Eminem - The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)
Hip hop – Released July 12, 2024 – 19 songs, 64 mins
ROZ
Cue up Without Me, because Shady is back (back again). After completely obliterating the Spotify debut charts and being on the cusp of dethroning Taylor Swift's reign of terror on top of the billboard charts, the question isn’t whether or not the man is back – the question is whether or not you should tell a friend. Luckily for you, dear reader, your friendly neighbourhood music blog Too Sweet Reviews is here to sift through the listing and give you the goods (or not so good). Is Eminem’s twelfth studio album The Death of Slim Shady worth the price of admission? Keep on reading to find out.
From a purely performative standpoint, Eminem hasn’t sounded this crisp in years. Not only is his execution flawless, but the complexities of his rhyme structures seem to have aged like a fine wine. You would never guess that the man is now into his 50’s, and even if you aren’t a hip hop fan it’s simply impossible not to respect the endurance and dexterity required to do what Marshall Mathers can do. Fuel is the perfect example of this phenomenon; a track that highlights the pure skill that Eminem has built up over his years, while as a bonus showcasing the very impressive wordsmithing and buttery flow of featured artist JID. This sentiment echoes on the lyrical side as well, as Eminem double (and triple) entendre’s his way across the board, leaving no chess piece in his way upright. Targets are picked with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel and range from current (Puff Daddy, Kendrick Lamar) all the way back to Slim Shady’s long standing beefs with targets that are in… much poorer tastes… even through the lense of the era that they come from. As I write this, Brand New Dance comes on. Dear God, can’t we let poor Christopher Reeves rest in peace?
‘Nostalgia’ is the key theme throughout The Death of Slim Shady, and nothing can be more symbolic of this than having the lovely Skylar Grey back for a feature on Temporary. Just like that, I’m teleported back to the simpler times of 2010. Oh, sweet bliss. The album continues to impress on the production side, causing me to breathe a sigh of relief as the initial worry of another “classic rock cover” filled album leaves my mind. Flipping classic rock songs into rap beats is not unfamiliar to Eminem’s previous works, however it is a horse that the man has thoroughly beaten to death by this point in his tenured career - one Houdini is enough. Other than the previously mentioned track however, TDoSS is chock full of hard hitting, well composed, original hip hop beats thanks to the supreme talents of frequent Eminem collaborators such as Dr. Dre and Luis Resto. Shades of his old LP’s are seen just as much on the sonics and soundscapes as they are on his lyrical content and rapid-fire flow; Renaissance, Evil and Antichrist especially standing out. Somebody Save Me, one of the most emotionally charged tracks on the album, harkens back to the era of Not Afraid or Love the Way You Lie, and I have no doubts that the commercial success will parallel these releases as well.
If you don’t know already by its namesake, this album’s conceptual nature pits current Eminem against his older Shady persona; the Mr. Hyde to his Dr. Jekyll. The album is arranged in chronological order, with Eminem himself stating in interviews that it’s an experience that must be done starting from the first track and going to the last. Surely, he must believe, plucking any song out of this track list and listening to it in a vacuum would ruin the overall experience, as Eminem battles his younger self in a dramatic choreography of kidnap, escape and metaphorical murder. For an album that is so fixated on leaning into the cinematic, it is this element of the album that makes me groan the most. Herein lies the story – Eminem’s younger self, Slim Shady, has returned from the dead to “cancel” him and ruin his career. Song after song, Shady spits his special brand of 'shock-and-awe' rap that made them famous all those years back, to the horror of current day Marshall. He knows full well of the current cultural climate, and with that the album's message is right in front of your face: "See how crazy I used to be"? "See how I’d make the 'woke' lose their minds"? While the concept is quite true (he was mired in controversy even back then), the execution is flawed. If Guilty Conscience 2 is the climax, why do two inferior Shady-esque tracks, Head Honcho and Bad One, follow it? Like a poorly edited film, the story now loses its punch. Temporary and Somebody Save Me could have been ten times as effective and this story would have had the somber ending that I assume they were going for.
The Death of Slim Shady, an album that would be completely lambasted if it were released by any other artist in the world, is thoroughly protected by the Slim Shady gimmick - despite how many times’ Eminem attempts to force the opposite. For those who’ve listened, ask yourself this: is there anything on the back half of this album that truly makes you feel that Eminem has grown away from the opinions that he valiantly raps about in the first half? Even with tear-jerkers Temporary and Somebody Save Me in the mix, I fail to see how that balances out the rampage that the 'Slim Shady' moniker goes on through most of the album. TDoSS is fan service through-and-through, with a very in-your-face cancel-culture caveat. From the unfiltered early 2000’s lyrics all the way to the Paul skits, Eminem is giving his fans what they want while at the same time attempting to show that he’s grown past that phase. As technical, skillful and shocking 'Slim Shady' may be on this album, nothing really indicates much growth at all – concerning, but not surprising.
Overall Rating: 6.8/10
Favourite Song: Fuel
REID
The Too Sweet Reviews venture is full of surprises and this week’s edition is certainly that. A concept album from Eminem on the uprise and ultimate demise of his Slim Shady alter ego? In 2024? You can’t make it up. I must admit, the adolescent in me was intrigued. The rebellion and shock value of his early work paired with second-to-none MC skills was can’t-miss content. I often wondered how Slim Shady would be received in today’s world and we’re living it in real time. On the album’s opening track, Renaissance, Eminem trashed critics and keyboard warriors for over analyzing work of the greats. Apologies in advance Marshall, we’re about to do just that.
The first listen through was a tidal wave of nostalgia. Eminem returned to the formula that saw him skyrocket to stardom. The catchy single and sample of a classic in Houdini, the prospective song for the club in Brand New Dance, countless shout outs and disses of public figures, hating on Christopher Reeves, his mother and other minorities, skits with Paul Rosenberg and Ken Kaniff, iconic catch phrases (Guess who’s back), heartfelt songs to his daughter, niece and nephew… the list goes on. I won’t lie, I was fired up to see this character revitalized and felt a connection to this artist I hadn’t for quite some time.
Unfortunately, the shine wore off rather quickly on subsequent listens with the biggest culprit being the combination of duration and repetition. Much of the sixty-five minutes centers around Slim’s battle with PC culture and his unwillingness to be cancelled. This morphs into an internal power struggle between Marshall’s improved, evolved identity and his former self. He uses the guise of his alter ego to spew hatred only to walk it back shortly thereafter. In a vacuum, the concept is creative but it lacks authenticity and I’m not even sure it’s his fault. For a guy who has seen and done everything in the industry, it required a deep dive for something new. And dig he did. Who is trying to cancel Eminem? He has the most monthly Spotify listeners for a rapper to this day and is widely known as one of the genre GOATs. He wrote a heartfelt, pre-mortem song to his daughter… as a 51-year old! I don’t know man, I think he has just run out of things to say on album twelve of his illustrious career.
With all that said, Eminem’s pure rapping skills haven’t lost a step and he’s a genius with that weapon of a pen. The production is of high quality and having Dr. Dre contribute on a couple of songs (Lucifer and Road Rage) is a welcome addition. There’s a long list of features and it’s nice to see him give back by providing opportunities to up and comers. A particular standout is JID on Fuel where they both tear the house down on the most impressive song of the lot. JID’s most recent album got a download from me and I can only assume I’m one of thousands, possibly millions to follow course. These redeeming qualities from a legend of the genre are TDOSS’s saving grace.
Slim Shady was a time and place. Lightning in a bottle. It’s difficult to turn back the clock in a changing world and have the same impact. Eminem struggles with that on TDOSS. Luckily, he’s still a master on the mic and his lyrical creativity in unmatched.
Overall Rating: 6.7/10
Favourite Song: Fuel
LUNDI
You either grew up with this week’s artist or you were raised in a very different world and already know better. For the latter you probably didn’t even give Eminem’s The Death of Slim Shady a moment of a chance and for that I don’t blame you at all. But this millennial falls in the former, and let me tell you nostalgia is one powerful drug. In 2024 Slim Shady is a car crash I couldn’t look away from. I am a much different person now than I was during the burned CD in my Honda Civic days, but like Eminem himself I needed to see the persona that had such a presence in my early life be ended once and for all.
There’s no shortage of outrage over The Death of Slim Shady and at the risk of the internet coming at me with pitchforks I have to say the response has been far too negative. The language certainly isn’t great but Eminem presents himself more like a self critical senile uncle attempting to learn the ropes of the modern world than he does as some masked vigilante on a soapbox trying to tell us everything that’s wrong with it. Anyone with any knowledge of Em’s discography knows these lyrics are relatively tame, and while I’m certainly not condoning them, you’re in for a major shock if you think this is the artist at his worst. In the big picture any rage would be much better off directed at the endless list of worse issues plaguing our world. It’s changed a lot since Shady dominated the airwaves and most definitely not always for the better.
Ultimately though there just had to be a better way to deliver the concept album. Doing it 5 or 10 years ago would have seen this land as more true and honest ending of a former self whereas today it feels a lot like an attempt to maintain relevance. Through the first 13 tracks and skits you are hammered over the head with similar quips on PC culture and endless vulgarity that destroys any repeatability of the album. It’s much too long and repetitive resulting in zero staying power which is the most important attribute of an albums impact and importance. Successive pans through the Slim Shady persona resurgence and ultimate death craters the albums overall appeal. While a movie, tv show, or comedy special can get away with shocking the audience into an unforgettable experience, music just doesn’t operate in that fashion. This album will be an immediate delete from the Spotify library once TSR clicks publish.
Eminem’s lyrics will no doubt get the majority of the attention but there are some impressive elements on this album worth praising. The technical rapping skillset across the record is definitely worth marvelling at. Eminem’s flow sounds fresh and energetic showing why he’s considered one of the greats while the features present some of the best modern bars I’ve heard, particularly JID who at this point has been around the proverbial block and deserves a much bigger audience. In comparison to the endless crap that passes for modern rap, it’s refreshing to hear artists that aren’t mumbling and drowned in autotune. The production is also a plus feature as it crosses varied soundscapes due to its lengthy list of producers with longtime Eminem contributor Luis Resto, best friend and mentor Dr. Dre, and former bandmate Mr. Porter laying down some infectious beats across the lengthy runtime that make for album moments worth indulging. Technically the album is well done and checks many boxes but no masterful skillset could overcome the endless lyrical downfalls.
With everything unpacked it’s hard enough to sell a 60 minute plus record runtime from the best of musicians with The Death of Slim Shady’s not even coming close to being a performance worth the slog. The album’s concept and display of technical skills save Em’s twelfth album from complete failure, but it’s impossible to say it’s worth anyone’s precious time.
Eminem could have found better ways to present a redemption arc than The Death of Slim Shady but there are so many more things in this messed up world worth your outrage than anything rapped here. Still the album ultimately flatlines with the negatives becoming more glaring with every listen. Like many artists of yesteryear Eminem just has nothing left worth saying. RIP Slim.
Overall Rating: 5.8/10
Favourite Song: Fuel