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For his next trick, lyrical magician Eminem resurrected Slim Shady for his new single, “Houdini,” but some folks—mainly the Hotties—believe the rapper went too far trying to be clever.
After months of speculation, Eminem returned to the music scene with “Houdini,” the lead single off his 12th studio album, “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce).”
The 51-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer uses the melody of Steve Miller Band’s 1982 hit “Abracadabra” in his new track and visual, reminiscent of his 2002 hit single “Without Me.”
In it, we see Eminem brings back characters like “Rap Boy,” his classic Slim Shady blonde hair, and even hops back in the Lamborghini for a rare appearance from his mentor, Dr. Dre, in the cameo-rich music video.
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As for the lyrics in the song, those familiar with Eminem’s style will not be shocked as the Detroit native aims at himself, Dr. Dre, and even his children on the track that reflects on his life in the 90s and current times.
In the song, he raps, “Sometimes I wonder what the old me would say if he could see how (expletive) is today.”
But one particular bar did raise eyebrows. In a clear but what many are calling shady way, Eminem mentions Megan Thee Stallion rapping, “If I was to ask for Megan Thee Stallion if she would collab with me, would I really have a shot at a feat?”
This is an obvious reference to Tory Lanez shooting Megan Thee Stallion, which he was found guilty of and is currently serving time in prison for.
Social Media Debates Eminem’s Megan Thee Stallion Bar
The double entendre stirred up Thee Stallion’s loyal fanbase, the hotties, and others. Fans of Eminem point out that this is something he always does, and no one is off-limits.
“This is trash on so many levels,” political commentator and slayer of Mayor Eric Adams, Olayemi Olarin, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Journalist Dee Barnes, whom Eminem’s homie, Dr. Dre, was charged with physically assaulting, also chimed in on the matter, saying, “Proving at that big age you’re only young once… but you can be immature forever.”
Some see no issues with Eminem’s Megan Thee Stallion bar. “Anyone calling this a “diss” didn’t listen to Em growing up,” one person wrote on X.
“I need yall to learn the difference between dissing and referencing… yall make my ass itch,” another post on X read.
Lover of all things Hip-Hop and NBA champion LeBron James loves the song, writing on X, “And just like that, HE’S BACK bruh!” @Eminem Houdini is too good!”
Of course, Bron Bron’s approval of the song also spurs reactions, with some wanting him to take back his positive critique of the single.
So, did Eminem diss Megan Thee Stallion? You can be the judge of that.
We are curious to see if Megan Thee Stallion says anything about it. She is currently on her Hot Girl Summer tour with GloRilla, selling out arenas.
Hit the gallery below for more reactions.
2. Hmmmm, points were made
3. Lol, damn
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One of the culture’s most vocal domestic abuse victims is speaking out again. Dee Barnes says the video of Diddy assaulting Cassie is triggering.
As reported by News One the former music television personality has also shared her disappointment in the Bad Boy Entertainment mogul. On Friday, May 17 she took to social media and not only voiced her displeasure on in the video that shows Diddy beating his former love interest but also shared that it brought back flashbacks to the violent attack she suffered at the hands of Dr. Dre.
“Seeing that video is extremely triggering. #DrDre punched, slammed, kicked and stomped me out. #Concussion” she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. She would go on to also say “I’m disgusted and disappointed with Sean Combs. I stand with #Cassie, #KimPorter and all the other victims of his violent abuse.” in a separate post.
On January 27, 1991 Dee Barnes claims Dr. Dre approached her at a record release party in Hollywood, California. According to Rolling Stones Magazine she states that he “began slamming her head and the right side of her body repeatedly against a brick wall near the stairway” while his bodyguard was said to hold off a crowd with a gun. But the attack didn’t stop there as the N.W.A. founding member began kicking her after failing to throw her down the stairs. She was able to escape to a women’s bathroom but was unfortunately followed by the producer and then “grabbed her from behind by the hair again and proceeded to punch her in the back of the head”. He and his bodyguard shortly fled the scene shortly thereafter.
Dee Barnes claims that incident stemmed from an interview she conducted with Ice Cube on Pump It Up where the Don Mega made fun of D.O.C.’s voice after he almost lost his life in a car accident. She later on filed a lawsuit against Dr. Dre for $22.75 million dollars that was privately settled out of court.
In an interview on The Defiant Ones, Dr. Dre discussed the event in detail and expressed his remorse. “There is absolutely no excuse for it. No woman should ever be treated this way” he said. “Any man that puts his hands on a female is a f***ing idiot. He is out of his f***ing mind and I was out of my f***ing mind at the time. I f***ed up. I paid for it. I’m sorry for it and I apologized for it.”
Dee Barnes accepted Dr. Dre’s apology and saluted his taking accountability, but she did question its timing.
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Former MC Dee Barnes published a lengthy statement calling out the Grammys after they named what she deemed the “Ike Turner Award” after Dr. Dre.
In an op-ed published in Rolling Stone on Wednesday (Feb. 8), the journalist and rapper spoke out about the move by the Black Music Collective to bestow that honor. Barnes was assaulted by the producer and rapper when he was then a member of N.W.A. At the time, she was the host of Pump It Up!, a Hip-Hop show on Fox that ran for two years and was key to the rise of the culture. Dre issued an apology in 2015 to the New York Times, not naming anyone in particular.
In the op-ed, Barnes spoke about how she initially was welcoming of the Impact Award being given to industry legends Missy Elliott, Epic Records CEO Sylvia Rhone and Lil Wayne along with Dr. Dre. Her position changed once she learned that the award would be named after him.
“Everybody wants to separate the art from the artist, and sometimes that’s just not possible,” she said, referring to his past history of abuse by saying “to name an award after someone with that type of history in the music industry, you might as well call it the Ike Turner Award.”
After speaking out about the struggles she’s endured, Barnes was shut out from the industry. Which led to her battling to house and provide for herself on a long-term basis. “The blacklisting I’ve faced still feels active, and it took me a long time to accept that,” she said.
Barnes likened her situation to the vitriol that Megan Thee Stallion endured after being the victim of assault by Tory Lanez. “I watched what happened to my little sister Megan, and it just was heartbreaking to me because we have not changed in all these years.” She ended the op-ed by revealing that she is working on a memoir and getting back into journalism, thanks to the support of Black women writers and journalists.
She also hoped for a chance to settle things once and for all with Dr. Dre in a face-to-face summit. “But I think that’s going to be the only thing to turn the tide, so to speak — if we have a come-to-Jesus moment in person, in public. Because everything happened publicly, it’s got to have closure publicly.”
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