Slim Shady Obituary – Remembering the Man Who Terrorized Rap Fans
Eminem‘s new album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), has arrived, and one thing is for certain: this is definitely the final outing of Em’s Slim Shady alter ego. XXL remembers Slim Shady with a fitting obituary in the video below.
The Detroit MC first announced Slim Shady’s demise in a true-crime-themed trailer back in April. The clip for Em’s new album was disguised as an ad for a faux TV series called Detroit Murder Files, which covered Slim Shady’s recent unsolved murder.
Em’s album rollout then picked up steam in May. Marshall Mathers connected with legendary magician David Blaine for a strange FaceTime call to tease the release of the album’s first single “Houdini.” Together, the pair discussed how Em could somehow make his career disappear. The promo ended with Blaine chewing on a wine glass while onlookers gasped in the background.
Following the release of “Houdini,” which samples Steve Miller Band’s 1982 song “Abracadabra,” Eminem also dropped off the single’s hilarious music video. The visual found a grown Eminem beating up Slim Shady, further alluding to the fact that the latter is out of the picture. The album’s second single, “Tobey,” arrived on June 28. That video was directed by Cole Bennett and features appearances from Em’s fellow Detroit natives Big Sean and BabyTron. The rappers were at one point seen hanging around Eminem’s childhood home at 19946 Dresden St. in Detroit.
As The Death of Slim Shady album officially bids farewell to Slim, XXL takes a moment to honor the tragic antihero with a proper obituary. Em’s beloved yet demented persona first emerged on the Detroit rapper’s 1999 song “My Name Is,” and appeared dozens of times on some of Eminem’s biggest songs including “Stan,” “Role Model,” “Kim” and others.
Watch as XXL revisits some of Slim Shady’s most diabolical moments, including when he murdered Eminem’s wife or when he tormented dozens of nurses while locked in a mental institution below.