Some jokes write themselves; others come true in ways they weren’t intended by virtue of oblivion.
Fixated on being the center of attention even half a century into his life, Eminem’s insecurities about his place in Hip Hop have resurfaced following back-to-back-to-back albums with little to no cultural impact. In an effort to generate a buzz on the same wavelength as The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013), he has once again put together a project alluding to his younger self. Reaching even further back for glory, however, only illustrates how little the Detroit rap legend has to offer as the person he claims to have evolved into.
A purported concept album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) is in fact a disjointed and incoherent clump of non-sequiturs, loosely held together by infantile wordplay, forced goading and desperate attempts at one final hurrah in celebration of a past that seems suspiciously indistinguishable from the present.
Though the 19-cut package is centered on what is widely accepted as the MC’s alter ego, it is important to note that the lines between Slim Shady, Eminem and Marshall Mathers have always been blurry regardless of what Reddit may otherwise point to. The fact that he released “The Real Slim Shady” as Eminem on The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) is a testament to that.
Considering he pioneered incel rap long before Childish Gambino decided to use the internet to his advantage, it was in his best interest to preface his latest full-length release with a distinction between who he is in real life and the person immortalized on platinum albums trivializing sexual assault, violence against women and resentment toward queer folk.
At 51 years of age, Eminem is back to pushing as many buttons as his fingers permit as he embarks on what is arguably one of the most washed and unoriginal quests of the contemporary entertainment circuit: multi-millionaires trying to prove that they can’t be “canceled” despite never having come even close to having their hands tied.
With that in mind, he almost seems desperate to stir the pot while trying his hardest to emulate Dave Chappelle and South Park instead of formulating enticing art. There really isn’t much else to the aforementioned “concept,” which essentially comes across as an excuse for him to air out his frustrations at accountability, cloaking them as closure for a bygone era.
From early in the tracklist, Em begins poking fun at (and complaining about) political correctness, feminists, the #MeToo movement, pronouns and Gen-Z while foisting it all off as the deranged antics of Slim Shady. His obsession with the late Christopher Reeve’s disability and Caitlyn Jenner’s gender transition throughout the LP adds to a long list of celebrity references made in poor taste, such as downplaying Megan The Stallion being shot by Tory Lanez on “Houdini” or promising to hurt his critics like Diddy did Cassie on “Antichrist.”
Notwithstanding this façade of defiance, it’s amusing that the self-proclaimed Rap God lacks the courage of his convictions as the words he spits belie the quirky character he’s trying so hard to play. When it comes to what others think of him, he is quite evidently just as sensitive as the marginalized groups he belittles on the project. This has been clear ever since Tyler, The Creator and Earl Sweatshirt upset him by simply stating that they didn’t enjoy the second phase of his career.
In that spirit, Eminem repeatedly feels the need to spoon-feed the implications of his lyrics to clarify where he’s coming from. Scattered between the countless provocations are explanations designed to make dim people feel smart and slow ones feel quick-witted as he seems to be under the impression that his childish bars might fly over his listeners’ heads.
