US election day: Rapper Eminem endorses Joe Biden in 2020 presidential race

Eminem has thrown his support behind Joe Biden in the US. Photo / File

Eminem, one of the best selling rap artists of all time, has thrown his support behind Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

The last-minute endorsement is the first time the 15 times Grammy winner has ever allowed his music to be used in a political campaign, according to Detroit Free Press.

Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, shared a video from Joe Biden's campaign earlier on Monday with a simple message: "One opportunity … #Vote".

Biden also shared the video, quoting the lyrics: "We have one shot. One opportunity. One moment."

The 45-second campaign ad uses Eminem's track Lose Yourself, from the soundtrack to the film 8 Mile — loosely based on Mathers' life. The song went to number one in 25 countries on its release and won him the 2002 Academy Award for Best Original Song.

The ad is a montage of people heading to the polls, along with some footage from a rally for Biden in the rapper's home state of Michigan. Polls show Biden is leading the President in Michigan by 8 points, according to a recent Siena College/the New York Times Upshot poll.

Eminem is widely considered one of the most successful rappers of the contemporary era, and has sold more than 220 million records globally. Last week, he also urged his followers to vote in the election, sharing voter information from Make History Here — an initiative to allow safe, socially distanced early voting through sports arenas.

Mathers has previously voiced his disapproval for the President in a 2018 interview with Billboard, telling the magazine, "a f**king turd would have been better as a president".

Singer Beyonce also endorsed Biden on Monday, posting her last minute support for the Democrat on social media.