With The Death of Slim Shady, we look back at Eminem's legacy

With the release of his conceptual new album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), rapper Eminem has returned, and he sounds more contemplative than ever before.

But how does this latest record, taking aim at his famous alter ego, fit into his canon — and will it, perhaps, redefine his legacy?

Today on Commotion, hip-hop artists D-Sisive (a.k.a. Derek Christoff) and Ian Kamau, along with music critic Maura Johnston, join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss the legacy of Eminem, and the controversial cultural debates that the Detroit emcee has sparked over the decades.

We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player.

Elamin: Ian, I'm interested in the idea of who Eminem is speaking to because I heard this new record, and Eminem, to me, is near the top of his skill when it comes to rapping. He's doing internal rhymes at a pace I've heard very few rappers do. He's technically incredibly gifted, but there's also a gap between having the ability to say a lot of stuff and having something to say. He's as good as he can possibly get at the form. I'm not sure that the content is there right now, except these attempts at provocation. What's your read on this moment in Eminem?

Ian: I agree. I haven't really actively listened to Eminem since around the point of Stan, and it's because of the content. And I agree, there's a difference between being able to recognize that someone is technically skilled, or a very good writer, and the ability to relate to what they're saying. I think Eminem, when he was younger, was really making music for teenage boys. And I think the Slim Shady moniker is still talking to that group. And so now Eminem, Marshall Mathers is grappling with Slim Shady — this devil on his shoulder, this Jungian shadow thing — and trying to understand that this is also the thing that has made him rich and famous.

The Slim Shady EP introduced this character to the world that has given him a life that he may not have got otherwise, but also he has to grapple with the reality of that. And so I think, like a lot of famous people, he's stuck in a bit of a bubble and he's not living a life that is relatable to a lot of us. At the beginning it was fun, but now I'm 44 too, and I was 19 when I first heard him.

Elamin: The idea of Eminem trying to put to bed this Jungian shadow that you mentioned in this album, Maura, that's the concept of the new album. Marshall Mathers is going to battle. He's been kidnapped by Slim Shady, they're going to battle it out and only one of them can survive. There is a lot of juvenilia around this album, but also there's a lot of like, "Do I really need to be doing this? I'm 52 years old, you know?" on this album as well. There's a lot of musing that it might be the last Eminem album ever. What do you make of the way that Eminem has used this contrast between him and Slim Shady on this record?

Maura: It's one of those records that because it is this kind of man-versus-himself tale, it's very messy. It's very dexterous. Honestly, I think it's kind of brave of him to put out a record that needs to be listened to in full in the streaming era, because that doesn't happen. I do think it's interesting that he talks a lot about his struggles with addiction…. it's like, is it him figuring out that he's created the conditions where he could eventually grow up on record? It's something worth thinking about, you know?

Elamin: It is. Even if it's not necessarily successful, it feels like it's a necessary album for him to make at this point. And I think if there's anything that Eminem can be relied on to do, it's doing the thing that works for him…. I listen to this album and go, this album is for Eminem. I'm not meant to necessarily listen to this; he just needed to put this out. Derek, if this does turn out to be the last Eminem album, where would he land on your G.O.A.T. list?

Derek: I try not to have a numerical ranking as far as my G.O.A.T. list, but if I were to have one, he's up there with the regulars — Jay-Z, Nas, MF Doom, Sean Price. But I feel like he hit a point where he solidified it for me. He made the impact. He's done what no other rapper could do. I'm still going to tune in, but I'm not always going to be a fan of it. I can't turn my back on the guy.

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Panel produced by Ty Callender.