You can't kill a spirit even if you tried to.
At any rate, it sounds like Eminem is giving the task his best attempt yet with the impending arrival of The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), a trailer for which debuted amid NFL Draft proceedings on Thursday night. Though a specific date hasn't been announced, the true crime doc-styled clip notes that fans can expect the project at some point this summer.
The trailer, designed as a teaser for the fictional Detroit Murder Files series, opens with narration recounting the Slim Shady character’s "complex and oft-criticized, tongue-twisting rhymes." Described here as "the blond antihero," it’s further noted that Slim had "no shortage of enemies," at which point we’re given a brief look at a 50 Cent interview.
"I thought we were friends," 50 tells the camera. "He’s not a friend. He’s a psychopath."
According to the narrator, a "wide field of potential suspects" in "one of the most infamous cold cases in American history" has greatly complicated the investigation.
The world was first introduced to Slim Shady with Em’s pre-Aftermath release Slim Shady EP in 1997. Two years later, of course, Em become a global superstar with the culture-shocking rollout of his major label debut The Slim Shady LP, which featured the inescapable breakout hit "My Name Is" and an in-depth deepening of the Slim character's lore.
Over the years, Em and Slim have engaged in public battles within the universe of Marshall Mathers' lyrics. The 2009 track "My Darling," as quoted at the top of this article, depicted Em and Slim as being deeply at odds in a conversational format. The takeaway sentiment from that track, and one that’s received renewed attention following Thursday’s new album announcement, is that Slim Shady is unkillable, as perhaps proven by Em’s prior efforts to kill off the character. It seems the persistence of this "spirit" has—at least until now, potentially—rendered Em’s efforts futile.
At any rate, The Death of Slim Shady will mark Em's first new album since 2020's Music to Be Murdered By. Below, get a look at how fans have been taking the news.
Meanwhile, will someone please let Em know that Metro Boomin has been trying to get in touch with him?
