Eminem surprises Oscars crowd with 'Lose Yourself' performance

Music lovers had a lot to look forward to on Oscar night, what with showstopping performances from Idina Menzel, Chrissy Metz and even the "Rocketman" himself, Elton John.

But the most thrilling performance of the 92nd annual Academy Awards might have been the one that no one saw coming.

In the midst of Hollywood's biggest bash, Eminem took the stage to perform "Lose Yourself," the Oscar-winning hit from his 2002 film, "8 Mile."

Why? It's a fair question that fans pondered on social media, but the answer seems to simply be, why not?

Or, as the man born Marshall Mathers explained, quoting his own song, "Look, if you had another shot, another opportunity..."

It was an apt quote, considering he missed his first opportunity.

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In a post-performance tweet, the rapper shared a clip from his 2003 Academy Awards win, when music legend Barbra Streisand announced that he'd taken the top honor … but he wasn't there to accept it.

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

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"Thanks for having me @TheAcademy. Sorry it took me 18 years to get here."

Actually, he was only 17 years late for the 2003 shindig. But as his crowd-pleasing performance proved, it was much better late than never.