Guess who’s back, back again? Shady’s back, quite possibly for the last time. Over the past few weeks, Eminem has been teasing a graceful exit. Earlier this month, he announced his 12th studio album, The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), teasing a potential bow-out from music. He continued to fuel rumors of his impending retirement in a teaser for his new single, “Houdini,” in a clip in which he tells magician David Blaine he plans to make his career disappear. Tonight (May 31), Eminem kicked off the end of an era with “Houdini.”
On “Houdini,” Eminem takes a look at the current cultural landscape, offering his takes on recent events.
Some lines are just plain tasteless
“If I was to ask for Megan Thee Stallion if she would collab with me / Would I really have a shot at a feat.”
Some are boomer-coded
“My transgender cat’s Siamese / Identifies as black, but acts Chinese”
And some are callbacks to the old Slim Shady, who would diss everyone, even members of his own crew
F*ck Dre, f*ck Jimmy, f*ck me, f*ck you F*ck my own kids, they’re brats
The song marks a return to the irreverent form with which Eminem first stepped onto the scene. But who’s asking for this in 2024? The accompanying video — which features cameos from Dr. Dre, Pete Davidson, and Shane Gillis — continues upon his “Without Me” video from 2002, with current Eminem and 2002 Slim Shady examining all that has changed in the past two decades.
As the age-old adage holds, old habits die hard.
You can watch the video for “Houdini” above (if you must).
Eminem is back in Slim Shady mode. There are lots of different ways to tell. For one, the rapper’s new album will be called The Death of Slim Shady. The music video for his lead single, “Houdini,” features the classic, bleach blond Slim in action. The most telling side effect of a Slim Shady sighting, however, is the lyrical insult. Eminem’s alter ego loves to take shots at his peers, his predecessors, and pretty much any other person he can think of. He targets multiple people in “Houdini,” but the most notable is far and away Megan Thee Stallion.
Eminem turned the zaniness up to ten on the new single. He tells Dr. Dre to “f*ck off,” and does to the same to his children (one of whom just got married). Both Dre and his family are been topics of scorn and adoration over the years, however. Megan Thee Stallion is someone new. The rapper flipped a line about scoring a guest verse from Megan into a double entendre about Tory Lanez shooting her in the foot. “If I was to ask for Megan Thee (What?) Stallion if she would collab with me,” he raps. “Would I really have a shot at a feat? (Haha). I don’t know, but I’m glad to be back like.”
It’s a clever turn of phrase, but a topic that has not been received by the hip-hop community. Rappers who have poked fun at Megan Thee Stallion have either been scored by fans or Megan herself, in the form of a diss. Megan managed to win her battle with Nicki Minaj while dropping a number one single, “HISS,” in the process. The diss song, which dropped in January, is actually relevant to the current Em situation. Megan Thee Stallion made an oblique reference to Slim Shady on “HISS.” “I feel like Mariah Carey (Mariah Carey),” she rapped. “Got these n**has so obsessed (Damn).”
The line is meant to address Megan’s haters, but it’s also a reference to the 2008 Mariah Carey diss song “Obsessed.” The target of Mimi’s diss was, infamously, Eminem. The tension between the pop superstar and the rapper ran throughout the 2000s, and many feel like the former won out with a hit single. Eminem dissing Megan Thee Stallion over a subliminal actually makes a lot of sense. Eminem knows how to hold a grudge against rappers who slight him. He waited years to respond to MGK on record, and when he did, he demolished the pop-punk artist. It’ll be interesting to see if Megan Thee Stallion decides to respond.
Eminem has a lot riding on this. The legendary rapper has been hyping up the release of his new album, The Death of Slim Shady. Like, a lot. He’s dropped fake obituaries, fake TV promos featuring 50 Cent, and he announced this new single, “Houdini,” with the help of magician David Blaine. Eminem is pulling out all the stops on this one, which only emphasizes the feeling that this is the end of the line. For Slim Shady, definitely, but perhaps even for Eminem. “Houdini” is definitely a throwback to the glory days.
The song was predicted by many to be a zany Eminem single in the vein of “The Real Slim Shady” or “Without Me,” and is it ever. “Houdini” recycles the chorus of the latter before jumping into the first verse. There’s even a cameo from Paul Rosenberg, who graced many an interlude during Eminem’s golden age. The beat is bouncy and playful and the rapper is very much in Shady mode. He takes aim at everybody in his life, including Dr. Dre, the aforementioned Paul, and even his own kids. “You can suck my d*ck, in fact,” he raps. “F*ck them, f*ck Dre, f*ck Jimmy, f*ck me, f*ck you, f*ck my own kids, they’re brats.”
Eminem’s ability to rhyme is still unrivaled. Those who wanted the “real” Slim Shady have gotten him on this track, as this is the silliest he’s sounded since 2009’s Relapse. The thing is, the effort is audible. Em is very clearly trying to give fans the old him, and it doesn’t have the punch that it used to. “Houdini” is a song that sounds like a rapper trying to recapture his glory days, because it is. The music video even pits the current version of Em versus the bleach blond Shady. Those who live the rapper will like it, but this is not the kind of song that wins over new fans. This is nostalgia rap, for better or worse.
What are your thoughts on “Houdini” by Eminem? Is this the rapper truly back? Does he recapture the Slim Shady magic? Does this song make you more excited for the album? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Eminem. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Quotable Lyrics:
My sh*t may not be age-appropriate But I will hit an eight year old in the face with a participation trophy ‘Cause I have zero doubts, that this whole world’s ’bouts to turn into some girl scouts That censorship bureau’s out to shut me down So when I started this verse, it did start off lighthearted first But it feels like I’m targeted, mind-bogglin’ how my profit has skyrocketed
Earlier this week, Eminem announced “Houdini,” the first single from Eminem’s upcoming album, The Death Of Slim Shady, with the help of illusionist David Blaine. The single will be his second of the year, following his appearance on the Lyrical Lemonade standout, “Doomsday 2.” So, when will fans be able to hear the self-declared Rap God’s latest?
With a due date of May 31, “Houdini” will available to stream on DSPs like Spotify at midnight ET, 9 PM PT. While some artists have been inconsistent with getting their streams up on time, Eminem certainly is not one of them.
Em’s been teasing The Death Of Slim Shady for a bit, trolling fans with a phony album announcement on April Fools’ Day. Then, earlier this month, he put out an obituary for his controversial alter ego in his local newspaper. “His complex and tortured existence has come to a close,” it read. “And the legacy he leaves behind is no closer to resolution than the manner in which this character departed this world.”
The album will be Eminem’s first since Music To Be Murdered By from 2020, so anticipation is certainly high for The Death Of Slim Shady, even if the character will be missed.
“Houdini” is due on 5/31 through Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records.
Eminem is gearing up for what could be the final release of his career — or, at least, his final album under the “Slim Shady” persona he’s been cultivating over the past two and half decades. To that end, he announced the release of “Houdini,” the first single from the upcoming album, The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), with the help of illusionist David Blaine earlier this week. So, when will the new single be available to stream on DSPs like Apple Music?
“Houdini” is billed for release on May 31, which means that it should be available to stream in just about 11 and a half hours, at 9 pm Pacific, midnight Eastern time. Although some artists are known for last-minute shenanigans that make timing their releases much more of a chore than it should be, Eminem is not one of them, which means you can likely expect to be streaming “Houdini” on time.
Anticipation for The Death Of Slim Shady is sky-high among Eminem fans, as he hasn’t released an album since 2020’s Music To Be Murdered By. That hasn’t stopped him from being more active than ever this year; he’s released the single “Lace It” with Juice WRLD and Benny Blanco and “Doomsday 2” with Lyrical Lemonade since the year started, giving fans plenty of new music to tide them over until the release of his new album.
“Houdini” is due on 5/31 through Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records.
Eminem has an album on the way. Hitting Instagram, the legend released a joint post with magician David Blaine for the new single “Houdini.” The single will arrive on Friday.
You can see the announcement below, including Eminem’s trick of making “my career disappear.”
Eminem is ready to deliver a new album. Aiming for the summer, Eminem previously announced The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce).
The announcement comes via a true crime mock series that casts 50 Cent for a brief cameo. Also included is a detective setting the scene.
“Through his complex, tongue twisting and oft criticized rhymes, the blonde anti-hero known as Slim Shady has had no shortage of enemies,” the detective says. “The same rude lyrics and controversial antics might have ultimately led to his demise.”
An Eminem comeback is on the horizon. Over the course of the past few weeks, the Detroit rapper has been teasing his new album, The Death Of Slim Shady. Though he’s been keeping much of the album details a secret, he finally let fans know when they can expect the first taste of the album.
The 12th album’s title, The Death Of Slim Shady hints that Eminem will kill off his irreverent, unfiltered alter ego, Slim Shady. In a clip shared to Instagram, Eminem is seen on a FaceTime call with world-famous musician, David Blaine.
Em then asks Blaine for tips on a strange magic tragic.
“I was wondering, how far can we go with this magic?,” asks Eminem in the video. “Like, can we do like a stunt or something?”
Blaine is then seen drinking from a glass of wine, and proceeds to bite off the rim of the glass. Eminem then reveals just what tricks he has up his sleeve.
“Well for my last trick, I’m going to make my career disappear,” Eminem says.
At the end of the clip, Em then reveals the title of his new single, “Houdini,” as well as its May 31 release date. Shortly after, fans can hear a brief instrumental of the track.
Eminem has really been putting effort into the rollout of his new album. The Death of Slim Shady was announced the day of the NFL draft, and came complete with a mock true crime show about its titular character. An obituary was printed in Em’s hometown of Detroit, and now, the rapper has enlisted the help of magician David Blaine. Eminem released a promo on social media in which he Facetimed Blaine and announced the release date of his upcoming single.
The promo is a little more complicated than that premise might sound. Em rings Blaine up and gives him his due as the greatest of all time (magically speaking, of course). The magician then suggests they team up on something. Eminem asks how far they could go with magic, and Blaine responds by walking up to a table, drinking a glass of wine and then eating the glass. Eminem looks unimpressed. He’s got something more ambitious in mind. “Well for my last trick,” he tells Blaine. “I’m going to make my career disappear.” The magician is dumbfounded, but Eminem hangs up before he can explain. We then get a hard cut to a release date for the single “Houdini.”
“Houdini” will be released on Friday, May 31. The promotional material for The Death of Slim Shady, and the title itself, suggested that Eminem would be laying his alter ego to rest. His comments towards Blaine suggest that the album may mark his last, however. The rapper has been frank about talking retirement in the past. He walked away from music for five years in the 2000s, and he admitted he was unsure how much longer he could rap during a 2010 interview with Vibe.
“I don’t know how much longer I have in this game,” Eminem told the outlet. “I’m always going to love hip-hop. But how much longer am I going to still do it? I couldn’t give you an answer. But the day that this is not better than the last will probably be the day I stop.” The rapper claimed he would always record his raps, but would cease to put them out after a certain point. ” I know it always makes me feel better to lay things to tape, and — ‘lay the tape.’ See, I’m old school,” he noted. We may be looking at the final stage for both Eminem and Slim Shady. If so, then “Houdini” will truly mark the beginning of the end.
On this day in Hip Hop history, Eminem released his third, and most successful, studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP.
Executive produced by Dr. Dre and released under Aftermath/Interscope Records, this album sold 1.76 million copies in the first week alone, making it the fast selling album in music history (until 2015 when Adele‘s 25 smashed the record, selling 2.43 million). This success was set up well by Eminem’s previous release The Slim Shady LP, which shocked the world.
If you’ve ever listened to Eminem, you know how he rolls. If you’ve never listened to Eminem, this album may be the perfect amount of overwhelmingly violent and grotesque lyricism to either make you a life-long fan or turn to away forever (Slim Shady himself wouldn’t have it any other way). Eminem even kicks things off with a disclaimer warning any listener of what they’ve gotten themselves into listening to the album. Eminem touches subjects that a sensitive to the American public such as: depression, murder, rape, violence, suicide, mental disorder, drug abuse, homosexuality, and more. As beautifully painful as this album is, it is not for the faint of heart.
No album that speaks on what Eminem did on this project can be put out without ruffling feathers. The controversy that was met by this diamond certified album was monumental and set a precedent in Hip Hop for what you can and cannot say. Due to the ridiculous success of this project the backlash was international. Government officials across the globe had taken public stances against Eminem, his music, his supporters, and all that he stood for. US Senator Lynne Cheney was so up-in-arms against Eminem and his sponsors that she made an official statement against him saying,
“[Eminem is] promoting violence of the most degrading kind against women …[he is] a rap singer who advocates murder and rape.”
Ontario Attorney General Jim Flaherty attempted to keep Eminem from entering the country to perform at his October 26th, 2000 Toronto Skydome show saying,
“I personally don’t want anyone coming to Canada who will come here and advocate violence against women”.
Commercially, this is the most successful rap album of all time. The album is certified diamond in the selling 12.5 million copies in the United States alone. Overseas, the album went multiplatinum in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It goes without saying that this album was also #1 on charts across the world. The album claimed top spot on music charts in three continents, appearing on charts in four. The album was nominated for two Grammy including Album of Year and Best Rap Album which it won.
The critical response to the album was just as outstanding as its sales. Eminem has been hailed as one of the holy trinity of biggest-selling rappers, the other two being 2Pac and Biggie of course. This album can be said to be the project that earned him his spot in that conversation. Regardless of how dark and twisted the lyrics may have been, the way they were put together was nearly flawless. Each bar spat was masterfully crafted. Slim Shady’s diction and syntax were unparalleled to anything out at the time. He balances both punch line concentrated rap and storytelling so well that this album is less of a compilation of songs and more of an autobiographical narrative describing what was going on in Em’s life at the time this album was written.
Following this project, Eminem went on to release two albums that were only marginally less successful that their predecessor before taking a five year hiatus from releasing music. In 2009 Eminem came back on the scene with three new albums over the next four years, none which were as successful as the first four. Nonetheless, Eminem is one of the greatest and the top selling rapper in the history of the genre. He deserves all accolades that he has been awarded. Take some time out today to listen to his greatest work.
The LeBron James and Eminem-produced docuseries HOW MUSIC GOT FREE has released its first trailer. It is a significant exploration of the technological revolution that reshaped music in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This era of file-sharing technologies and a surge in the demand for new music saw the rise of online piracy. Narrated by the iconic Method Man, the series features interviews with Rocsi Diaz, Rhymefest, Steve Stoute, Eminem, 50 Cent, Timbaland, Jimmy Iovine, and more.
LeBron James is continuing to make his imprint on Hollywood with the new documentary through his production company. This time, Hip Hop great Eminem is producing alongside king James to tell a fascinating story. The docuseries is based on Stephen Witt’s well-known novel of the same name. Furthermore, the series is executive produced by Eminem, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Paul Rosenberg, and Steve Stoute. Warner Bros. Additionally, Unscripted Television/Telepictures, in collaboration with Shady Films, SpringHill, and Interscope Films, is producing the film. How Music Got Free will debut on Paramount+ on June 11 in the US and Canada and June 12 in several other territories.
LeBron James and Eminem’s “HOW MUSIC GOT FREE” Trailer
Dell Glover, a former employee of the Universal Music CD pressing factory in Shelby, North Carolina, rose to prominence as the primary music leaker during the Wild West mp3 days. The documentary sheds light on his life story and how his deeds altered the course of music history. Additionally, the music pirating movement has had a significant impact on the music industry. The era has informed what the business is like today. LeBron James and Eminem linked up with several prominent figures during the time to contextualize the fascinating period of time in music.
Alexandria Stapleton directs the LeBron James and Eminem produced doc. “As a filmmaker, I wanted to challenge the narrow lens of who we regard as tech innovators,” Stapleton said in an interview. “How Music Got Free is a story that proves brilliant minds can be found in unlikely places, like the rural, forgotten factory town of Shelby, North Carolina.” All in all, the docuseries HOW MUSIC GOT FREE will be released on June 11th on Paramount+.
