Marshall Mathers and Slim Shady in Complex’s “THE FACE OFF” interview uploaded to YouTube on July 31, 2024 (Image via YouTube/@complex)

After dropping a teaser trailer for Eminem’s upcoming “Marshall Mathers vs Slim Shady: Face Off” interview, Complex magazine has finally uploaded the full 11-minute conversation to their official YouTube channel today (July 31).

This video appears to have been released as part of the promotion for Em’s 12th studio album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace), which was released on July 12, 2024, via Shady, Aftermath, and Interscope Records.

The album revolves around a violent verbal back and forth between Marshall Mathers and his alter ego, Slim Shady, with both individuals engaging in a demeaning rap battle throughout the LP’s runtime. Each personality brings up various personal and political themes to assert control and status over the other.

Major moments from Eminem’s “Marshall Mathers vs Slim Shady: THE FACE-OFF” Complex interview

Complex’s latest upload is an official Face-to-face conversation between Marshall Mathers and his famous alter-ego, Slim Shady. The production team recreated the rapper, drawing inspiration from his late 90s to early 2000s phase in his career, with the help of AI.

Both individuals argue about who had a larger impact on music by citing several examples from Eminem’s early career and referencing major records in his discography.

Somewhere along the interview, past beef and controversies are briefly discussed as well. The video opens with a public disclaimer warning viewers of the content being “graphically immature”, which includes “brutal depictions” of self-deprecation.

The last line of the disclaimer ushers viewers who are easily offended to stop watching, while also wishing luck on those who intend to sit through this interview.

“Somewhere in the Detroit Multiverse…” – Text reads on the screen before the interview begins.

This feature will catalog some of the best moments from the “Marshall Mathers vs Slim Shady: THE FACE-OFF” interview.

Slim Shady calls the interview an “Eminem Intervention”

After Slim Shady breaks through the “Detroit multiverse” and appears in front of Marshall singing lyrics from Guess Who’s Back, he explains that this interview is being conducted as an intervention to help Mathers find his footing in rap again.

Slim explains that Dr. Dre and Em’s manager Paul Rosenburg are the people who called on his return to rap to help Marshall write a “comeback album,” which he explains is the reason he appeared in the music video for Houdini.

Slim highlights he was sent from the past to save their career, to which Marshall responds by stating,

“Save my career? My 25 year career? Where I sold like a billion albums. I think Im doing pretty f–king fine.”

Slim claims his “Era” was Eminem’s peak

Slim then snaps at Marshall claiming that their entire career was built on the music he released, alluding to 1997’s Slim Shady EP and massively successful sophomore studio album The Slim Shady LP, which was released on February 23, 1999.

He references Taylor Swift when highlighting why he believes that, unlike the acclaimed pop star, Marshall’s career had only a single “Era” that mattered. This is a clear shout-out to Swift’s successful sixth concert tour titled “Era’s Tour,” which started back in March 2023.

“Everything people think of when they think of Eminem is f–king Yours Truly. From the blonde hair to the middle finger to the f–king jokes, all of it, me. And if we’re being honest the music that you’ve been dropping, since I bounced, ain’t it.”

 

Shady breaks the fourth wall

While continuing on his rant about Eminem’s career, Slim makes fun of Marshall’s 11th studio album Music To Be Murdered By, which was released in 2020.

The rapper states how he believes the album was created and produced using Artificial Intelligence, before suggestively turning toward the camera, given that he too was recreated using AI.

Marshall blames Slim Shady for always getting “Eminem” canceled

Marshall then directs the conversation to cancel culture, hoping to help Slim Shady understand the sensitive nature of certain topics he speaks about. He explains how the world has changed a lot since the late 90s.

Mathers’ highlights how the younger generation keeps canceling Eminem whenever past lyrics or songs made during his “Slim Shady Era” surfaced online when he says,

“People are way more sensitive now. Every other week on Tik Tok, Gen Z discovers you on Monday and cancels me on Tuesday.”

Slim and Marshall argue over who wrote ‘Fack’

While speaking about their past discography where Marshall highlights the success of singles like Stan and Love The Way You Lie were because he had written them instead of Slim, who he claims wrote the 2005 controversial single Fack.

Both artists then go back and forth denying they had anything to do with writing that song before citing that since the single was added to his first Greatest Hits album, the song is most likely “Diamond Certified.”

“Congratulations. You wrote the f–king national anthem for stalkers and domestic abusers. Can we get this guy a Glaad award or some sh-t” – Slim Shady states while making fun of ‘Stan’ and ‘LTWYL’.

Slim and Marshall make fun of each other’s public feuds

Both personalities then make fun of each other’s past public feuds, with Marshall highlighting that Shady only used to take shots at pop stars and non-rapping celebrities to generate fake controversies and sell more records.
Slim retorts by revisiting Eminem’s biggest feuds with artists like Ja Rule, Christina Aguilera, and more, when he stated,
“Let’s talk about the people you dissed. F–kin’ lyrical titans. F–kin’ Ja Rule, f–kin’ Moby, f–kin’ Fred Durst. Who else? Christina Aguilera! Who’s really punchin’ down?”

Slim Shady says their mother “hurt” him

Slim Shady in Complex’s “THE FACE OFF” interview uploaded to YouTube on July 31, 2024 (Image via YouTube/@complex)
Eminem questions Slim by asking him who “hurt” him to which an aggressive Shady reacts extremely defensively, by asking people in the room to check Marshall.

Eminem questions Slim by asking him who “hurt” him to which an aggressive Shady reacts extremely defensively, by asking people in the room to check Marshall.

Shady then swallows several unlabeled pills before deciding to take shots at Caitlyn Jenner instead, when he states,

“What do you mean who hurt me? I got hurt man! Everybody hurt me, my mom hurt me. F–kin’ the world hurt me dawg. Caitlyn Jenner’s a man b—h”

Eminem exposes Slim Shady’s record-selling antics

Eminem bashes Slim for selling records through controversies, and that a lot of these antics are tired and dated. He recounts the exact ways by which Shady would generate anticipation of an upcoming album by stating,

“Bro you just doing the same s–t you always do. Make the f–king single fake controversial without really offending anyone and then put all the f–ked up shit on the deep cuts so that people talk about the album after it drops. Then when they get offended you get on your poor me victim s–t and act all f–kin’ self-righteous”

Marshall defends his critically ill-received album ‘Relapse’

Marshall then brings up their 2007 lead single We Made You, from the rapper’s sixth studio album Relapse. Mathers explains how Slim almost “destroyed” their careers because of the major controversies generated through the lyrics used in the song.

Shady responds by bashing Em and Relapse, referring to the project as an LP filled with accents. Marshall defends the project by stating,

“I was in recovery, okay? I had to relearn how to rap and for f–kin’ what it’s worth there’s an entire generation of people who think that’s a f–kin’ classic”

Marshall Mathers and Slim Shady finally make peace with each other

 

The interview ends with Marshall and Slim finding common ground in the understanding that both of them contributed to the creation of “Eminem”. Mathers highlights how everything they do or did in their career was for Em and the fans, after which Slim finally calms down.

Shady then highlights how he needed this conversation to release some of his misplaced anger and trauma, citing how most of it stems from the fact that he has to play the “bad guy.”

Both personalities then acknowledge one another before recreating the famous Paul Rudd “Hot One’s” meme, after which Slim Shady dissipates, leaving Marshall alone in the room.

“My bad dawg. I just, I sometimes get triggered man. It’s like I’m obviously this rack with imposter syndrome overcompensating with misplaced aggression. I needed this trauma-binding s–t to help me protect my peace. No one understands how f–kin’ toxic it is to always be the bad guy”.