Nashawn Breedlove, Who Battled Eminem in ‘8 Mile,’ Dead at 46
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Nashawn Breedlove, the battle rapper known as Lotto, who appeared alongside Eminem in 8 Mile, has died. He was 46.
Breedlove’s mother, Patricia, confirmed her son’s death on Facebook, writing, “It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of my beloved son Nashawn Breedlove’s passing. Many of you knew him by his alias ‘Lotto, ox,’ a name that echoed his resilience and determination. Nashawn was a rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. No one could deny his talent.”
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She continued: “Nashawn’s departure from this world has left an immense void in my life, one that words cannot fully express. I can’t put into words the pain and hurt that I feel. He was not just my son; he was a remarkable man whose character and strength inspired all who crossed his path.”
A cause of death was not given.
Breedlove played a key role in 8 Mile, facing off against Eminem’s character B-Rabbit in the second round of the film’s final freestyle competition. Lotto drops a scathing verse that nearly knocks B-Rabbit out of the contest with bars like, “I’ll spit a racial slur, honkey, sue me/This shit is a horror flick, but a Black guy doesn’t die in this movie,” and “I feel bad but I gotta murder that dude from Leave It to Beaver.”
Despite this absolute fire, B-Rabbit does, of course, keep down mom’s spaghetti and best Lotto before wiping the floor with his final challenger, Papa Doc. Even still, Lotto has always had his boosters who think he was unfairly robbed of a victory (even though it was just a movie). When the rapper Mickey Factz paid tribute to Breedlove on Instagram, he wrote, “RIP to one of the few emcee’s to beat Eminem… Lotto from 8 Mile. Who’s friends lovingly called him, OX. You will be missed for your tenacity and aggressiveness.”
Daylyt, another prominent battle rapper, added in the comments: “The first mc who was ever robbed of his win in a rap battle! Rip lotto.”
Prior to appearing in 8 Mile, Breedlove contributed a song to the 2001 movie The Wash, starring Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. The track, “Don’t Talk Shit,” was released under his other moniker, Ox.
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