Eminem Is Killing off 'Slim Shady': What to Know About 'The Death of Slim Shady' Album

Marshall Mathers' new album may mark the end of his most infamous alter ego.

By Michael Hein

Rapper Eminem has announced his next album, which comes with a major change to his infamous dual persona. On Thursday, the 51-year-old rapper shared a promotional video on social media announcing The Death of Slim Shady: Coup de Grace, coming this summer. The video suggests that "Slim Shady" will be retired, leaving just Eminem and Marshall Mathers in his place.

The announcement video came in the form of a fake true-crime show called "Detroit Murder Files," and it featured a cameo from Eminem's frequent collaborator 50 Cent. In a deadpan interview, he said: "He's not a friend. He's a psychopath." Meanwhile, the parody ad shows police cars with flashing lights, a bloody kitchen knife, and other staples of the true crime genre. The most shocking shot showed "Slim Shady" himself lying dead with a kitchen knife jutting from his chest.

The video included a newscaster host in a trench coat, reminiscent of Robert Stack from the original Unsolved Mysteries. He promised to unravel the mystery of the death of Slim Shady, indicating some narrative arc to this new release. Meanwhile, Eminem kept it light by appearing in the video as a poorly-concealed witness. His voice was modulated and his face was blurred, but when he leaned forward, his face was revealed.

The post promised a new album in "summer 2024," but no official release date has been announced yet. It also included a link to Eminem's website where fans can sign up for an email list to get updates on this release and other news. There, you can also "pre-save" the album on streaming apps like Spotify and Apple Music.

Other than that, details on this album and any changes to Mathers' lineup of alter egos are scarce. The use of dual personas has been central to his music since 1997, and it has evolved over the years. It was an even more central theme for Eminem's rap group, D12, which included six rappers each with two distinct personas.

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For Mathers, Eminem was generally depicted as the more conventional rapper persona, while Slim Shady was portrayed as a violent, unpredictable force. As the rapper dealt with addiction, this dynamic helped him explore his conflicting impulses as well. Slim Shady has been referenced on nearly every Eminem album over the last two and a half decades, so "killing" this fictional persona would be a major change for the rapper.

The Death of Slim Shady: Coup de Grace is expected to drop sometime in the summer of 2024. Eminem's previous music – including his most recent album, Music to Be Murdered By – is available now to stream or purchase.

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