Nashawn Breedlove, who starred in "8 Mile," the 2002 film that was loosely based on Eminem's life, has died at 46. Known for playing freestyle rapper Lotto in the movie, Breedlove died in his home So, it’s official, the iconic rap battle movie 8 Mile is 15 years old today, and we feel really old. The Eminem classic hit the big screen back in 2002, and honestly, we’ve been non-stop One year later, the musician went to the big screen when he appeared alongside Eminem in the movie "8 Mile", loosely based on Eminem's life. The actor played the role of Lotto in the 2002 movie Actor and rapper Nashawn Breedlove, who was known for battle-rapping with American rapper and songwriter Eminem in the film '8 Mile,' cause of death has been revealed. The rapper-actor died of acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, cocaine and ethanol, according to an autopsy report from New Jersey's Office of Eminem’s portrayal of Jimmy Smith Jr. (B-Rabbit): The protagonist of “8 Mile,” B-Rabbit, is played by rapper Eminem, who draws inspiration from his own life experiences in Detroit. While the character shares similarities with Eminem’s real-life persona, it is important to note that B-Rabbit is a fictional character and not an exact 8 Mile was Eminem's acting debut, playing Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith, the titular character. It was a characterization loosely based on his life. And his performance was stellar. Eminem was gritty but Proof also had a part in the film “8 Mile,” which was loosely based on the life of Eminem. Proof was also the clear inspiration for Future, a central character portrayed by Mekhi Phifer. Future was the organizer of “rap battles” in the movie, just as Proof had done for years in Detroit. 8 Mile is a 2002 American hip-hop drama film directed by Curtis Hanson and written by Scott Silver. It stars Eminem in his film debut, alongside Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, Kim Basinger, Anthony Mackie and Michael Shannon. The film, which contains autobiographical elements from Eminem’s life, tells a story of a white rapper B-Rabbit In 2002, Eminem starred in a movie loosely based on his life and 8 Mile quickly became both a commercial and critical success. Set in Michigan in 1995, 8 Mile tells the story of Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith (Eminem), a white rapper attempting to break into the hip-hop field. AIAA.