On Thursday night, amidst Eminem’s appearance on Detroit’s NFL draft stage, certain television viewers were afforded a sneak peek into his forthcoming album project.
“The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace)”—a title confirmed by Eminem’s team. It is slated for a summer release, as teased in a whimsical 30-second ad broadcasted on the NFL Network.
This upcoming album marks Eminem’s 12th studio release and his first since 2020. It appears poised to delve back into the persona of Slim Shady, the nefarious alter ego famously introduced in Eminem’s groundbreaking 1999 album, “The Slim Shady LP.”
In recent years, Slim Shady has featured less frequently in Eminem’s music. But the new ad, which parodies a true-crime commercial with “Forensic Files”-style music, is an emphatic guess-who’s-back message, complete with early Eminem footage.
“Through his complex and oft-criticized tongue-twisting rhymes, the antihero known as (Slim Shady) has had no shortage of enemies,” a narrator intones.
“The same rude lyrics and controversial antics may have ultimately led to his demise. Join me as we recreate the events that led to the murder of Slim Shady.”
A current-day Eminem, his face and voice initially obscured, then pipes in:
“I knew it was just a matter of time for Slim.”
Longtime collaborator Dr. Dre was the first to reveal a new Em album was on the way, telling Jimmy Kimmel last month,
“I’ve got songs on it, and it’s fire.”
Thursday’s ad could mark the beginning of an engaging buildup for fans, a strategy Eminem is known for.
He has a history of executing elaborate and witty promotional campaigns, as seen in the lead-up to his 2017 album “Revival.”
The campaign for “Revival” commenced with a cryptic promotion for a fictitious pharmaceutical, complete with a half-page ad in the Free Press.
Similarly, the “Death of Slim Shady” commercial made its debut during the NFL Network’s draft broadcast, with album details confirmed by a representative for Eminem on Thursday night.
Eminem has been prominently involved in the NFL’s draft festivities, including online segments featuring league commissioner Roger Goodell and a live appearance on stage Thursday alongside several Lions legends.