Eminem has shared his controversial new single ‘Houdini’ today (May 31) and the track references the shooting incident involving Megan Thee Stallion in 2020.
In 2022, Tory Lanez – real name Daystar Peterson – was found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in both feet in 2020. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and began serving his sentence the following August.
In his latest song, ‘Houdini’, Eminem references the incident, rapping: “If I was to ask for Megan Thee Stallion if she would collab with me / Would I really have a shot at a feat? I don’t know, but I’m glad to be, back.”
Elsewhere, there are more controversial lyrics where he makes reference to transgender individuals, Ru Paul and cancel culture. “Cancel me, what? Okay, that’s it, go ahead…But you can all suck my dick, in fact, fuck them…” he raps on one verse.
The track begins with a line from Eminem’s 2002 single, ‘Without Me’: “Guess who’s back, back again / Shady’s back, tell a friend,” he raps. The song, produced by Eminem and his longtime collaborator Luis Resto, also includes a sample of the Steve Miller Band’s ‘Abracadabra’ on the chorus.
In the song’s accompanying video, Eminem recreates elements of his ‘Without Me’ music video, with cameos from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Pete Davidson and more. He also breakdances and goes back to his blonde look from early in his career.
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The track will feature on the rapper’s new album, ‘The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce)’, which has yet to receive a release date but is expected to arrive sometime this Summer.
Dr Dre re revealed earlier this year that the rapper had been working on new material and enlisted him for production duties. “Eminem is working on his own album, which is coming out this year,” he said. “I actually talked to him and he said it was okay for me to make that announcement right here… So he has an album coming out, I’ve got songs on it and it’s fire.”
Eminem’s last studio album, ‘Music To Be Murdered By’, was given a three-star review by NME. “Eminem’s discography once looked lopsided, youthful iconoclasm dissipating into creative exhaustion. But now it comes across as a little more interesting,” it read.
“These curious newer records may age well […] The bigger question is this: should Eminem continue to grow old disgracefully, or cut the stately figure he adopts on the moving and impactful pro-gun control track ‘Darkness’?”