Eminem‘s “Not Afraid,” the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper from the rapper’s 2010 Recovery album, soundtracks one of Michigan Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed’s latest campaign clips. The democrat released the video online early Tuesday morning (Nov. 3) as Election DAy kicked off.
“Michigan. It’s time. It’s up to us to show the country what’s possible,” El-Sayed wrote Tuesday in a social media post that featured the campaign video featuring the Eminem hit. “The world is watching.”
Eminem has not commented on El-Sayed’s usage of his song or publicly endorsed a candidate in the 2026 midterm election; The Detroit News reports he was not contacted by the campaign.
In 2024, Eminem made an appearance in Detroit in support of Kamala Harris, and in 2020, “Lose Yourself” was featured in a Joe Biden ad.
The rapper recently guested on track by fellow Detroit native Kid Rock, “Heal My Faith,” on which he raps about their years-long friendship and calls for unity across party and religious lines; Kid Rock has, of course, been outspoken about aligning with Donald Trump. Following the song’s release, Eminem noted, “Not about choosing sides, just choosing to make music with my old friend. Praying for all of us.”
As for El-Sayed’s current campaign, video footage posted online shows Common performed for the democratic candidate at a rally in Detroit on Monday night.
Michigan native Stevie Wonder also showed support for El-Sayed, getting on camera to voice his choice, as seen in a clip released on Election Day. “There is so much on the line this election,” Wonder says in the video. “We cannot be distracted … Go vote for Dr. Abdul El-Sayed for Senate, Jocelyn Benson for governor, and democrats down the ticket.”
Another artist who’s definitely in El-Sayed’s corner is Bruce Springsteen, who lent his endorsement on Monday.
“Dr. El-Sayed is a fighter for our American Constitution,” Springsteen wrote in a post on Instagram. “He’s a fighter for our American Democracy, and he’s a fighter against the corrupt, lawless, and anti-American leadership currently in the White House.”
It’s been a close competition in Michigan between El-Sayed and his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, in their bid to take over Democrat Gary Peters’ Senate seat. The race hadn’t been called at the time of publication Tuesday evening.
