Barack Obama turned to rap to stay motivated during his 2008 presidential campaign.
In his new book, A Promised Land, the former POTUS revealed how JAY-Z's "My 1st Song" and Eminem's "Lose Yourself" remained on rotation to get his "head in the right place." "Both were about defying the odds and putting it all on the line," he said of the hits during an Instagram Reel for production company ATTN:, before citing bars from the 8 Mile anthem. "Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity/ To seize everything you ever wanted/ In one moment/ Would you capture it/ Or just let it slip?" he recites.
"In my new book, A Promised Land, I share the story of what inspired me to pursue public service and the ups and downs in my first few years of my presidency, but I wanted to share some of the most important moments with you," Obama says of the new video series. "That's why I'm teaming up with ATTN: for a new series talking about some of the biggest moments that defined those years for me."
After Obama shared the clip from ATTN's five-part video series on A Promised Land on his own Instagram account, Em caught wind of the shoutout and reposted the clip onto his IG story with the prayer hands emoji.
Years since its release, the sentiments of "Lose Yourself" remains strong, particularly after letting Joe Biden use the hit to soundtrack a campaign ad for the President-elect. This marked the first time that the rapper has licensed his song to a political candidate.
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