The song is the first single of Eminem’s upcoming album ‘The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)’
Guess who’s back, back again? Shady’s back — and it may be for the last time.
Eminem released the new single “Houdini” on Friday, May 31, his first off his upcoming album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce).
The video for the new track, which dropped the same day, begins with the now 51-year-old rapper in bed, receiving a call from Dr. Dre, in a direct echo of his 2002 video “Without Me.” In fact, the song itself begins with the “Guess who’s back, back again/Shady’s back, tell a friend,” lyrics from the 22-year-old track and much of the video recalls the one the rapper released for his earlier song.
In “Houdini,” Eminem receives a call from Dre revealing that a portal to 2002 has opened in the city, meaning that a younger version of Eminem — complete with the short, bleached blonde hair the rapper donned at the time — has arrived in 2024.
The older and younger versions of the two rappers later appear on screen together, as the video continues with the comic book-style visuals also used in “Without Me,” with Eminem even donning the same superhero suit he wore in the earlier video as he raps about his younger self, what the twenty-something Eminem would make of present times, as well as about life today.
“Abra-abracadabra (And for my last trick)/I’m ’bout to reach in my bag, bruh (Like)/Abra-abracadabra (And for my last trick, poof)/Just like that and I’m back, bro,” he raps in the track’s chorus.
As well as cameos from 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, and comedian Shane Gillis — who all appear on screen within comic book-style portions of the video — Eminem and his younger self eventually battle it out in a fight that sees them meld into an older version of the rapper, featuring longer, bleached blonde hair.
Elsewhere, this “new” Eminem raps surrounded by other blonde Slim Shady-alikes before the clip for the new track closes out with a cameo from Pete Davidson, who appears with bleach blonde hair and gets into the rapper’s car to give him a ride, telling him, “Don’t worry, I just got my license back.”
The rapper released the song’s cover art days before its release, featuring a magician wearing a Jason Voorhees hockey mask and making an electrified microphone float in midair.
“Guess who’s back? And for my last trick…” the cover reads.
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