8-Mile Actor Nashawn Breedlove Passes Away At 46
Eminem and ‘Lotto’ go head to head in rap battle in 2002 file 8-Mile.
By: Vince Wilson
On Tuesday, September 26, 2023, Actor and artist Nashawn Breedlove passed away in his sleep at the age of 46. Best known for playing Lotto, one of the henchmen for the Free World in the 2002 film 8 Mile, Breedlove’s mother Patricia gave notice of her son’s death with a heartfelt message on Facebook.
Nashawn Breedlove’s character Lotto is used in the most climatic part of the film, contrary to his crew leader played by Anthony Mackie, who has more lines but is less memorable. Breedlove turned this character into a household name with minimal lines but a stellar performance.
Lotto - 8 Mile
Breedlove's passing leaves a heavy heart for many who recognize 8 Mile as arguably the greatest hip-hop movie of all time and undoubtedly of the 21st century. What’s noted particularly about the character Lotto and what many fans have debated for the past twenty years is if Lotto really beat B-Rabbit in the battle. I remember seeing the scene as a kid and having the same feeling, Lotto won. He was ferocious, vicious, and precise with his attacks on the Great White Hope, opening his battle with a crazy punchline.
“I spit a racial slur Honkey, sue me! This shit is a Horror flick, but the Black guy doesn’t die in this movie!”
The theater went wild as Lotto continued to pour ether into B-rabbit's soul with his bars. Eminem’s character comes back strong and through a close vote gets the W in the film. Although in reality, it was up for grabs as Breedlove provided the best and most memorable battle in the film. 8 Mile went on to win an Oscar and grossed over $250,000,000 worldwide.
Breedlove didn't capitalize on that success as he never made another appearance in a film. As far as music is concerned, he released a few songs sporadically under the name OX but no major movement came with the success of the film. Regardless of the amount of work he did on the big screen or in the studio, he is cemented in the culture forever, creating one of the most impactful characters in one of the most impactful films of a generation.
Rest Easy Nashawn Breedlove. You won.
OX - Don't Talk Sh*t
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