Emiпem performs oп stage dυriпg the 37th Aппυal Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Iпdυctioп 

A fake obitυary for the Marshall Mathers LP artist’s, 51, twisted rap alter ego — which has beeп a part of his career siпce his 1997 Slim Shady aпd 1999 The Slim Shady LPs — appeared iп the Detroit Free Press oп Moпday, May 13, per Complex, declariпg him dead ahead of Emiпem’s twelfth stυdio albυm, The Death Of Slim Shady (Coυp de Grâce), droppiпg this sυmmer.

The headline for the obituary reads, “Slim Shady Made Lasting Impressions,” while its subheading states, “fans will never forget controversial rapper.”

“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,”” the piece eulogized, “which—along with its uniquely eye catching video – exposed the young artist and his lyrics to a wider audience.”

Kevin C. Cox/Getty

The obituary continued by saying, “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 this world.”

“May he truly find the peace in an afterlife that he could not find on Earth,” it concludes.

The theatrical obituary rollout arrives just a few weeks after Eminem’s new album announcement, which he unveiled on April 25 with an Instagram teaser that aired right before his 2024 NFL Draft appearance in his hometown of Detroit. The project marks the 15-time Grammy winner’s first full-length release since 2020’s Music to Be Murdered By, which he dropped as a surprise that January.

The clip, featured as part of the fictional Detroit Murder Files, starts with a true crime reporter announcing the death of “the blond anti-hero” Slim Shady, who, “through his complex and oft-criticized, tongue-twisting rhymes,” has had “no shortage of enemies.”

Eminem’s longtime friend and collaborator, 50 Cent, makes a cameo next to say Slim Shady is, in fact, “not a friend, he’s a psychopath.”

“The same rude lyrics and controversial antics may have ultimately led to his demise,” the reporter adds of Eminem’s persona. “Join me as we recreate the events that led to the murder of Slim Shady.”

Eminem makes a quick appearance towards the end to say he knew the downfall of his alter-ego was always fated. “It was only a matter of time for Slim,” he

Eminem performs during the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in June 2018 in Manchester, Tennessee.

C Flanigan/Wirelmage

Few details are still known about Eminem’s The Death of Slim Shady. However, the Recovery rapper and dad of three’s mentor, Dr. Dre, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in March to tease a few tidbits. “Eminem is working on his own album, which is coming out this year,” the producer, who has production credits on the forthcoming project, shared.

“He said it was OK for me to make an announcement right here on the show,” he added. “I’m actually going to get the entire album for the first time tomorrow … I haven’t even heard anything complete that I’ve done, but I’m going to hear it, and he’s putting out an album in 2024.”