Eminem Unveils Fascinating ‘The Death of Slim Shady’ Tracklist
Interludes, sequels, and skits feature on the new Eminem album
Eminem has unveiled the tracklist for his new album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), which will bid a dramatic farewell to his iconic alter ego.
Eminem is set to release his twelfth studio album this Friday, July 12th. The album marks a significant chapter in the rapper’s career as it symbolises the final goodbye to his infamous alter ego, Slim Shady. The album features a 19-song tracklist, which you can check out below, that includes a mix of new tracks and callbacks to his early career.
One of the notable tracks, “Guilty Conscience 2”, serves as a sequel to Eminem’s 1999 hit “Guilty Conscience” from The Slim Shady LP. The album also includes a skit titled “Guess Who’s Back”, among other interlude-like tracks, which adds a narrative depth to the project. Notably, the album does not list many featured artists except for the lead single “Tobey”, which includes appearances by Detroit rappers Big Sean and BabyTron.
The thematic journey of the album is structured into three acts, starting with songs like “Renaissance”, “Habits”, and “Trouble”, and moving through darker themes with tracks such as “Lucifer” and “Antichrist”. The final act delves into horror-film territory, highlighted by the gruesome music video for “Tobey”, where Eminem is seen dismembering Slim Shady with a chainsaw.
The album artwork, revealed earlier this week, features Slim Shady emerging from a body bag, underscoring the theme of finality. Eminem’s promotional tactics have included publishing a faux obituary for Slim Shady in the Detroit Free Press, emphasising the end of this character’s “complex and tortured existence.”
Eminem released a music video for “Tobey” earlier this week, which starts insignificant but becomes quite the spectacle.
The video starts in a variety of mundane settings – a warehouse, a hotel room, and a club – before transitioning to a more sinister scene in front of a house reminiscent of the one on the cover of The Marshall Mathers LP.
Eminem’s verse begins as the scene shifts to a dingy basement where he is confronted by a figure wearing a Jason Vorhees mask. In a climactic twist, the masked figure, who is revealed to be Eminem himself, attacks him with a chainsaw, symbolically killing the Slim Shady persona.
You can watch the video, directed by Cole Bennett, below.
The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) Tracklist:
“Renaissance”
“Habits”
“Trouble”
“Brand New Dance”
“Evil”
“All You Got” (skit)
“Lucifer”
“Antichrist”
“Fuel”
“Road Rage”
“Houdini”
“Breaking News” (skit)
“Guilty Conscience 2”
“Head Honcho”
“Temporary”
“Bad One”
“Tobey” featuring Big Sean and BabyTron
“Guess Who’s Back” (skit)
“Somebody Save Me”