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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.

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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."

Look, if you had another shot, another opportunity... Thanks for having me @TheAcademy. Sorry it took me 18 years to get here. pic.twitter.com/CmSw2hmcZo — Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) February 10, 2020

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.

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.

"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.