Eminem – Houdini
Description
The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) is the upcoming twelfth studio album by American rapper Eminem. It is set to be released in Summer 2024, through Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records.
Background
Eminem released his eleventh studio album Music to Be Murdered By on January 17, 2020, to highly commercial success, as well as a deluxe edition on December 18 of that same year, called Music to Be Murdered By – Side B On August 5, 2022, the rapper released the compilation Curtain Call 2, a continuation to his 2005 greatest hits album Curtain Call: The Hits. A return of Slim Shady was first teased on New Year’s Day 2023 with no further details. In an interview with DJ Whoo Kid for Shade 45 in January 2024, Eminem stated that he was “working on a little something”. He also shut down rumors about a possible 50 Cent joint album, even though he liked the idea of it. On March 19, 2024, long-time producer and collaborator Dr. Dre, while on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, revealed that Eminem was working on his next studio album and that it would be releasing in 2024.
On April 26, 2024, during the 2024 NFL draft event in his hometown Detroit, the rapper shared a video in the style of real crime show Unsolved Mysteries that poses the question “who killed Slim Shady?”, referring to the rapper’s alter ego. A reporter dressed in a trenchcoat lists the enemies Shady has made over the years with rapper 50 Cent commenting on the persona. The teaser also incorporated clips of “My Name Is” (1999), “Without Me” (2002) and “The Real Slim Shady” (2000). The album and tentative release date were announced at the end of the 56-second long video, along with the opportunity to pre-save the record.
On May 10, 2024, longtime collaborator Luis Resto revealed more details about the album, describing it as a “hard-hitting” return to Eminem’s signature sound. Resto said that the album, in progress since 2021, would explore the life and demise of Slim Shady, returning to the rapper’s original creative essence.
A fake obituary for Eminem’s alter ego, Slim Shady, appeared in the May 13 issue of the Detroit Free Press newspaper as promotion for the album. Eminem is pictured in overalls and a hockey mask as his Slim Shady persona, while the obituary reads, “Ultimately, the very things that seemed to be the tools he used became calling cards that defined an existence that could only come to a sudden and horrific end. His complex and tortured existence has come to a close, and the legacy he leaves behind is no closer to resolution than the manner in which this character departed this world.”[13][unreliable source]
On May 21, 2024, Eminem made a cryptic post to his social media, containing a video with an iMessage chat addressed to “All Contacts” with the message “…and for my last trick!”. Eminem changed his social media profile pictures to match the rabbit-in-a-top-hat emoji used in the post. Following the post, fans took to social media to express their concerns and theories about Eminem’s potential retirement.
Singles
On May 28, 2024, the rapper posted a joint Instagram video with magician David Blaine. The video shows a video call between Eminem and Blaine, with the former asking for help and a magic trick to which the latter responds by eating a glass of wine. The rapper then previews the track “Houdini” by playing a short instrumental snippet. At the end of the clip, the song title and release date are revealed. It was released on May 31, 2024, as the lead single, along with an accompanying music video.
