Eminem Pays Homage To His 'Beautiful' City

Eminem puts his controversial antics on the back-burner for the fourth single from his "Relapse" album which has already sold more than 1 million copies since its May 19 release.

The video for his new record "Beautiful" spotlights his hometown of Detroit. It opens with a historical statement about the Michigan's national ranking during an economic peak.

"In 1950, Michigan was 1 of 8 states in America that collectively produced 36% of the world's GNP," the text read.

On a second screen the message continued, "Detroit was the greatest manufacturing city in the world."

The 4-minute clip shows Eminem walking through various Michigan landmarks that once thrived but are now impoverished--Beaux-Arts train station (Michigan Central Station), the original Tiger Stadium, and the former Packard Motor Car Company plant. Each of the now dilapidated structures were built prior to 1914.

Ironically, the song lyrics are not about Detroit, but Eminem's battles with depression during his bout with an addiction for which he sought rehabilitation. He raps, "I don't know how or why or when, I ended up in this position I'm in."

In a statement released via his label, Eminem said that after overcoming his trials, he realized that the song could also be used as a metaphor.

"Tiger Stadium is being torn down, and the train station is supposed to be demolished too," Eminem said. "This video is one of the last times anybody outside of Detroit is going to see them."

Eminem added, "['Beautiful'] is a reminder to keep your head up, and to see who you really are despite what you may be going through. Now that I've gotten through the toughest part, I see how the song relates to Detroit, and it feels even more powerful."

Source: Yahoo Music