On new 'The Death of Slim Shady' album, Eminem slays his alter ego
Eminem has a few things to get off his chest. Namely the anchor known as Slim Shady, his alter ego birthed on 1999’s “The Slim Shady LP” and its cartoonish lead single, “My Name Is.”
That persona represented a significant portion of the Detroit rapper’s career, notably his bouncy 2000 smash single, “The Real Slim Shady.”
But with his 12th studio album that arrived Friday, “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace)," Eminem lands the proverbial death blow amid 19 tracks – including three skits and a scene-setting opening – with his trademark combination of rhyme-dropping dexterity, decidedly un-politically-correct references and crass humor.
He’s a lyrical pugilist throughout – except when he turns misty-eyed dad rapping about daughter Hailie Jade – and salts his insults with sarcasm.
“Kendrick’s album was cool, but it didn’t have any bangers/Wayne’s album or Ye’s, couldn’t tell you which one was lamer /Joyner’s album was corny, Shady’s new s--- is way worse,” he unfurls on “Renaissance,” the opening track reminiscent of the pumping backdrop of “Lose Yourself.”
But those aren’t disses, just Eminem trying to distance himself from Slim Shady, a shadow that airs grievances about pronoun use, transgender people and people with disabilities. Sometimes, though, it’s unclear who is spewing the vitriol – Eminem or Slim Shady?
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Eminem asks who to blame for his 'screwed-up brain'
Before the album’s release, Eminem noted “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace)" was crafted to be listened to from start to finish, otherwise it won't make sense.
Take his advice to best experience the slow demise of Slim Shady and to better understand why he ponders over the stalking beat of “Evil”: “Who’s to blame for my screwed-up brain?”
Eminem name checks Megan Thee Stallion (also called out in the album’s first single, “Houdini”) and Nicki Minaj with a sophomoric sexual reference in the romping “Antichrist” and turns his ire to the overweight in the stormy “Road Rage” (“Raise your hands if you're shoving food in your mouth at this moment”), which also features a whiplash of a conversation between Em and Slim Shady.
Those who anticipated “Guilty Conscience 2,” his sequel to the 1999 collaboration with Dr. Dre, will appreciate the numerous callbacks to the era as he seesaws between thoughtful (“Why does it feel like I’m always being tortured?”) and offensive as “old habits are coming back.”
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The strongest Eminem songs are about his children
But the two strongest songs on an album that will require repeated listens to fully absorb its verbosity relate to daughter Hailie Jade.
At the start of “Temporary,” audio recordings of Eminem and his then-little girl immediately yank those listeners who have been part of his orbit since the beginning back into songs that have referenced her (“Hailie’s Song,” “My Dad’s Gone Crazy” and “Kim” among them).
As the lovely piano-based song unfolds, Slim Shady implores his daughter – who recently married – to “be strong” while assuring her he is still her “rock” even though he’s gone (“Saying goodbye is just not ever easy”).
Singer Skylar Grey, whose history with Eminem backs up to 2010 when she co-wrote his “Love the Way You Lie,” adds beauty and tenderness with her angelic vocals. “Temporary” is the most memorable song on “The Death of Slim Shady” because it gives Eminem permission to drop the shtick and explore his vulnerability – which isn’t often apparent elsewhere on the album.
Except, that is, the closing track, “Somebody Save Me.” Using the chorus of Jelly Roll’s heart-searing 2020 hit “Save Me,” Eminem again exposes his heart as he apologizes to all of his kids (“I don’t even deserve the father title”) and laments his years wasted to drugs. (You can already envision Eminem and Jelly Roll performing the song at the Grammys.)
As promised, “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace)” reveals the horrors and heartbreaks of Slim Shady in sequence, and even though it isn’t the smoothest ride, it’s one you’ll want to experience frequently to fully understand.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Eminem album 'The Death of Slim Shady' brings horror, heartbreak