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31st May 2024
11:00am BST
Eminem has dropped a new track and music video from his upcoming album, and not even his own children are out of the firing line.
Houdini became available to stream at midnight last night, with the music video for the song dropping on YouTube around the same time.
It's the rapper's first single release in years, having mostly featured on other artists tracks of late, and it's the first taste that fans have received of his upcoming album The Death of Slim Shady, which is due out later this year.
The track opens with a skit from Eminem’s longtime manager Paul Rosenberg, who calls up the rapper to tell him: "Hey Em, it’s Paul, uh, I was listening to the album… good f***ing luck, you’re on your own," before hanging up the phone. Then, Eminem's most famous melody "guess who's back, back again" kicks in.
Houdini uses the same iconic hook from the 2002 hit Without Me and similarly sees the 8 Mile star taking aim at critics, friends and his own family, which includes daughters Hailie Jade Scott, Alaina Scott and Stevie Laine Scott.
One line reads: "F**k my own kids, they're brats.
"They can screw off, them and you all.:
The video features cameos from Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Pete Davidson, 50 Cent and comedian Shane Gillis.
Em also namechecks fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion with a line that references her 2020 shooting by singer Tory Lanez: "If I was to ask for Megan Thee (What?)/ Stallion if she would collab with me/ Would I really have a shot at a feat?."
Before releasing Houdini, Eminem posted a teaser on Instagram with magician and illusionist David Blaine, in which Blaine eats a wine glass while Slim Shady declares: "Well, for my last trick, I’m gonna make my career disappear."
The music video shows Eminem back in his Rapboy costume from the Without Me video and hurtling around a comic strip universe with his younger self.
He also brings back the wannabe Slim Shadys who featured in his 2000 MTV Video Music Awards performance.
Fans have been loving the track since it's release, and have expressed delight at the throwbacks to the Eminem of old throughout the music video.
One Twitter user claimed the video as one of the "top Eminem music videos of all time", while another simply said: "Yeah slim shady is back!"
Eminem leaving the studio after making Houdini
— 🦋 (@KY4LIANMBAPPE) May 31, 2024
pic.twitter.com/3A36LD5YUY
Another person tweeted: "The goat is f***ing back."
One other user wrote: "Eminem has always been one of the greatest of any genre when it comes to music videos
"This is him reminding us."
Eminem has always been one of the greatest of any genre when it comes to music videos
— 𝘚𝘏𝘈𝘞𝘕 ❌ (@ShawnIsShady) May 31, 2024
This is him reminding us
pic.twitter.com/9otcf1nIIR
Eminem's daughter Hailie is now 28-years-old, and recently got married.
His other children, Alaina Marie and Stevie Laine are 31 and 22 respectively.
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