Eminem’s back. On Friday (July 12), the Detroit legend reminded us that he’s still the boss, dropping The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), his new album.
The Grammy-winning rhymer packed his 12th studio disc – and his first since 2020’s Music to Be Murdered By – with 19 songs and a pair of bonus tracks.
And the LP hadn’t even reached shelves yet: Em had already asked fans to ‘listen in the order that I put it in’, since this is a ‘conceptual album’.
Public service announcement: the ‘death of slim shady’ is a concept album, so if you listen to the songs out of order it wont make sense…enjoy.’
Sure, Em left a few aces in his sleeve when he don’t list the special guests on the tracklist on the back, but there’s still more than enough help from Jelly Roll, J.I.D, Skylar Grey, Big Sean and BabyTron to go around.
He can switch, with the flip of a rap or even within a single bar, from the scheming murderer in ‘Bulletproof’ to the loving father writing heartfelt notes to his kids, from dissing Diddy across three tracks to calling out the Bill O’Reillys and Hannitys in others.
And Eminem could be prepping his 11th straight solo LP opening at No 1 on the Billboard 200 when the week’s sales tally arrives next week. The rollout of The Death of Slim Shady started in May with the rapper’s very first No 2 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 since his last album, Music to Be Murdered By (2020), with “Houdini”. He followed with “Tobey” featuring Big Sean and BabyTron earlier this month at No 95 on the Hot 100.
Here are all of the musicians featured on The Death of Slim Shady:
White Gold
Songs: “Habits,” “Bad One”
Shady has had a long-term relationship with White Gold, featured on three prior song collabs with Em and Royce D 5’9″, as well as co-credits on the hook to two songs, ‘Habits’ and ‘Bad One’.
Sly Pyper
Songs: “Lucifer,” “Road Rage”
Sly Pyper is a producer on the label Aftermath Entertainment, owned by Dr Dre, and makes vocal appearances on a pair of songs from the album, while introducing the track ‘Road Rage’.
Listen to “Lucifer” and “Road Rage.”
Bizarre
Song: “Antichrist”
Bizarre and Eminem come back together like it’s 2004. Biz finishes where Slim leaves off, spitting after he sprays the whole universe ‘till he ends ‘Antichrist’ on a verse billed by asking Megan Thee Stallion, in a lunatic turn of phrase, if she can suck my toes.
Listen to “Antichrist” here.
J.I.D
Song Title: “Fuel”
J.I.D stole the show on ‘Fuel’, going bar for bar against Eminem The Dreamville rapper kicks the song off and throws Em’s pen. ‘I just want to say that I’m f–king I’m honoured !! Thank you @eminem u are truly a legend,’ was J.I.D’s Instagram post after the arrival of The Death of Slim Shady collab.
Listen to “Fuel.”
Ez Mil
Song: “Head Honcho”
The Filipino rapper Ez Mil is signed with Shady Records, Aftermath and Interscope under a joint venture deal; his contemptuous feature verse on ‘Head Honcho’ is not to be missed. He’s 25.
Skylar Grey
Song: “Temporary”
While Skylar Grey has long served Eminem as a collaborator – lending vocals to songs as far back as his 2009 Relapse record and on 2010’s Recovery – her tender new duet breaks up the philistinism of TDOSS and delivers one of the album’s most desolate high points.
Keep the tissues nearby while listening to “Temporary.”
Big Sean
Song: “Tobey”
Big Sean scored his fourth with Eminem on Tobey, bridging generations of Detroit, while the up-and-coming BabyTron also features on ‘Tobey’. Sean Don previously linked with Slim Shady on ‘No Favors’ off of I Decided, and then also on ‘Friday Night Cypher’ and ‘Detroit Vs Everybody’ off of Detroit 2, and ‘Detroit Vs Everybody’ off of ShadyXV.
Listen to “Tobey.”
BabyTron
Song: “Tobey”
Where the song was originally a solo effort for BabyTron, it eventually evolved into a full-blown tribute to Detroits roots with Eminem and Big Sean attached. Used as the single for Em’s own album, the sky is undoubtedly the limit for a 24 year-old BabyTron racking up an Em feature.
Listen to “Tobey.”
Jelly Roll
Song: “Somebody Save Me”
Jelly Roll finally ticked off a bucket-list composition when he co-wrote the album closer ‘Somebody Save Me’ with Eminem, who poured his soul all over the record, spilling and spilling and spilling some more, openly admitting his parenting mistakes while Jelly’s ‘Save Me’ lick is dipped and fried and served up as a choir-worthy hook.
Listen to “Somebody Save Me.”
2 Chainz
Song: “Kyrie & Luka” (bonus track)
On the pre-order track, Em and 2 Chainz – continuing the basketball motif – extol themselves as Dallas Mavericks backcourt running mates Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. Chainz alludes to one more NBAer, the rugged bruiser from New York Julius Randle for the Knicks. ‘Gunshots is truly Atlanta/ While things are goin’ left like Julius Randle.’ Those who aren’t No 30. The Drench God previously appeared with Em on the ‘Chloraseptic (Remix)’ in 2018.
