Eminem's new album The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) is a fitting title: while the Detroit rapper tries to shed his old ways, much of the project is still fully in tune with his alter ego. And what's a Shady comeback if he's not dissing a whole bunch of controversial celebrities and previous rap rivals in his music? Moreover, fans noticed more than a few famous names that he dragged on this new record, with some of the hip-hop figures making the most noise. Specifically, a lot of folks noticed Em's bars against Kanye West, Diddy, and Ja Rule, as well as reflections on his MGK and Melle Mel beefs, among many more.
"Next idiot ask me is getting his a** beat worse than Diddy did [muted] / But on the real, though / She prolly ran out the room with his f***ing dildo / He try to field goal punt her, she said to chill / Now put it back in my a** and get the steel toe," Eminem raps on "Antichrist," referencing the footage of the Bad Boy mogul assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie.
Eminem's The Death Of Slim Shady: Listen
"I’m like a R-A-P-E-R / Got so many essays, S-As / Wait, he didn’t just spell the word ‘rapper’ and leave out a P, did he? / R.I.P., rest in peace Biggie / And ‘Pac, both of y’all should be living / But I ain’t tryna beef with him / ‘Cause he might put a hit on me like Keefe D did him," Eminem adds on "Fuel" featuring JID. There are other Sean Combs jabs here and there, but let's look at what he said about Ye. "Say they wish that I wasn’t so angry / They wanna see me going off the deep end like Ye, aye / Rather see me do like Kim Kardashian they say, yeah / And find a way to get rid of all of this rage, aye [Ray J]," Marshall raps on "Antichrist."
Finally, here's the stray that Ja Rule caught from Eminem on "Guilty Conscience 2." "When I say, ‘F**k midgets,’ I mean Ja Rule." While this controversy isn't surprising (or, frankly, interesting), The Death Of Slim Shady does see its artist make some more fleshed-out remarks on cancel culture and his obsession with it. The opening track, "Renaissance," sees him talk about the criticism of other rap legends, and how it can't take any of them down. Whether you agree or not, it's exactly the sort of thing that Em would comment on these days.