Introduction
With all the rumors/teasers of Eminem’s final album coming soon, Eminem has finally returned to give us a new single supposedly reminiscent of his controversial Slim Shady era back in the early 2000’s.
In this super quick review, we’ll be analyzing whether or not this track lives up to the hype and if Slim Shady is really back.
And remember: “We need a little- controversy”
The Paul Skit, Megan Thee Stallion, The Disses
Having a Paul Rosenberg skit at the beginning is very nostalgic for fans of Eminem’s old albums. It was a very simple yet welcomed addition that immediately caught my attention.
Immediately, loud Eminem makes a long awaited return. He may not be as loud as he was in his prime or even from his early 2010s era, but that’s how you know he’s here to spit.
In this first verse, Eminem drops the line “If I was to ask for Megan Thee Stallion if she would collab with me, Would I really have a shot at a feat?” which is obviously a reference to Megan’s legal drama with Tory Lanez that currently has the ladder in prison. Many say it’s a diss, but really to me, it’s just a silly little joke.
Eminem constantly drops a lot of unhinged lines that have been missing from his music for a while, even going as far to diss his own kids saying things like, “Fuck them-fuck Dre, fuck Jimmy, fuck me, fuck you, fuck my own kids they’re brats.” This is shocking at first especially when you factor in how Marshall put his heart into expressing love for his daughters in his songs when he was younger. But then you realize his children are all grown-up (and even older than most of us) and are probably laughing to this line. With the Jimmy and Dre line too, it’s very reminiscent of jokes Eminem would make when he was younger, like on ‘The Real Slim Shady’ where he wrote how Dr. Dre is dead in his basement.
There’s also a lot of “prejudice” jokes and lines here that are also reminiscent of how Shady would go after and screw around with everybody and anybody. They’re pretty funny, but nothing super serious.
The Music Video
The music video is incredibly entertaining, with cameos of Dre, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and even Pete Davidson for some reason making an appearance. Throughout the video is a bunch of homages to his old music videos in a superhero city while he raps with his old self and even fuses with him too. Super out of pocket and uncalled for Slim Shady stuff as usual, adding to the nostalgia and just the pure ‘what the fuck’ factor that he brings back from the past. Frankly, I’ve never been a music video person, but this was awesome to me.
Is Slim Shady Really Back?
From the style, the lyrics and even the music video, the idea of this song being a revisiting of Eminem’s classic personality, in my opinion, I think combining his old self with his new self was an amazing idea to make the Stans go crazy. Though this is something we should have expected at some point if not already.
Now the sad truth for people who exclusively only listen to the old Eminem is the fact that he will never 100% go back to how he was during the early 2000’s just because he can’t! Times have changed and Eminem has not only changed personally over the years, but there’s certain things even he just doesn’t want to say anymore. Plus he’s already long established a new identity where yes, he is still unhinged, but more goofy now. This is evident in how he uses “bro” and “bruh” in the chorus, like he’s trying to be hip with the cool kids or something.
So in conclusion, while it’s hard to say Slim Shady is back per say, I’d like to think he’s been reincarnated to fit the modern times. As a result, without the music video, this song feels like a 2013 Eminem song (anytime before Revival honestly). But we shall see how he elaborates with this song in his upcoming album which is most likely his last.
Also if you don’t like this review, well… we need a little controversy.