You’ll miss the Detroit rapper if you blink. Korn’s music video for “Got the Life” features a few rock star cameos and the future rap legend Eminem before he was famous.
Videos by American Songwriter
In 1998, Korn released Follow the Leader, their third studio album. The album topped the Billboard 200 as Korn led the nu metal wave of bands then dominating heavy music. The band’s single “Got the Life” was ubiquitous and requested so often on MTV’s TRL that it became the first video retired by the network.
Eminem, born Marshall Mathers, arrived on the set as an extra. Mathers wasn’t a known rapper then. He released his first album Infinite on the Detroit-based independent label WEB Entertainment in 1996. The Slim Shady EP followed, featuring his now-famous alter ego. His EP attracted the attention of Dr. Dre and Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine and Eminem would soon become the next decade’s best-selling artist in the United States.
Slim Shady Needs a Break
Eminem arrived on Korn’s video set before signing with Dr. Dre, hoping for a break, and handed Korn’s guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer a demo.
“There were some extras on the set of our video ‘Got the Life.’ Some kid came up to me and gave me his demo,” Shaffer said. Eminem introduced himself as “a rapper” though the guitarist, drunk at the time, wasn’t sure why Eminem handed a guitar player his rap demo.
May I have your attention, please?
May I have your attention, please?
Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?
I repeat
Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?
We’re gonna have a problem here
After giving away or crashing expensive cars in the video, Korn arrives at a party and, there, you can glimpse Eminem briefly. A sign of America’s nu metal-dominating times, members of Limp Bizkit and Orgy are visible in the video too.
Eminem released his groundbreaking single “My Name Is” on January 25, 1999. He was no longer handing demos to strangers. Soon, the unknown kid with a demo would outsell Korn.
In 2002, Korn and Eminem released competing albums one month apart. The Eminem Show kept Korn’s Untouchables from reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Sometimes I wanna get on TV and just let loose
Check out Eminem’s pre-fame cameo at the video’s end below.
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Photo by JM Enternational/Shutterstock
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