Eminem has announced the release of his latest album on social media following a brief appearance at the NFL Draft. This will be his 12th studio album preceded by Music To Be Murdered By released in January 2020.
The rap legend’s new album is titled The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace). It is set to be released in summer 2024. A trailer for the album is out on the internet shortly after his NFL cameo. It shows a true crime reporter discussing the murder of Eminem’s titular alter-ego Slim Shady.
What is Eminem’s new album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace) about?
Following the release of Music To Be Murdered By, Marshall Mathers stays on the theme as he announces the demise of his alter-ego Slim. In the album teaser, after rewinding iconic moments from Shady’s tumultuous journey so far, a news reporter remarks, “Through his complex and oft-criticized, tongue-twisting rhymes, the anti-hero known as Slim Shady has had no shortage of enemies.” He is seen to be reporting live from the murder site which is the symbolic death of this alter ego.
The 30-second trailer features a cameo appearance of 50 Cent, who is a long-time associate and friend of Marshall. “He’s not a friend, he’s a psychopath,” he states in the clip. The true crime reporter continues discussing the cause of Slim Shady’s murder. He says it might be the rude lyrics and controversial antics that ultimately led to the of demise Mathers’s alter-ego. “Join me as we recreate the events that led to the murder of Slim Shady,” he adds. The 51-year old rapper himself also makes a very brief appearance, commenting on the fictional murder case at hand, “I knew it was only a matter of time for Slim.”
Is this truly the end of Eminem’s alter-ego Slim Shady?
Eminem created Slim Shady back in 1997 during his debut with the Slim Shady EP followed by The Slim Shady LP. The lack of success of Infinite inspired him to develop the infamous criminal alter ego, Slim Shady. This character is associated with tremendous violence and aggression, thereby marking him as a controversial artist right from the beginning of his career.
As stated in the lyrics of one of his songs, Criminal, “A lot of people think that what I say on a record or what I talk about on a record, that I actually do in real life or that I believe in it. Or if I say that I wanna kill somebody that I’m actually gonna do it or that I believe in it” Eminem has always been upfront about the use of abusive language and rage in his lyrics. He has assumed the alter-ego of Slim Shady in other fitting songs such as Guilty Conscience featuring Dr. Dre, 3 AM, ’97 Bonnie and Clyde, Kill You, The Real Slim Shady, and many more.
The rapper’s previous album Music to Be Murdered By (Side A and Side B) was a surprise drop. Horrorcore as its key theme, he was heavily inspired by Alfred Hitchcock during the making of that album. His single, Godzilla featuring the later rapper Juice Wrld became an instant hit peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album stood tall at the top of the Billboard 200 chart.
However, the suspense continues as the exact date of Eminem’s new album is not announced yet. After a long wait for a new Eminem album, overwhelming responses from Stans flooded the comments of his social media expression with high anticipation and excitement. Some fans even question whether this would be his last album considering the title, however, others jokingly ward such speculations off.
ALSO READ: BTS’ RM announces second solo album Right Place, Wrong Person with 11 tracks releasing on May 24
