The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) is the twelfth solo album from legendary Detroit rapper, Eminem. At 51 years old, he’s now considered to be an elder statesman in hip hop, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Musically, as of late, Eminem’s music has been very inconsistent. He’ll drop some amazing tracks, but also a whole lot of mid. He’s in a tough situation, because he wants to appeal to all sides of his fanbase. People say they want the old Eminem back, people say they want more personal Eminem, and it feels like he’s trying to appeal to everyone all at once. There’s stuff I personally liked about his last album, Music to be Murdered By, such as the new school features like Juice WRLD, Young M.A., and Anderson .Paak. However there’s a lot of “lyrical miracle” fast rapping, and corny bars that induce eye rolls from me, still he seemed a lot more self-aware about that stuff on his previous album, compared to on Kamikaze, where it felt like he was just shitting on young artists, because lyrically they weren’t as technical as him. Lil Pump and Lil Xan are garbage, but Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt are some of the most talented rappers of their generation right now, and he even apologized for that. All that aside, how does Eminem’s new album hold up?

      We open the album with the track, “Renaissance,” where Eminem’s voice sounds like it did 20 years ago, which surprised me, as nowadays his voice is deeper and less nasally. It’s a brief track, but Eminem lyrically sounds fantastic and sonically it sounds like old school Slim Shady. However, I feel that him criticizing fans for being critical of their favorite artists, makes him come off as a bit bitter. Fans can be critical sure, but their feedback helps artists change things up, and make better music. I do like the wordplay, “Soon as I quit giving a fuck, I started to sell a bit,” is a hard bar. I also like Eminem’s current references. Following that, is “Habits,” featuring White Gold. I really like the beat, and Eminem sounds like a natural flowing over it, it’s smooth and doesn’t sound choppy. The parallels between Eminem’s real life drug addictions and alcoholism to his addiction to his Slim Shady alter ego. The bars are funny, edgy, and are definitely gonna piss a lot of people off. Whether it’s the transgender bars (Caitlyn Jenner references), calling people retarded, or making fun of feminists, Mr. Marshall Mathers really gives no fucks on this track. I also like White Gold’s hook as it is insanely catchy, and the South Park clip sample is humorous. It’s definitely one of my favorites.

    “Trouble,” is another fun little interlude, where Marshall and Slim Shady are arguing with each other, and Shady, of course, is trying to offend as many as possible. “Brand New Dance,” sounds like an Encore era track, especially vocally and instrumentally. Lyrically though, it’s a lot better, and the humor actually lands, even if the Christopher Reeve bars do feel kinda old, the chorus is infectious, the beat is goofy, and Eminem genuinely sounds like he’s having fun and not trying insanely hard to be funny. It’s not a favorite or a least favorite, but it’s a solid track. “Evil,” is another one of my favorite tracks on the record. I love the dramatic orchestral instrumental, and thumping drums, and Eminem’s lyricism shines. “My medicine cabinet’s big enough to fit a cab in it. Tablets, I split like half of this capsule, it’s travelin’ like a javelin. Through my abdomen, my stomach’s unravelin’, might end up havin’ Slim say some shit you feel fucked up for laughin’ at.” Eminem sounds villainous on this track and his flow is effortless over that beat. I also like the line, “Used to get fed pet meds by my redneck stepdad. Til I beat his ass to death with a cassette deck.” The parallel he made to his mom at the end, was a nice touch. 

 “Lucifer,” featuring Sly Pyper has one of the best beats on the album, as it’s produced by Dr. Dre and Sly Pyper. That opening, “Before I get banned, kicked off Twitter. And TikTok ‘cause they so damn ticked off, bitter. They want me to bounce like a fabric softener. We just got rid of Ye, go kick rocks with him,” is just a seamless beginning. Sly Pyper’s feature is a nice addition to the track, and I laughed at quite a few bars on this track. It’s clear Eminem is going out of his way to piss off as many groups as possible, whether it’s Gen Z or Republicans. Some lines I like, are, “Now all I see is dollar signs, losers. Bitch, I was in them trenches like them Columbine shooters.” And “And Candace O, I ain’t mad at her. I ain’t gon’ throw the fact bitch forgot she was Black back at her.” Is it harsh to her? Yes, but she’s also said some pretty fucked up things, so it’s not like she’s the victim here. Still, I don’t think most of Gen Z hates Eminem, so him acting as if he’s the pariah being persecuted is a little bit dramatic of him to do. Same with the track, “Antichrist,” while there’s some great bars, like “Rather see me do like Kim Kardashian, they say. Yeah, and find a way to get rid of all this rage, ayy.” I’m no fan of woke culture, but like on some other tracks, I don’t think playing the victim is something Eminem does well. I also like the Diddy bars on the track, as it’s definitely a target who deserves to be attacked because he’s a terrible person. There’s a very corny bar in it, “Look who’s talking, dog like Brian from Family Guy,” which shouldn’t have been included. However, most of the bars on this track are great, and I enjoyed Eminem’s part for the most part, but Bizarre shouldn’t have been featured at the end, as his contribution sucks. Therefore, it’s not one of my favorites for that reason.

    Following that, we have another fantastic track, “Fuel,” featuring JID. I love the music that I’ve heard from JID, so when I heard he was a feature on this album I was hyped. His flow over the wonderfully produced beat by Denaun, makes his verse one of the best on the album. His skill level matches Eminem, as neither rapper is outshined by each other. The line, “Shawty wanna shag, wanna shack it up. I can put her pussy on the platter like a platypus,” has put a smile on my face every time that I’ve heard it. I like the modern production that Eminem has included on this album, as it creates a nice balance with newer beats, and old school beats. He’s already gotten controversy for the lines, “Fuck around and get popped like Halyna Hutchins. Like I’m Alec Baldwin, what I mean is buckin’ you down.” Easily one of the best tracks on the album. “Road Rage,” is one of my least favorite tracks on the album, as while I like the production, and Eminem’s flow, the complaining about gender identity and transgenders feels a bit tired, as he’s done it on other tracks already. Don’t get me wrong there’s people in that community who can be kind of overbearing and annoying, but they’re also a demographic that faces a lot of hatred and prejudice. I do like the jokes making fun of the fat pride movement, as I feel like those lines are actually going after people who deserve it, because being fat isn’t something you’re born as, and promoting an unhealthy lifestyle is dangerous.

   After that, we get a single that I really like, “Houdini.” It has this goofy carnival vibe, and the nostalgia I feel from it, makes me feel like I’m listening to The Eminem Show for the first time again. Eminem and Luis Resto did a great job on the production, the chorus is strong, and there’s plenty of controversial bars, such as, “If I was to ask for Megan Thee Stallion if she would collab with me, would I really have a shot at a feat?” While that bar is kinda callous, I feel like when Eminem references you or makes fun of you, it’s kind of his way of paying someone a backhanded compliment. There’s some seriously corny bars on it, but given the campy vibe of the track, the lines are a lot easier to stomach. I laughed my ass off when I heard the lines, “Bumpin’ R. Kelly’s favorite group, the black guy pee’s,” and “My transgender cat’s Siamese. Identifies as black but acts Chinese. Like a motherfuckin’ tacky sack, I treat the whole world, ‘cause I got it at my feet.” Also, only Eminem would let Slim Shady diss his kids, as every other rapper who’s done that he’s gone scorched earth on. After a skit, we get another favorite track of mine, “Guilty Conscience 2,” which like the original, shows an angel and devil dichotomy. This time, however, it’s a lyrical argument between Eminem and Slim Shady. I love Eminem’s references to his previous fucked up and controversial bars. The Slim Shady persona feels generally like it’s pulling strings in Eminem’s music, as he says, “Told you we’d get slaughtered for sayin’ “Retarded,” aw Marshall’s gaining a conscience. This may come as a shock or have you astonished, regardless. Here’s the thing ‘bout retarded people. They don’t fucking know they’re retarded.” I love the dark suspenseful beat, and how Eminem and Slim Shady are fighting each other, and how the voices differ so we’re able to tell who is who. Another self-aware line I like from Eminem is, “Matter of fact, ain’t you the same one who hated bullies calling you bad names? Then you turned around and did the exact same.” Eminem genuinely sounds as if he feels some regret for creating the Slim Shady persona, as sure it made him blow up into the mainstream, but he also hurt a lot of people in the process. I think it’s important to know that Eminem’s just playing a character in a lot of his more offensive and controversial songs, but he also likes to shock people, with edgy bars. “Head Honcho,” featuring Ez Mil, is a decent track. Ez Mil’s verse is insane, as while half of his first verse is in a different language, he sounds at home over this hardcore beat. I like that both Eminem and Ez Mil talk about facing adversity growing up. Eminem talks about the bullying he faced when he was younger, and it’s a motivational track, still there’s some corny bars on it so it’s not a favorite of mine.

     “Temporary,” featuring Skylar Grey is a heartwrenching track, dedicated to his daughter, Hailie. Skylar Grey’s chorus is beautiful, as her and Eminem always make great tracks when they collaborate with each other. Eminem genuinely sounds emotional on this track, as he’s saying the things he wants to say to his daughter before he dies. “I will protect you, your guardian angel. As hard as this may feel, us parting is painful.” It feels a lot more like a track from Recovery or The Marshall Mathers LP. He’s genuinely not scared of death, but rather fears not being able to tell his daughter all the things he wants to say to her before he dies. Hearing this side of Eminem, is something I always look forward to on an album, because while, sure, he has the edgy Slim Shady persona, when he gets personal on a track, he really knows how to put his heart on his sleeve. You can tell this was hard for him to write, but I’m glad he did, as it’s a welcome change of pace from most of the album, and balances the album as a result.

  The transition to the next track, “Bad One,” featuring White Gold, feels kinda awkward, as it’s a more fun track in comparison to the previous track, it’s okay, but the line, “Yeah, this whole sub-genre with all these corny white rappers I’m not a fan of it. It ain’t my fault, but like sock puppets, I had a hand in it,” is self-aware but an incredibly stupid line nonetheless, well the beat is good at least. After that, we have another track I love, “Tobey,” featuring Big Sean and BabyTron. The carnival bell instrumental give it a classic Slim Shady feel, but the trap drums make it sound like a mix of old school and new school. Big Sean and BabyTron hold their own with Eminem on this track, as in Big Sean’s verse is especially epic. “Bitch, I come from the D where they BMFing. Where they moving them keys like a chord progression,” is an incredibly hard bar. I talked about this track in my five songs stuck in my head a week ago, and I also love the chorus as it’s seriously catchy. Of course, Eminem has another insanely strong verse, and I like the lines, “I can’t help but feel like a victim of child abuse, cause I am ‘bout to get that goddamn belt. Way beyond crazy, Shady gone, but hey, maybe I am the goat. That bit Sean and BabyTron and that’s why they be on the shit they be on.” After a skit, which made me cringe, we get the track, “Somebody Save Me,” featuring Jelly Roll, which is another personal track. The intro is heartbreaking as his daughter, Alaina, recorded it when he was battling the prescription drug addiction that nearly killed him, you can hear how bad it got for him in his voice. The track showcases Eminem’s guilt for having such a bad drug addiction, as it hurt his kids just as much as it did him. I like how he talks about actual milestones in his kids’ lives that he missed, as well as stuff that he could’ve missed, like Hailie’s wedding, saying, “Sorry that I chose drugs and put ‘em above you. Sorry that I didn’t love you enough to give ‘em up. How the fuck do I not love you more than a pill?” The what-if scenarios he talks about are gut-wrenching and you can hear the pain in his voice as he raps every line. Overall, it’s a very strong closer to the album.

    In conclusion, this is a very inconsistent album from Eminem, as it features a lot of strong tracks whether they’re Slim Shady tracks, classic motivational anthems, or personal tracks, there’s also some situations where Eminem doesn’t get out of his own way. The cornier lines can really bring a track down, but Eminem has reined that in a lot more in comparison to albums like Revival. I like the concept of the album, which is Eminem basically finally killing his evil alter ego, while also acknowledging without him, he wouldn’t be the world-famous rapper that he is today. It’s not a bad album, but it’s not nearly as strong as a record like The Marshall Mathers LP or Relapse is. It’s got plenty of highlights, but it’s also a very long album that could’ve benefited from like two or three less tracks. His portrayal of himself as the victim of Gen Z also gets very tedious after a while.

Overall Score: 6/10

Favorite Tracks: “Habits,” “Evil,” “Fuel,” “Houdini,” “Tobey,”

Least Favorite Tracks: “Road Rage,” “Bad One,”

Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuQ36zwFA3s

Genres: Hip Hop/Horrorcore