Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg also cameo in the music video that pays homage to the rapper’s “Without Me” video.
Eminem dropped the first single from his upcoming 12th studio album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), accompanying the track with a cameo-filled music video that sees Pete Davidson wrecking his car. (Touché.)
Titled “Houdini,” the music video — a nostalgic callback to the rapper’s 2002 “Without Me” video — opens with Dr. Dre informing Eminem that a portal from 2002 has opened up in the city, unleashing the early 2000s version of Eminem, bleached blonde hair and all, into current day.
Mayhem ensues, with Eminem assuming his Rap Boy persona (also featured in “Without Me”) to square off against the 2002 version of himself. Like “Without Me,” the very unserious video takes the format of a comic strip. The two Eminems meet atop a roof for a showdown, eventually morphing into one: a new version, an “unholy hybrid,” of the rapper.
Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, and Shane Gillis also appear in the music video. Davidson pops up towards the end, assuming the role of the new version of Shady’s driver after Dr. Dre departs the vehicle. “Trust me, I’m a great driver. Don’t worry, I just got my license back,” Davidson says, alluding to his 2023 reckless driving charge.
The lyrics contain some controversial references, including about Megan Thee Stallion getting shot by Tory Lanez (“If I was to ask for Megan Thee Stallion if she would collab with me / Would I really have a shot at a feat?”) and R. Kelly’s conviction (“Bumpin’ R. Kelly’s favorite group, the Black Eyed Peas”).
As for the Davidson cameo, the comedian has parodied Eminem a few times on Saturday Night Live, with the rapper often popping up in the sketches himself. Eminem last cameoed in “Forgot About Lorne” in 2022, a cut-for-time rap sketch from Davidson’s final SNL episode.
The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) is set to drop sometime in the summer