
"I am very angry at Eminem's depiction of me in his video," Jackson said in the interview. "I feel that it is outrageous and disrespectful. It is one thing to spoof, but it is another to be demeaning and insensitive."
The singer continued: "I've admired Eminem as an artist, and was shocked by this. The video was inappropriate and disrespectful to me, my children, my family and the community at large."
Many of Jackson's supporters and friends spoke out about the video, including Stevie Wonder
, who "watched" the video and called it"kicking a man while he's down" and "bullshit", and Steve Harvey
, who declared, "Eminem has lost his ghetto pass. We want the pass back."
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from Eminem's
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
fifth studio album Encore and was later included on his 2005 compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Curtain Call: The Hits
Curtain Call: The Hits
Curtain Call: The Hits is a 2005 greatest hits compilation album by American rapper Eminem. It collects Eminem's most popular songs, as well as four new tracks; a live version of "Stan" featuring Elton John from the 43rd Grammy Awards, plus new songs "Fack", "When I'm Gone" and "Shake That"...
. The song caused controversy as its lyrics and music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
parodies Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, who was being accused of child molestation at the time. The song also pokes fun at Beavis
Beavis
Beavis is a fictional character on the MTV series Beavis and Butt-head. He is voiced by the show’s creator, Mike Judge.Beavis has an underbite and a fixated stare on his face which rarely looks straight at the television viewer, but rather to the side...
/Cornholio, MC Hammer
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell , better known by his stage name MC Hammer , is an American rapper, entertainer, business entrepreneur, dancer and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and others. It also heavily spoofs Pee-wee Herman
Pee-wee Herman
Pee-wee Herman is a comic fictional character created and portrayed by American comedian Paul Reubens. He is best known for his two television series and film series during the 1980s. The childlike Pee-wee Herman character developed as a stage act that quickly led to an HBO special in 1981...
, going as far as imitating his signature shout during the chorus and Eminem dressing like him in the video. The song reached number one in the UK, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and number six in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Although charting high, the song did not perform as well as his two previous lead singles, "The Real Slim Shady
The Real Slim Shady
"The Real Slim Shady" is a hip hop song written by Eminem for his third studio album The Marshall Mathers LP . It was released as the lead single a week before the album's release...
" and "Without Me
Without Me
"Without Me" is a rap song by American rapper Eminem. It was released as the lead single from his fourth studio album titled The Eminem Show in 2002, and re-released on his greatest-hits compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits in 2005....
".
Track information
Two skits regarding the Michael Jackson controversy were included on Encore, "Paul (Skit)" and "Em Calls Paul (Skit)". The lyrics to "Just Lose It" refer to Jackson's legal troubles, however he does state in his song "... and that's not a stab at Michael/That's just a metaphor/I'm just psycho...."At the beginning of the song there is a lyrical excerpt from Eminem's 2002 single "Without Me
Without Me
"Without Me" is a rap song by American rapper Eminem. It was released as the lead single from his fourth studio album titled The Eminem Show in 2002, and re-released on his greatest-hits compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits in 2005....
" about how "Shady's back". The line "Snap back to reality. Look! It's B. Rabbit" and "You signed me up to battle" refers to "Lose Yourself
Lose Yourself
"Lose Yourself" is an Academy Award winning song by American hip-hop artist Eminem, released as the first single from the original soundtrack to the movie 8 Mile on October 22, 2002. It was written and produced by Eminem himself, along with longtime collaborator Jeff Bass, one half of the...
" and Eminem's character in the movie 8 Mile
8 Mile (film)
8 Mile is a 2002 American hip-hop drama film written by Scott Silver, directed by Curtis Hanson, and starring Eminem, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, and Kim Basinger....
. In the second verse of the song there is a line "So fellas, fellas..." is a reference to Sir Mix-a-Lot
Sir Mix-a-Lot
Anthony Ray , better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an emcee and producer based in Seattle, Washington. The founder of the Nastymix record label, he debuted in 1988 with Swass...
's song "Baby Got Back
Baby Got Back
"Baby Got Back" is a 1992 Number One single by hip hop artist Sir Mix-a-Lot, from his album Mack Daddy. The song samples the 1986 electro single "Technicolor" by Channel One. The song's title originates from an urban slang term used to express a favorable opinion about a woman's buttocks...
". The line "Girl you know you're my world," from the chorus, is a reference to the chorus of his song "Superman" from his album The Eminem Show
The Eminem Show
The Eminem Show is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Eminem, released in 2002. It was the best-selling album of 2002 in the United States, with sales of 7.6 million copies. At the Grammy Awards of 2003 it was nominated for Album of the Year and became Eminem's third LP in four years to...
. Finally, the video parodies the movie Bad Santa
Bad Santa
Bad Santa is a 2003 American screwball black comedy film directed and co-written by Terry Zwigoff, produced by the Coen brothers, and starring Billy Bob Thornton as the title character and Tony Cox as his partner in crime. Actors Bernie Mac and John Ritter co-star...
, by displaying Eminem as a "mall santa" and even going so far to include Tony Cox (the elf from the actual movie) as his helper.
Music video
The video contains a parody of a rap battle scene from 8 Mile8 Mile (film)
8 Mile is a 2002 American hip-hop drama film written by Scott Silver, directed by Curtis Hanson, and starring Eminem, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, and Kim Basinger....
in which it is Eminem (as B-Rabbit) versus Eminem (as Slim Shady). It also contains several scenes where Eminem is walking down the streets naked. As he is doing this, Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
is seen driving next to him, looking disgusted.
For the music video, the lyrics were edited slightly, notably the phrase "shake that ass", becoming the less provocative "shake that thing". Other changes include the muting of some parts of the second verse, and the phrase "butt naked" becoming "buck naked".
Such examples of parodies that are included in this video are Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, MC Hammer
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell , better known by his stage name MC Hammer , is an American rapper, entertainer, business entrepreneur, dancer and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s...
and his hit single "U Can't Touch This
U Can't Touch This
"U Can't Touch This" is MC Hammer's 1990 super hit signature song, from his album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. The album sold more than 10 million copies, due primarily to this single, and gaining multi-platinum certifications from the RIAA, and other Recording Industries.Rick James sued Hammer...
", Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and the movie Bad Santa
Bad Santa
Bad Santa is a 2003 American screwball black comedy film directed and co-written by Terry Zwigoff, produced by the Coen brothers, and starring Billy Bob Thornton as the title character and Tony Cox as his partner in crime. Actors Bernie Mac and John Ritter co-star...
.
A few of the celebrities who appeared in this music video were Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
, Katie Cassidy
Katie Cassidy
Katherine Evelyn Anita "Katie" Cassidy is an American actress who has performed in The CW TV series Melrose Place, Supernatural, Harper's Island, and Gossip Girl, and on the films When a Stranger Calls, Black Christmas, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Taken, Monte Carlo, and has roles in the upcoming...
, Monica Parales, Erik Estrada
Erik Estrada
Henry Enrique "Erik" Estrada is an American police officer and actor, known for his co-starring lead role in the 1977–1983 United States police television series CHiPs...
, Alyson Stoner
Alyson Stoner
Alyson Rae Stoner is an American actress, dancer and singer. Stoner is known for her roles in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody , Cheaper By The Dozen and Cheaper By The Dozen 2 , Step Up and Step Up 3 , and Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2...
, BooBoo Stewart, Tony Cox
Tony Cox
Joseph Anthony "Tony" Cox is an American dwarf and actor known for his comedic performances in Bad Santa, Me, Myself and Irene, Date Movie and Disaster Movie. He is also known for his work in George Lucas's Willow and as an Ewok in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. In the two spin-off...
, Mekhi Phifer
Mekhi Phifer
Mekhi Thira Phifer is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his multi-year role as Dr. Greg Pratt on NBC's long-running medical drama ER and his co-starring role opposite Eminem in the feature film 8 Mile...
and Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
.
The video was later nominated at the MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
for Best Rap Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video was first given out in 1989, and it was one the four original genre categories added at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. This award was last given out in 2006, as MTV did not bring it back in 2008 like it did with other genre awards...
, but lost to Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
' "Number One Spot
Number One Spot
For the Def Jam Recordings compilation album of the same name, see Number 1 Spot."Number One Spot" is the second single off rapper Ludacris' 2004 album The Red Light District...
".
Much Music's 50 Most Controversial Videos ranked it #50 for its jokes on famous people.
Controversy
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Just Lose It" generated controversy by parodying singer Michael Jackson's child molestation
1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson
In 1993, Evan Chandler accused Michael Jackson of sexually abusing his thirteen-year-old son, Jordan. The relationship between Jackson and Jordan began in May 1992. Evan initially welcomed and encouraged the friendship, and bragged about his connection to a celebrity. The friendship became well...
trial, plastic surgery and an incident in which Jackson's hair caught on fire while filming a Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
commercial in 1984. It was banned on the BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
channel, after complaints from Benzino
Benzino
Raymond Scott from Boston Massachusetts, better known by hisstage name Benzino is an American hip hop media executive, and record producer....
and others (but was later reinstated, as critics of the ban argued that Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
's "Tip Drill
Tip Drill (song)
"Tip Drill" is the name of a 2003 song by Nelly. It was used as a remix of the song "E.I." featuring the St. Lunatics and produced by David Banner. The music video became controversial for its overt depiction of women as sexual objects...
" video could be seen). Both were only seen on BET: Uncut
BET: Uncut
BET: Uncut was a television program that aired on BET. The music video program contained highly sexualized imagery. Because of its content, the show was rated TV-MA and accompanied by an on-air message stating that it is not suitable for children under the age of 17. The show aired on Wednesdays...
. However MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
did not drop it, and the video became one of the most requested on the channel.
A week after the release of "Just Lose It", Jackson called into the radio show of Steve Harvey
Steve Harvey
Broderick Steven "Steve" Harvey is an American actor, comedian, entertainer, television and radio personality and best-selling author. He is best known as the star of the WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show, and as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film The Original Kings of Comedy...
to report his displeasure with the video.
"I am very angry at Eminem's depiction of me in his video," Jackson said in the interview. "I feel that it is outrageous and disrespectful. It is one thing to spoof, but it is another to be demeaning and insensitive."
The singer continued: "I've admired Eminem as an artist, and was shocked by this. The video was inappropriate and disrespectful to me, my children, my family and the community at large."
Many of Jackson's supporters and friends spoke out about the video, including Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, who "watched" the video and called it"kicking a man while he's down" and "bullshit", and Steve Harvey
Steve Harvey
Broderick Steven "Steve" Harvey is an American actor, comedian, entertainer, television and radio personality and best-selling author. He is best known as the star of the WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show, and as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film The Original Kings of Comedy...
, who declared, "Eminem has lost his ghetto pass. We want the pass back."
Charts
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
End of year charts
| End of year chart (2004) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 36 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 93 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 93 |
| French Singles Chart | 78 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 15 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 32 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 43 |
| UK Singles Chart | 18 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Platinum | 2004 | 70,000 |
| Denmark | Platinum | 2004 | 30,000 |
| New Zealand | Platinum | December 20, 2004 | 15,000 |
| Norway | Gold | 2004 | 10,000 |
| U.S. | Gold | June 1, 2005 | 500,000 |
See also
- List of number-one singles in Australia in 2004
- List of number-one hits in Denmark
- List of European number-one hits of 2004
- List of number-one singles in 2004 (New Zealand)
- List of number-one hits of 2004 (Switzerland)
- List of number-one singles from the 2000s (UK)
External links
- Just Lose It on Amazon.comAmazon.comAmazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...