Grammy-winning Artist Eminem Releases 12th Album, “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace)”
Eminem, the Grammy-winning artist, released his 12th album, *The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace)*, on Friday. The album has captured significant attention due to its pointed references to Sean “Diddy” Combs and Alec Baldwin. In the ninth track, titled “Fuel,” Eminem and fellow rapper J.I.D address major cultural stories, including sexual assault allegations against Combs and the accidental death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of *Rust* involving Baldwin.
Eminem’s Lyrics Remind Us of Tupac Shakur’s Death
In the second verse of “Fuel,” Eminem cleverly uses wordplay to reference Combs. The lyrics “P, did he?” clearly nod to “P. Diddy.” He then pays tribute to Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur before linking Tupac’s death back to Combs with the lines: “R.I.P., rest in peace, Biggie/And Pac, both of y’all should be living (Yep)/But I ain’t tryna beef with him (Nope)/’Cause he might put a hit on me like Keefe D did him.”
Eminem’s Lyrics Reflect on Combs’s Alleged Threat and Baldwin’s Trial
Eminem’s lyrics in “Fuel” also touch on the tragic *Rust* set incident involving Baldwin. He raps: “Fuck around and get popped like Halyna Hutchins/Like I’m Alec Baldwin, what I mean is buckin’ you down, coup de grace then.” In another track titled “Antichrist,” he references a video of Combs assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, with explicit lyrics that vividly depict the alleged incident.
Album Release Coincides with Combs’s and Baldwin’s Legal Developments
Eminem’s album release coincided with significant legal developments involving both Combs and Baldwin. On the same day, former *Vibe* editor-in-chief Danyel Smith published an op-ed in *The New York Times Magazine* alleging that Combs had threatened her life. Additionally, a New Mexico judge dismissed Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial for the shooting of Hutchins on the *Rust* set in 2021 on Friday.
More About the Album
Eminem has described his 12th studio album as a “conceptual album,” warning fans on X/Twitter: “Listening to songs out of order might lead to confusion.” While the album stands as one of his finest works to date, its marketing strategy was equally clever. Ahead of its official launch, the artist teased the album with a whimsical fake obituary for Slim Shady published in the *Detroit Free Press* on May 14. The headline read, “Slim Shady Leaves Lasting Impressions.”