Eminem released his new single “Houdini” on Friday, the first from his upcoming album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). The video for the new song, released the same day, begins with the rapper receiving a call from Dr. Dre, in a direct reference to his 2002 video “Without Me.”
In fact, the song itself begins with the lyrics “Guess who’s back, back again/Shady’s back, tell a friend,” from the song from 22 years ago. A great deal of the video is reminiscent of the one the singer released for his previous hit.
The beginning of the video clip refers to the fact that a portal has opened in the city that leads to the year 2002, which means that a younger version of Eminem, with his characteristic short platinum blonde hair of the time, has arrived in 2024.
A blast from the past looking to not be the last
The older and newer versions of the two artists appear together on screen, as the video continues the comic-book style visuals also used in “Without Me,” with him even wearing the same superhero costume he wore in the previous video while rapping about his younger self, what the 20-year-old rapper would think of current times, as well as about life today.
In addition to guest appearances by 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and comedian Shane Gillis, who appear in the comic-style portions of the video, the artist and his younger self eventually fight, merging into an older version of the rapper, with platinum blonde hair. longer.
Elsewhere, this “new” Eminem raps surrounded by other blonde Slim Shady doppelgangers before the clip for the new song closes with a cameo from Pete Davidson, who appears with blonde hair and gives the rapper a lift, telling him : “Don’t worry, I just got my license back.”
Eminem released the single’s cover days earlier, which shows a magician in a hockey mask levitating an electrified microphone in the air. “Guess who is back? And for my last trick…”, reads the cover.
