Today marks the tenth anniversary of Eminem’s massive “Not Afraid” single which appeared on his seventh studio album, Recovery.
The song was produced by Toronto’s own Boi-1da, and was one of the earlier big records he was behind on his path to superstardom. After his name had been buzzing from producing Drake’s breakout “Best I Ever Had,” Eminem’s “Not Afraid” allowed Boi-1da to live up to the hype of being one of music’s next big producers, and that he was a star in his own right.
He had, after all, produced the star-packed “Forever” which featured Em alongside Drake, Kanye West and Lil Wayne, but producing the lead single for Em’s “comeback” album was a status changer. “Forever” was featured on the soundtrack for LeBron James’ More than a Game documentary which made its debut on September 6, 2008 at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Along with “Not Afraid,” Boi-1da also produced the song “Seduction” from Recovery and would later produce on Eminem’s 2018 album, Kamikaze.
As of mid-March 2020, only 34 songs in music history have been certified Diamond and Eminem is responsible for three of them, tying him with Katy Perry. The three songs are “Not Afraid,” certified Diamond on June 10, 2014, the Rihanna-assisted “Love the Way You Lie,” certified Diamond on February 28, 2018, and “Lose Yourself,” also certified Diamond on February 28, 2018.
Meanwhile, along with “Not Afraid,” Boi-1da’s discography also includes the Diamond-certified “God’s Plan,” by Drake, which certified Diamond on September 25, 2019.
Since it’s release, “Not Afraid” has been Diamond-Certified in the United States, and also charted well in other countries.
The Richard “Rich” Lee-directed video for “Not Afraid” was released on June 5, 2010 and has racked up an incredible 1.3 billion views and counting.
Overall, the song remains one of Eminem and Boi-1da’s most successful songs to date, and it has also been a staple in Eminem’s live set, often ending his performances with it.
