The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), Eminem’s most recent album, has been out and received a mixed response from reviewers.
The American rapper’s alter ego Slim Shady is killed off in his 12th album; Shady is depicted in a corpse bag on the artwork, and in the Tobey music video, Eminem chops him up with a chainsaw.
The album was deemed “a mixed bag” by Clash, who also said it was “a record that disappoints, but also an effective piece of fan service.”
“It doesn’t quite feel like an ending, but neither does it feel like a continuation,” Robin Murray stated.
It’s a confused, often jumbled record that has some of Eminem’s best rapping in a decade—those quick, skippy, yet sophisticated rhymes.
Eminem informed fans that this is a “conceptual album” before of release and that it is best to listen to the tracks in order.
The 19 tracks include a follow-up to his 1999 smash Guilty Conscience with Dr. Dre, as well as previously released singles Tobey and Houdini.
The latter song is among the best on the new album, according to Billboard, which also noted that “it’s not the original, but is a worthy second coming.”
