Eminem teases new album, ‘The Death of Slim Shady'
While Eminem was starring on Detroit's NFL draft stage Thursday night, some TV viewers got a glimpse at his next album project.
"The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace)" — a title confirmed by the rapper's camp Thursday to the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network — is coming this summer, according to a playful 30-second ad that aired on the NFL Network.
The album will be Eminem's 12th studio album and his first since 2020. And it will seemingly rekindle a focus on his Slim Shady alter ego — the diabolical character who served as the namesake of Em's 1999 breakthrough album, "The Slim Shady LP."
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In recent years, Slim Shady has featured less frequently in Eminem's music. But the new ad, which parodies a true-crime commercial with "Forensic Files"-style music, is an emphatic guess-who’s-back message, complete with early Eminem footage.
"Through his complex and oft-criticized tongue-twisting rhymes, the antihero known as (Slim Shady) has had no shortage of enemies," a narrator intones. "The same rude lyrics and controversial antics may have ultimately led to his demise. Join me as we recreate the events that led to the murder of Slim Shady."
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A current-day Eminem, his face and voice initially obscured, then pipes in: "I knew it was just a matter of time for Slim."
Longtime collaborator Dr. Dre was the first to reveal a new Em album was on the way, telling Jimmy Kimmel last month, "I've got songs on it, and it's fire."
Thursday's ad could be part of a fun buildup for fans: Eminem has been known for elaborate and clever promotional operations through the years, such as the one in 2017 that ultimately led to his album "Revival."
That began with a cryptic campaign for a fake pharmaceutical that included a half-page ad in the Free Press. The "Death of Slim Shady" commercial was tucked into the NFL Network's draft broadcast, and plans for the new album were confirmed by a rep for the rapper Thursday night.
Eminem has figured prominently in the NFL's draft festivities, including a series of online spots with league commissioner Roger Goodell and an appearance onstage Thursday with several Lions greats.