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Mosh (song)
Encyclopedia
"Mosh" is a protest song
by Eminem
and Guerrilla News Network
, released on October 26, 2004 as a digital single, just prior to the 2004 presidential election.
The video for the song is available free on the Internet and encouraged voters to vote George W. Bush
out of office. The song was excerpted from Eminem's album, Encore, not yet released at the time the video was made available to the public. G-Unit
rapper Lloyd Banks
also appears in the video.
This song is ranked 58th on About.com's "100 Greatest Rap Songs"
(a host for this video):
The goal of increasing the percentage young voter turnout was not reached. While more young people showed up to vote in the 2004 election than in 2000, their percentage of the overall vote remained the same (17%) due to an increase in voters of all ages. Eminem later told an Irish paper that he wished he had released the video earlier because he felt that perhaps it would have inspired more young people to vote.
, then to reveal Eminem
performing in Iraq
for U.S. troops where a large crowd is gathered, one of which returns home later to his wife and children only to find he has been sent back to Iraq because of George W. Bush
's strategy to send more troops to Iraq during his time in office. It also shows a young African American
man who sees the Ku Klux Klan
movements on his TV. He then joins an army of protesters, led by Eminem. By the end of the video, Eminem and the protesters are shouting at George Bush.
during Bush's State of the Union Address
. In this version, they then proceed to make their demands heard by the U.S. Supreme Court and Congress
. It shows then-Vice-President Dick Cheney
suffering a heart attack.
of GNN
TV
"Mosh" was a Guerrilla News Network
production.
Protest song
A protest song is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs . It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre...
by Eminem
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...
and Guerrilla News Network
Guerrilla News Network
Guerrilla News Network, Inc. was a privately owned news web site and television production company that declared as its mission to "expose people to important global issues through cross-platform guerrilla programming." This was accomplished through the production of original articles, reporting...
, released on October 26, 2004 as a digital single, just prior to the 2004 presidential election.
The video for the song is available free on the Internet and encouraged voters to vote George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
out of office. The song was excerpted from Eminem's album, Encore, not yet released at the time the video was made available to the public. G-Unit
G-Unit
G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from New York City formed by 50 Cents. G-Unit emerged on the New York scene by independently releasing several mix tapes...
rapper Lloyd Banks
Lloyd Banks
Christopher Charles Lloyd , better known by his stage name Lloyd Banks, is an American rapper and member of the rap group G-Unit. Raised in South Jamaica, Queens, he dropped out of high school in 1998. G-Unit released two albums, Beg for Mercy in 2003 and T.O.S. in 2008...
also appears in the video.
This song is ranked 58th on About.com's "100 Greatest Rap Songs"
Goals
According to the Internet ArchiveInternet Archive
The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
(a host for this video):
The goal of increasing the percentage young voter turnout was not reached. While more young people showed up to vote in the 2004 election than in 2000, their percentage of the overall vote remained the same (17%) due to an increase in voters of all ages. Eminem later told an Irish paper that he wished he had released the video earlier because he felt that perhaps it would have inspired more young people to vote.
Music video
The music video for "Mosh" is entirely cartooned. It features a school in the beginning saying the Pledge of AllegiancePledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of loyalty to the federal flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Christian Socialist Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942...
, then to reveal Eminem
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...
performing in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
for U.S. troops where a large crowd is gathered, one of which returns home later to his wife and children only to find he has been sent back to Iraq because of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's strategy to send more troops to Iraq during his time in office. It also shows a young African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
man who sees the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
movements on his TV. He then joins an army of protesters, led by Eminem. By the end of the video, Eminem and the protesters are shouting at George Bush.
Post-election videoclip
A second version of the videoclip was released after the 2004 presidential election, where the crowd is not bursting in to register to vote but rather entering the United States CapitolUnited States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
during Bush's State of the Union Address
State of the Union Address
The State of the Union is an annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the president to outline his legislative agenda and his national priorities.The practice arises...
. In this version, they then proceed to make their demands heard by the U.S. Supreme Court and Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. It shows then-Vice-President Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
suffering a heart attack.
Pre-election videoclip
The original videoclip for "Mosh" depicts a crowd bursting into a voter registration site.Free Video Download
The demand for this video within hours of its release in October 2004 was so huge that it was served from multiple locations by http, as well as ftp servers and bittorrent. According to archive.org:Personnel
"Mosh" was produced, directed and edited by Ian InabaIan Inaba
Ian Inaba is an American film and music video director, producer, and journalist for the Guerrilla News Network.-Music videos:Inaba directed the music videos for "Mosh" by Eminem and "Time and Time Again" by Chronic Future...
of GNN
Guerrilla News Network
Guerrilla News Network, Inc. was a privately owned news web site and television production company that declared as its mission to "expose people to important global issues through cross-platform guerrilla programming." This was accomplished through the production of original articles, reporting...
TV
- Art direction by Anson Vogt of Phong.com
- Character animationAnimationAnimation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
by Haik Hoisington of blackmustache.com - Motion graphicsMotion graphicsMotion graphics are graphics that use video footage and/or animation technology to create the illusion of motion or rotation, graphics are usually combined with audio for use in multimedia projects. Motion graphics are usually displayed via electronic media technology, but may be displayed via...
by Steve Ogden of steveo.tv - IllustrationIllustrationAn illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
and animation for the video by Craig Patches - Eminem character animation by Kevin Elam
- After Effects by Mark Nicola
- Green screenGreen ScreenThe Green Screen international wildlife film festival is held annually in Eckernförde, Germany. The festival shows full-length and short nature documentaries about animals in their natural habitat. It is the only festival of its kind in Germany...
production and camera by John Quigly - Illustration design by Thomas Brohdal, with support from Nicholas Sanchez
"Mosh" was a Guerrilla News Network
Guerrilla News Network
Guerrilla News Network, Inc. was a privately owned news web site and television production company that declared as its mission to "expose people to important global issues through cross-platform guerrilla programming." This was accomplished through the production of original articles, reporting...
production.
Track listing
CD singleChart positions
Though not an official single, the song received a moderate amount of airplay and digital success, enabling it to enter the music charts.| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles | 12 |