Hi, my name is – or rather *was* – Slim Shady. Eminem has killed off his Slim Shady persona, penning an obituary that mourns the loss of his tortured alter ego.
In an obituary published in the Detroit Free Press, Eminem wrote of the late Slim Shady, “A product of Detroit who began his career there as a rogue splinter in the flourishing underground rap scene of the mid to late 1990s, Shady first became a household name in 1999 with the debut of his playfully deranged single ‘My Name Is,’ which — along with its uniquely eye catching video — exposed the young artist and his lyrics to a wider audience. That audience was soon exposed to the extreme darkness of the muse/rapper as he led millions of music fans down a road that glorified a demonstrably nihilistic worldview.” It’s worth noting that this is part of the promotional strategy for his upcoming album, the aptly titled The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce).
Through Slim Shady, Eminem (real name Marshall Mathers, for those keeping tabs of personas) was able to act out on any fantasy he wished, most notoriously as it relates to his ex-wife Kim, with escalating acts that drew media attention and leant to the rapper and sometime actor’s legacy as one of the most daring, non-PC artists to step into the game.
The obituary for Slim Shady continued by saying it was his lifestyle and deep issues that lead to his fall. “Ultimately, the very things that seemed to be the tools he used became calling cards that defined an existence that could only come to a sudden and horrific end. His complex and tortured existence has come to a close and the legacy he leaves behind is no closer to resolution than the manner in which this character departed the world. May he truly find the peace in an afterlife that he could not find on Earth.”
Eminem’s Slim Shady alter ego was a groundbreaker not just in music but pop culture as a whole. But killing him off might be just what 51-year-old Eminem needs as far as a career shift goes. Certainly his sobriety – which he celebrated 16 years of last month – played a role in his metaphorical burying of the character who brought him so much trouble. The Death of Slim Shady is slated for a summer release.
How do you feel about Slim Shady being killed off? Will you be checking out Eminem’s upcoming album?