Is the rapper Eminem abandoning his iconic alter ego? Eminem just announced that he was killing Slim Shady off with his new album The Death of Slim Shady.
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The announcement video was staged like a true crime documentary. The narrator/host revealed that someone killed Slim due to, "The same rude lyrics and controversial antics may have ultimately led to his demise." The host promises to piece together what caused the crime. He said, "Join me as we recreate the events that led to the murder of Slim Shady."
The announcement also featured fellow rapper 50 Cent, who says: "He's not a friend, he's a psychopath." Meanwhile, Eminem appears throughout the video with a pixelated face. He momentarily reveals his identity at the end, saying, "I knew it was just a matter of time for Slim."
EMINEM just dropped a trailer for his 12th album titled ?THE DEATH OF SLIM SHADY? pic.twitter.com/SXITpw2OL4
— AuxGod (@AuxGod_) April 26, 2024
How Eminem Got His Nickname
The end of the video shows Slim with a knife in his chest. Eminem first gained popularity with 1999 The Slim Shady. It featured the catchy song "My Name Is." However, the album's announcement should be noted for its tongue-in-cheek humor. This was a trademark of a lof of Eminem's earlier work. As Slim Shady, the rapper appeared cocky and sarcastic with a lot of quick wit. Eminem's music began to change in the late 2000s, growing more serious and sometimes angrier as the rapper confronted personal demons on his tracks.
Could The Death of Slim Shady be a return to this earlier humoristic tone? The announcement video certainly suggests as much. We'll see if the songs match what Eminem is presenting here. There's also some questions around if Eminem plans to abandon Slim Shady altogether after this album. It would mark an end in a lot of ways to what he started in 1999.
Eminem once opened up about how he developed the idea for the nickname. He revealed that inspiration struck him while he was on the toilet of all places. He said, "I was sitting on the toilet and a lot of good material came out of that. This name popped into my head. I was kind of skinny and I thought maybe it should be something slim.
He continued, "And then for some reason Slim Shady popped into my mind and I just thought of 20 things to rhyme with it." From there, the rapper continued with it, and the rest was history. He said, "I just thought, 'This is it'. I went back in the room and just kept writing."
