Muhammad Ali was 74 when he died of septic shock on June 3, Friday. Among the celebrities who consider the legendary boxer a hero was Detroit rapper Marshall Mathers III, who is professionally known as Eminem.
"Muhammad Ali has been a constant source of inspiration and a heroic figure throughout my life," Associated Press quoted Eminem as saying. "He's always been there, as a symbol for fighting against the odds, the system and the hatred.
For Eminem, it is hard to believe that Ali is "actually not with us anymore." On the other hand, the "Rap God" rapper pointed out that the late boxer "will never be gone."
In 2010, Eminem was eyed to play Billy Hope, a professional boxer, in "Southpaw," which was released in 2015. The rapper dropped the project to focus on his music and the role was eventually given to Jake Gyllenhaal.
On the other hand, Eminem executive produced the soundtrack album of "Southpaw." His protégé 50 Cent also starred in the film and recorded a single for the album.
On June 4, Saturday, 50 Cent was one of the celebrities who paid tribute to Ali on social media. The rapper and actor took to Facebook to share a photo of the late boxer with stashes of money.
Ali won the world heavyweight title in 1964, 1974, and 1978. This makes him the only three-time lineal world heavyweight champion.
Because of boxing, Ali suffered from brain injuries. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease attributed to these injuries in 1984.
Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Ali was honored through a memorial at the Muhammad Ali Center and a wall at the Kentucky Center for Performing Arts. People brought flowers and photos to the memorial and hundreds of children watched videos of Ali's classic fights.
"Obviously he had a great personality, but he was kind to everybody," Louisville resident Ondraus Cissell, 52, said of Ali in an interview with CNN. Cissell said he grew up two and a half blocks from Ali's house in the West End and the first time he saw the late boxer in person was in 1974 when he won his second title.
Watch the music video of Eminem's "Phenomenal" from the soundtrack of the boxing film "Southpaw" here: