Eminem’s soundtrack owns the moment

Rap fans can relax -- Eminem hasn’t pulled an Elvis.

The smoldering rapper’s movie “8 Mile� won’t hit theaters until Nov. 8, but it’s clear from the just-released soundtrack that Eminem and director Curtis Hanson haven’t made the embarrassing commercial compromises that left Presley’s film career forever tarnished.

The film is a semi-autobographical tale of a troubled young man’s desperate struggle to achieve his dreams for a rap career.

The movie and album could easily have been loaded with old Eminem hits or a few new tunes in the lighthearted, pop-friendly vein of the rapper’s sometime alter ego, Slim Shady. Instead, the tone of the album is stark, gritty and hard core.

“Lose Yourself,� the opening track, defines the film’s theme of finding the courage to seize the moment that can make a difference, and it has the feel of a pop culture anthem.

Blessed with much of the same authority and power of such earlier Eminem gems as “Stan� and “Cleaning Out My Closet,� “Lose Yourself� is already a radio hit. It’s such an adrenaline rush that we’re likely to hear the chorus in sports venues around the country as home teams try to psych themselves up.

Besides featuring Eminem prominently on three other tracks, the collection also includes contributions by Nas, Xzibit, 50 Cent, Gang Starr and Jay-Z featuring Freeway.

Most of the tunes deal with self-affirmation in the rap game, and the language is frequently R-rated, so parents should take the advisory seriously.

The CD, released Tuesday by Shady/Interscope, doesn’t have the same emotional range or creative explosiveness of regular Eminem albums, but it is a superior hip-hop package, and a sign that there’s no “Harum Scarum� in this pop star’s future.