Eminem Takes Suicide Leap In "Not Afraid" Video

The highly anticipated music video for Eminem's smash single "Not Afraid", directed by Rich Lee, premiered exclusively on VEVO Saturday, and premiering throughout the day on MTV and VH1 on Monday, with a special prime-time encore on MTV. Grammy-winning rapper has kept his word on debuting the "Not Afraid" music video by unleashing an artistically drawn visual of his newest single, which is the lead single off of his seventh studio album, "Recovery" that record is ready to drop onto store shelves on June 22. His lyrics offer inspiration within all that anger, and this song is no different.
Unlike the lead singles from Eminem's previous albums, "Not Afraid" is not a comedy hip hop song, instead retaining a much more deep and profound theme. It debuted five weeks ago and entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No.1; making it the sixteenth song in Billboard's history to debut at number one and only the second rap single ever to debut at the top spot - a feat that hasn't been achieved by a rapper in almost 15 years. In the song, described as "uplifting" by manager Paul Rosenberg, Eminem tells of how he has tried to overcome the troubles in his life from the past few years, mainly his drug addiction and rehabilitation. He promises he will never leave again and now only has his daughters and his music to focus on.
This song received very positive reviews with special attention to the emotional expression, Eminem's rhyming skills and his reaching out to other producers. Rolling Stone praised Eminem's commitment on his new music and lyrical ability noting "Over a dark, operatic beat, Eminem delivers rhymes that are typically acrobatic and typically heavy-handed. But the anger has a gathering quality."
The new video was shot in Newark, New Jersey on the streets in downtown, and finds himself in various compromising positions which includes a suicide jump and flying abilities. The Slim Shady is seen standing on the rooftop of a skyscraper, looking down the street. In one point, he is seen throwing himself from the edge of a destroyed road. Eminem talked about the video and its concept to Skyrock FM in Paris: "The overall concept is basically just being in a dark place and trying to get to the light." The music swells. Eminem will save us all from ourselves with his motivational rhymes!