Eminem has announced the upcoming release of “Tobey,” out July 2, serving as the second single off his upcoming album “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce).”
On social media, the rapper revealed that “Tobey” will feature fellow Detroit native Big Sean as well as metro Detroit emcee Babytron. “Tobey,” which is likely a reference to Spider-Man’s Tobey Maguire based on a lyric from the teaser, will arrive a few days before the Cole Bennett-directed video premieres on July 5. In a preview for the clip, Em sports a hockey mask and chainsaw similar to the ones he wielded on his Anger Management tour in 2000.
Eminem has been on somewhat of a nostalgia kick in the rollout for “The Death of Slim Shady” with the release a few weeks back of “Houdini.” That single, which bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, was a callback to his 2002 single “Without Me,” right down the music video where he’s dressed like a superhero navigating a comic strip world.
He announced “The Death of Slim Shady” during the NFL Draft in April with a Detroit Murder Files crime show teaser, hinting that the project would be framed around the demise of his classic alter ego. He later ran an obituary in the Detroit Free Press saying farewell to Slim Shady.
Little is known about “The Death of Slim Shady,” as Em has been coy about details. With the album announcement, he stated that it would come sometime this summer, and Dr. Dre has already revealed that he has contributed to production for the record.