Eminem dropped his 12th studio album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) on Friday, July 12, 2024. The 19-track project debuted on Spotify with 63.5 million streams, making it the highest number for a hip-hop album in 2024. However, critics had mixed reactions to the album.

Metacritic, an aggregate review website, gave the project a low rating of 50/100 based on seven reviews, making it Eminem’s lowest-rated album and the second-lowest-rated rap album of the decade yet.

The scoring left netizens confused, with many debating the validity of the rating. One user wondered why The Death of Slim Shady had worse reviews than Em’s Revival.

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@HipHopAllDayy)
A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@HipHopAllDayy)
Many internet users questioned the critics, stating that they missed the point of the album. Some remarked that the critics were entitled to their opinion, but the project was brilliant. One fan quipped that Eminem’s rival, Benzino, must have given his review.

Here are some comments seen under @HipHopAllDayy’s post on X:

“Who reviewed it Benzino?” one fan questioned.
“wtf they have 0 taste ain’t no way they gave it 50 who’s rating this,” added another.
“Read a few reviews and you’ll see that most critics have completely missed the point of the album,” ElChapmanoo added.
“The critics are entitled to their opinion as am I and the album was brilliant and thought provoking so they have their opinion , I have mines,” one user commented.
Others argued that the review was a fair one. They called the album repetitive and bland. One stated that the Detroit-born rapper has run out of things to say.

“Its not just the critics. Go on rate your music. It’s fans opinions too. It’s an average album. He has run out of things to say and most of the beats are bland,” Alan wrote.
“I think that’s fair. I think the first half of the album is repetitive and pandering.. a few decent tracks on the second half of the album,” argued another.
“Its rather harsh, but i can see why. I thought it was pretty good, but nothing more than that,” one fan added.
Eminem’s The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) is one of the top 5 biggest albums to debut on Spotify in 2024
Per Metacritic, four of the seven critics gave the Mockingbird rapper’s latest album mixed reviews. This includes Robin Murray with the Clash, who scored it a 50, stating:

“A mixed, often muddled album, it features some of Eminem’s best rapping in a decade – those fast, skippy-yet-intricate flows will never fail to thrill – but his pen is often blunted.”
Alexis Petridis with the Guardian (60/100) commented that the album has “successes and misfires in equal measure,” commending it for its technical ability but stating it was “afflicted by a creeping sense of purposelessness.”

While the site did not display user reviews at the time of this writing, according to ePro, an online portal dedicated to Eminem, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) scored Em his biggest Spotify debut.

It is one of the top five biggest album debuts (all genres) on Spotify in 2024, behind Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter, and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft. This makes it the biggest debut on the streaming app for a male artist in 2024.

Since the album’s release, fans have been speculating whether Eminem would release a Delux variation of The Death of Slim Shady. Per the rumors, the absence of collaborations with Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, and Royce 5’9″, with whom the Detriot-born rapper has frequently worked, hints at a possible Delux version. However, this remains unconfirmed.

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