Eminem is truly investing effort into his current album cycle. The rapper has meticulously built anticipation for *The Death of Slim Shady*, releasing teasers, collaborating with magician David Blaine, and producing a high-concept music video for the single “Houdini.” The big question everyone had was the album’s release date. When would *The Death of Slim Shady* finally be unveiled? Eminem answered this in a dramatic fashion.
On July 1, he released what seems to be the final teaser. The video depicts a grim hospital scene where a woman gives birth to an unresponsive baby. The doctors revive the baby, but it awakens with demonic black eyes. The mother asks what happened, and before anyone can answer, the baby reveals a split tongue and devil horns. The entire staff exclaims “holy sh*t” and flees the room. Then, the long-awaited moment arrives: the release date. *The Death of Slim Shady* is set to drop on July 12.
It’s a surprisingly fast turnaround given the slow trickle of details so far. However, Eminem has previously experimented with different promotional strategies. *Relapse* had a lengthy promo cycle as his comeback album, *Recovery* aimed to rectify the mixed reviews of *Relapse*, and *Kamikaze* was released without prior notice. *The Death of Slim Shady* seems intended as a grand farewell to his alter ego, justifying the attention to its promotion.
Eminem has remained mostly silent about *The Death of Slim Shady* beyond his promotional efforts. He did, however, discuss his recording process during a January appearance on Shade 45, saying, “I’m working on a little something,” to Whoo Kid. He also hinted at future collaborations with 50 Cent, who appeared in the first promo for the album. “I told him whatever he needs from me, I’m here,” Eminem said. “That would be crazy… 50’s been on a roll since the tour.” Fans are hopeful to hear these two Aftermath stars collaborate again.
