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Eminem’s iconic alter-ego Slim Shady is no more as the rapper is killing off the character in his upcoming new album.
The Without Me hitmaker, real name Marshall Mathers, created Slim Shady with the release of the Slim Shady EP in 1997. Outlandish and violent, Slim has been at the centre of songs that have seen Eminem face huge controversy.
But his 12th studio album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), will mark the end of the character’s criminal reign in a storyline that has run throughout Eminem’s work.
He confirmed the new release on his Instagram sharing a teaser trailer for a fictional true crime show named Detroit Murder Files.
It begins with a reporter announcing the murder of Slim Shady, launching an investigation to find out who was behind the slaying.
‘Through his complex and oft-criticized, tongue-twisting rhymes, the blonde anti-hero known as Slim Shady has had no shortage of enemies,’ the reporter says.
So long, Slim Shady (Picture: WireImage)
A promo video posted to Instagram teases the brutal murder of the character (Picture: Instagram/Eminem)
Eminem’s long-time friend and musical collaborator 50 Cent makes an appearance (Picture: Instagram/Eminem)
Eminem keeps his identity hidden as he muses over who the killer could be (Picture: Instagram/Eminem)
The video reveals the 12th studio album from the rapper will be released this year (Picture: Instagram/Eminem)
Fellow rapper 50 Cent says, ‘He’s not a friend, he’s a psychopath,’ as we see a pixelated Eminem musing over the potential murderer.
‘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,’ the reporter continues.
Dr Dre previously teased that a new Eminem album would be coming this year following a bizarre April Fool’s prank that saw the Mockingbird rapper reveal a surprise album release – which never came.
During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Eminem’s longtime friend and musical collaborator 50 Cent, 48, said: ‘Let me tell you something, let me explain something to you right now – Eminem is working on his own album, which is coming out this year.’
Slim Shady has been present in Eminem’s work for more than 20 years (Picture: Terry McGinnis/WireImage)
Speaking about the origins of Slim Shady, Eminem shared that the character was an outlet for his frustrations
‘When I started rapping as Shady, as that character, it was a way for me to vent all my frustrations and just blame it on him. If anybody got mad about it, it was him that said it,’ he told Fact.
He claimed that the name just came to him in the most unlikely of locations – while sitting on the toilet.
In an interview with The Ringer, he said: ‘Boom, the name hit me, and right away I thought of all these words to rhyme with it. So I wiped my a**, got up off the pot and went and called everybody I knew.’
The album comes four years after the release of Music to Be Murdered By featuring singles Darkness, Godzilla, and Those Kinda Nights.
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