Twenty-five years ago, rapper Eminem became very popular. His alter ego was named Slim Shady. Slim Shady was a provocative character. He had blond hair and wore blue jeans. Slim Shady came from Eminem’s “white trash” upbringing.
In April, Eminem made a surprising announcement. He acted like it was a murder news report. Eminem said his new album is called “The Death of Slim Shady.” The album’s full name is “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce).” Eminem will release this album in summer.
On Friday, Slim Shady came back. He said “guess who’s back.” Slim Shady appeared on the new song “Houdini.”
The “Houdini” song has cameos. Rap stars Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent appear. Comedians Pete Davidson and Shane Gillis also appear. In the song, Eminem faces Slim Shady, his created character.
The new album’s title suggests killing off Slim Shady. The full title is “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce).” Eminem says “I knew it was only a matter of time.”
So now Slim Shady will end. We should think about what his legacy is.
Eminem’s real name is Marshall Mathers III. He grew up in poor, mostly Black neighborhoods in Detroit, Michigan.
When Eminem was a teenager, rap music helped him escape. His childhood had problems with his parents. He was also bullied.
Eminem tried to become a rapper. He felt very disappointed when Vanilla Ice became famous in 1990. Vanilla Ice was the big white solo rapper at that time. His song “Ice Ice Baby” sold millions of copies.
According to writer Justin Sayles, Vanilla Ice’s name became known for selling out. His success seemed manufactured or fake.
But Mathers was different from Vanilla Ice. He truly came from poor city streets. This is what writer Nick Hasted said in his Eminem biography.
This made Eminem able to deal with a “cultural debt.” This debt is faced by white rap artists. Writer Jeff Weiss talked about this debt.
Eminem’s rap skills were very good. He practiced for years in rap battles. His flow was spectacular.
Professor Anthony Kwame Harrison studies hip-hop. He praised Eminem’s rhyming and songwriting talents. Harrison said Eminem was the last white rap pioneer.
In 1996, Eminem released an album called Infinite. Major record labels did not pay attention to this album.
Eminem’s early mentors were called the Bass Brothers. They suggested he try “shock-rap.” This led to the creation of Slim Shady.
Mark Bass said, “The market did not like Eminem until he got foul-mouthed.”
The Slim Shady EP reached music mogul Jimmy Iovine. It also reached Dr. Dre from N.W.A. They immediately signed Eminem to Interscope Records.
Dr. Dre saw Slim Shady as an anti-hero character. Working with Dre helped Eminem appeal to mainstream audiences. Eminem was featured with respected black rappers.
The production partnership with Dre may have bridged some racial divides in rap. However, the 1999 Slim Shady LP album also created contradictions. These contradictions in Slim Shady’s legacy still exist today.
White hot
Eminem arrived as Slim Shady with the song “My Name Is.” This was timed for a big impact. America was reportedly very happy in the 1990s. But Slim Shady showed the unhappy white underside of society.
The Slim Shady LP album sold 500,000 copies in two weeks. It won two of Eminem’s 15 Grammys. It was the last Eminem album that did not debut at number one.
One year later, the Marshall Mathers LP topped the charts. It attacked angry parents, politicians, and hypocrisy. Slim Shady loved outraging white suburban areas. He crudely said unspoken truths. “There’s a million of us just like me…who cuss like me,” he said.
In 2000, Slim Shady led an army of lookalikes onto MTV. He was goading his critics. Rolling Stone said he went from “white trash to white hot.”
The kids get the joke
But Eminem’s success had controversy. His lyrics had violent misogyny and homophobia. This darkens his legacy.
Eminem depicted murder, rape, and slurs. This continued in The Marshall Mathers LP and later albums. He defended this as movie-style fantasy.
In 1999, Spin magazine called Eminem an “anger timebomb” in white male culture.
Constance Grady from Vox said that era saw hypocrisy as the last big social problem.
In 2000, Eminem told Rolling Stone “the kids listening get the joke.”
Mathers himself was a contradictory person. Slim Shady’s antics were balanced by Eminem’s thought-provoking raps.
The song “Stan” best shows Eminem’s self-awareness. It tells the story of an obsessed Slim Shady fan. The fan kills himself and his girlfriend when Eminem does not reply to letters. The song ends with Eminem apologizing for the delay.
Dr. Phoenix Andrews studies fandoms. She says “Stan” understood intense internet fan followings before they existed. It showed the pressure and responsibility between artists and fans.
Dr. Andrews says, “Men talking about mental health was much rarer then and is still stigmatized. Eminem reaching out to Stan and not mocking him was exceptional at the time.”
Eminem’s conflicting personas had other unintended results.
The angry white male portrayal of Slim Shady was arguably adopted by US alt-right and white nationalist groups.
Sam de Boise is a lecturer who studies music and radicalization. He says, “Eminem is often mentioned in far-right online spaces.”
De Boise adds, “They also identify with his underdog status. Many of these young men see themselves as lacking social power.”
A changing legacy?
Today, Mathers is the best-selling rapper of all time. He is trying to control Slim Shady’s unpredictable legacy. He is also reconciling his own identity.
In 2017 at the BET Awards, he openly distanced himself from Trump supporters. He did this with a harsh rap.
This was different from a decade of his pop-rap hits like “Not Afraid.” He also collaborated with Rihanna on songs like “Love the Way You Lie” and “The Monster.” These songs often talked about his recovery from drug addiction. They helped soften his image for a new generation.
As time went on, Eminem tried to return to his old style. Gen Z audiences did not always like this. Some called for him to be canceled.
But unlike the early 2000s, Eminem apologized for using a homophobic slur against Tyler, the Creator.
These incidents show how public opinion is changing, especially with online cancel culture. The Pew Research Center found a generational divide. Older people see cancel culture as censoring artistic freedom. Younger people see it as holding people accountable.
Despite controversies, Eminem’s last two albums had over three billion streams on Spotify. Ten of his tracks exceeded one billion streams, equal to Drake and Coldplay.
Freelance journalist Kesewaa Browne says Eminem still has a place in hip-hop, but not as big as before. People still appreciate his unique lyrics. But he is not often mentioned in discussions about contemporary rap like grime, Drake, and socially conscious rappers like Kendrick Lamar.
Is killing off Slim Shady an effort to secure Eminem’s legacy? Journalist Kesewaa Browne says “I think it might be.”
She adds, “He hasn’t hidden his dislike for the current state of hip-hop. Perhaps he wants to show he’s still got it.”
“Some fans have grown up with Slim Shady. But if it sounds like the early 2000s, could that alienate some people?”
It’s a risk Eminem hinted at. He suggested the new song “Houdini” could make his career disappear.
The nostalgic “Houdini” video shows present-day Eminem trying to stop his 2002 Slim Shady self from grabbing the mic. Eventually a hybrid version forms – potentially ready for new controversy.
In 1999, Eminem told Radio 1’s Jo Whiley: “I used to make up heroes and villains, but my heroes would always die.”
Which is Slim Shady? It depends who you ask and when.