Eminem Takes Aim at Diddy in New Album 'The Death of Slim Shady'

The rapper doesn't hold back when it comes to Diddy's controversies.

By Ashley Turner

In a dramatic return to the music scene after a four-year hiatus, Eminem unleashed his latest album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), on July 12. The Detroit-born rapper, known for his provocative lyrics and alter ego Slim Shady, has once again generated controversy with his unfiltered commentary on pop culture and hip-hop figures. This time, Sean "Diddy" Combs finds himself squarely in Eminem's crosshairs, as the album features multiple tracks addressing the recent sexual misconduct allegations against the Bad Boy CEO.

One of the most direct references to Combs appears in the track "Antichrist," where Eminem alludes to a 2016 incident involving Diddy and his former partner, Cassie Ventura. The lyrics state: "Next idiot ask me is getting his a– beat worse than Diddy did. But on the real, though/ She probably ran out the room with his f—ing d—o." This seems to reference footage of Combs allegedly assaulting Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel, an event for which he later issued a public apology on Instagram, describing his behavior as "inexcusable." The apology was subsequently removed when Combs cleared his social media accounts.

Eminem's verbal assault on Combs continues in the J.I.D-assisted track "Fuel." Here, the rapper pays homage to hip-hop legends The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac while simultaneously insinuating Combs' potential involvement in their deaths. Eminem raps: "R.I.P., rest in peace, Biggie/ And Pac, both of y'all should be living/ But I ain't tryna beef with him (Nope)/ 'Cause he might put a hit on me like Keefe D did him." The clever wordplay includes a homonym of "P. Diddy" and an intentional misspelling of "rapper" that appears to reference the sexual assault allegations against Combs: "I'm like a R-A-P-E-R/ Got so many S-As (S-As), S-As/ Wait, he didn't just spell the word, 'Rapper' and leave out a P, did he?"

The album also touches on the explosive lawsuit filed by Ventura in 2023, which alleged years of physical abuse and rape by Combs. One particular claim in the lawsuit stated that Combs had threatened to blow up Kid Cudi's car in 2012 after learning of Cudi's romantic interest in Ventura. Eminem seems to address this incident in the track "Bad One," with lyrics that appear to reference the alleged car explosion: "The f—ing bomb with the puffy on/ I'm blowing up for Kid Cudi's car/ In front of his house where all his buddies are."

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It's worth noting that Ventura and Combs settled the lawsuit within 24 hours of its filing in November 2023, with the terms of the agreement remaining undisclosed. Combs and his legal team have consistently and vehemently denied all sexual misconduct allegations made against him in various lawsuits.

The irony of Eminem's fierce criticism of Combs is not lost on keen observers of hip-hop history. In a Rolling Stone interview two decades ago, Combs himself praised Eminem's skills, stating, "I think Eminem's up there with the best of them." He even suggested that Eminem could one day join the ranks of hip-hop legends like Biggie and Tupac in the "Hall of Fame." Given the content of Eminem's latest album, Combs may be reconsidering his remarks.

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