Wondering if you missed any easter eggs in Eminem’s latest single form the upcoming “The Death of Slim Shady” album. We’re here to spell it out for you. Check these top comments from Genius, explaining lyrics and concepts behind them.
“Houdini” is a complex blend of humor, wordplay, social commentary, and self-reflection, which are hallmarks of Eminem’s music. It reflects on his past, criticizes societal norms, and addresses his critics while reaffirming his place in the rap industry. “Houdini” serves as a homage to his earlier work, particularly the 2002 single “Without Me,” with a music video that features Slim Shady stepping out of a portal and being plunged into modern times. Eminem wonders what his old self (Shady) would say and how he would act in the modern era of acceptance, sensitivity, and transgender culture. Guest appearances from 50 Cent, Pete Davidson, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Alchemist all play well into the theme.
Let’s plunge straight into the rhymes!
[Skit: Paul Rosenberg]
Hey, Em, it’s Paul
Uh, I was listening to the album
Good fucking luck, you’re on your own
The skit at the beginning of “Houdini” resembles the Paul skits on several previous Eminem albums, the earliest example being from 1999’s Slim Shady LP, the latest from Kamikaze in 2018, though they appear in Encore, Relapse, The Marshall Mathers LP, and The Eminem Show as well.
In all of the skits, Paul Rosenberg, Eminem’s manager, would complain about the material in the album and advise Eminem to change the contents.
[Intro: Eminem]
Guess who’s back, back again?
Shady’s back, tell a friend
Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back?
Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back?
Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back?
Guess who’s back? (Haha)
Da-da-da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da-da-da, da, da, da, da
Eminem interpolates the second refrain of one of his most iconic tracks, “Without Me,” from his 2002 album The Eminem Show.
Guess who’s back, back again?
Shady’s back, tell a friend
Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back?
Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back?
Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back?
Guess who’s back?
(Da-da-da, da, da, da, da, da, da)
(Da-da-da, da, da, da, da) – “Without Me”, 2002
[Verse 1: Eminem]
Well, look what the stork brung (What?)
Little baby devil with the forked tongue
Shady said he was an evil infant multiple times. For example, on “Evil Deeds” from Encore he rapped:
Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb
Debbie had a Satan spawn, Satan spawn
According to European folklore, the stork is responsible for bringing babies to new parents.
Additionally, much like a fork in the road indicates multiple pathways, “forked tongue” may be a metaphor here for how Marshall speaks on the mic as both Eminem and Slim Shady.
And it’s stickin’ out, yeah, like a sore thumb (Bleh)
This is a reference to the verse from “Calm Down” featuring Eminem:
“Maybe to this take ‘em back into time? (Shady!)
I STUCK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB, so I gave ’em the finger”
Take em(eminem/them) back into time which is a reference for the return of slim shady in this song.
With a forehead that it grew horns from (Look)
This is a reference to Eminem growing up to become a devil. Something he has often referred to in previous songs.
“I don’t give a fuck, god sent me to piss the world off” – My Name Is.
“I was sent here to annoy the world” – Marshall Mathers.
Eminem also used the horns in the forehead on the promo pictures for Marshall Mathers LP2.
Still a white jerk (It’s him), pullin’ up in a Chrysler to the cypher
With the Vics, Percs and a Bud Light shirt
Before fame, Eminem would often attend cyphers trying to win any money to help put food on the table. In these bars, he is essentially saying that under all his fame, he is still the normal white guy that would show up to cyphers.
Lyrical technician (Yeah), an electrician (Yeah)
Y’all light work (Haha)
He relates himself to an electrician, with a triple entendre on the term light work. Meaning both light work as in the work an electrician performs, and after an electrician works at your house “y’all light work” as in they literally work now as opposed to being broken but also as a term to say other artists are easily handled or light work.
And I don’t gotta play pretend, it’s you I make believe (What?)
Play pretend and make believe are two terms with the same meaning which creates a parallel. Additionally ‘Believe’ is a song off his Revival album. He could be saying he doesn’t play pretend because he made (the song) believe.
Eminem may also be saying that he has no reason to pretend because his music evokes imagery and jogs listeners’ imaginations so that they do so for him. Eminem has always been known, especially in his earlier works, to build eccentric/shocking imagery with his exaggerated storytelling. While the connection between “pretend” and “make believe” is the main focus of the line, “make believe” can also be interpreted as Eminem saying he makes us believe. Perhaps alluding to his many inspirational tracks such as “Not Afraid”, “Beautiful”, and uncoincidentally, “Believe”.
And you know I’m here to stay ’cause me (Why?)
If I was to ever take a leave (What?)
It would be aspirin’ to break a feve’ (Yeah)
Eminem has always assured his fans that he has no intentions of quitting, rapping this on his 2023 track “Doomsday pt. 2.”
“Words come together like birds of a feather (What?)
‘Till I need a walker like Herschel”
Having said that, taking “a leave” is a homonym of taking “Aleve,” a name-brand pain reliever for fevers such as aspirin.
This ties in to the next line as Fever is Megan Thee Stallion’s debut mixtape from 2019.
If I was to ask for Megan Thee (What?)
Stallion if she would collab with me
Would I really have a shot at a feat? (Haha)
I don’t know, but I’m glad to be back like
Megan Thee Stallion is a popular female rapper, who in 2022 accused fellow hip-hop artist, Tory Lanez of shooting at her feet while shouting “Dance, bitch, dance,” on July 12, 2020. The case was taken to court, where in December 2022, Tory was found guilty and is now serving time in prison for assault for up to 22 years.
Em references that he would be unlikely to get a feature from Megan, while referencing her shooting incident, using a double entendre for “shot at her feet” and “shot at a feat”—a shortened version of “feature.”
While this is the first time Em has referenced Megan, Megan shouted Em out in her 2021 feature with Lil Nas X, “DOLLA SIGN SLIME,” where she calls out Em’s 2000 single “The Real Slim Shady.”
“Baby, all these hoes imitate me
You could fuck a Stan or the real Slim Shady (The real Slim Shady)”
[Chorus: Eminem]
Abra-abracadabra (And for my last trick)
I’m ’bout to reach in my bag, bruh (Like)
Abra-abracadabra (And for my last trick, poof)
Just like that and I’m back, bro
This chorus interpolates that of “Abracadabra” by the Steve Miller Band:
“Abra-abra-cadabra
I wanna reach out and grab ya
Abra-abra-cadabra
Abracadabra”
This ties in with the title Houdini being named after world-class magician Harry Houdini, as well as the string of magic references seen on promotional posts leading up to The Death of Slim Shady.
“…and for my last trick.”
Long-time friend and member of D12, Bizarre once sampled “Abracadabra” in his 2005 track Bizarre, “Holla Atcha”, perhaps being a place of inspiration.
[Verse 2: Eminem]
Now, back in the days of old me (When?)
Right around the time I became a dope fiend (Oh)
Ate some codeine as a way of coping (Mm)
In this song, Em is taking us far back to when he was addicted to drugs, which led to him being much more care free and allowed him to not give a fuck about what people thought of his lyrics. He is essentially claiming that he will return to this style of thinking and will say what he wants to say rather than toning it down.
Taste of opiates, case of O.E.
This is likely referring to a case of Olde English, malt liquor.
It could also refer to Eminem’s case of over-eating, which he did to compensate for persistent stomach pains caused by the opiates he was taking.
Turned me into smiley face emoji (Woo)
When Eminem was on drugs, especially in the later parts of his addiction, he was seemingly always happy and joking around. Many videos on YouTube compiled many clips of this behavior.
My shit may not be age-appropriate
But I will hit an eight-year-old in the face with a participation trophy
Em has criticized younger generations after receiving backlash on TikTok and other platforms for his sometimes violent and politically incorrect lyrics. Much of this backlash came from younger listeners in their teens and 20s. In March 2021, Em posted a lyric video for his song “Tone Deaf”, and quoted the song in a Facebook post sharing the video:
“I won’t stop even when my hair turns grey (I’m tone-deaf)
‘Cause they won’t stop until they cancel me”
This was interpreted by many as a response to the then-recent viral TikTok backlash.
In his 2023 track with Ez Mil, “Realest”, he raps:
“Gen Zers actin’ like rap experts zip up your gaps and close your mouths
Bitch you ain’t been on this planet long enough to tell me how rap’s supposed to sound”
The concept of a participation trophy, given to a child for merely participating in an activity such as a sport, instead of for an achievement, is often used by older generations to mock the perceived soft and coddled way that Millennials and Gen Z were raised.
‘Cause I have zero doubts
That this whole world’s ’bout
To turn into some girl scouts
That censorship bureau’s out to (Shut me down)
With what Eminem is about to say, the world will once again be against him, trying to shut him down and censor what he says. This was very prevalent in the 2000s when he made songs such as Kim.
So when I started this verse
It did start off lighthearted at first (Hmm)
Reference to the electrical and light work line in the first verse:
“Lyrical technician (Yeah), an electrician (Yeah)
Y’all light work (Haha)”
But it feels like I’m targeted
Mind-bogglin’ how my profit has skyrocketed
Look what I pocketed
As of 2023, Eminem is the best-selling hip hop artist of all time and the 10th best-selling artist overall, being the only rapper in the top 40 best-selling acts. At the time of “Houdini”’s release, his net worth was estimated to be an astounding $250,000,000.
In Em’s own words, his numbers are quite “mind-boggling” compared to his peers in hip hop.
Yeah, the shit is just like y’all had been light joggin’, and
In this line, Eminem refers to himself as a leader in the game compared to other hip-hop artists. He has sold over 213,564,000 equivalent album units, making him the best-selling artist of the 21st century. The second closest rapper is Drake, with 153,660,000 equivalent album units.
According to chartmasters.org, Eminem is the 9th best-selling artist of all time.
When Eminem says this line below,
“Yeah, the shit is just like y’all had been light joggin’, and I’ve been runnin’ at full speed,”.
He is letting other artists know that he is far ahead of them, and they are not even trying enough to catch up with him. Even when they try, they cannot catch up to him in terms of record sales, making him the most successful rapper.
I’ve been runnin’ at full speed
And that’s why I’m ahead like my noggin’, and
“I’m ahead like my noggin” can also be heard as “I’m a head,” which noggin is a synonym of, also referencing how eminem is ahead of all other musical artists.
I’m the fight y’all get in
When you debate who the best, but opps, I’m white chalkin’ when
I step up to that mic, cock it then
At the scene of a crime, outlining a deceased body with chalk was the traditional way of preserving evidence. Eminem has used the metaphor of a microphone as a gun to kill his opps (opposition) many times before, rapping this on his 2020 track, “Lock It Up”:
“A mic in my hand’s a weapon (What?)
I put that on everything like ranch, I’ll never land”
“Oh my God, it’s him! Not again!”
Treating the fans to more callbacks, this serves a reference to his 1999 track, “As The World Turns,” from The Slim Shady LP:
“I said, “It wasn’t me, I got a twin”
Oh my God, it’s you, not again (Ahh)”
[Bridge: Eminem]
Sometimes, I wonder what the old me’d say (If what?)
If he could see the way shit is today (Look at this shit, man)
He’d probably say that everything is gay (Like happy)
The term “gay” has two different meanings. While it’s most associated with the LGBTQIA+, most often the male-loving-male part, in older times, it was used commonly as a synonym for happiness.
Eminem has a long history of accused homophobia throughout his career, starting as early as his frequent usage of homophobic slurs throughout his music, especially the term “faggot,” which appeared a lot in his early music, particularly The Marshall Mathers LP.
Perhaps Eminem’s biggest defender in terms of homophobia is Elton John, one of the most iconic piano players of all time who Em collaborated with on a live performance of “Stan” in 2001. Em gifted Elton and his husband a cock ring as a wedding present, and Elton’s defended him often since.
What’s my name? What’s my name? (Slim Shady)
A reference to the chorus of Em’s 1999 breakout single, “My Name Is”, where he introduces himself to the world as Slim Shady. Similar to his interpolation of “Without Me” in “Houdini”’s intro, Em calls back to other iconic songs where he raps as Slim Shady to make it clear that Slim is back once again.
[Verse 3: Eminem]
So how many little kids still wanna act like me? (Haha)
This is a callback to the last four bars of Em’s second verse from 2000’s “The Real Slim Shady”:
“And there’s a million of us just like me
Who cuss like me, who just don’t give a fuck like me
Who dress like me, walk, talk and act like me
And just might be the next best thing, but not quite me”
On the song, Em was pointing out just how many rappers were quick to become Eminem clones, stealing countless parts of his character for their own benefit. More than twenty years later, he now asks how many people would still want to replicate him, perhaps if it meant spitting Slim Shady’s controversial bars or if it meant going through any of the hardships from his lengthy career.
It’s also possible that this is a nod to the following bars on 1999’s “My Name Is,” as it was a notable time where Eminem harnessed a bad role model specifically for children:
“Hi, kids, do you like violence? (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Wanna see me stick nine-inch nails through each one of my eyelids? (Uh-huh)
Wanna copy me and do exactly like I did? (Yeah, yeah)”
I’m a bigger prick than cacti be (Yeah)
And that’s why these (What?)
Eminem compares how cacti’s prick people, and how he has been called a prick (annoying) many times.
Words sting just like you were being attacked by bees (Bzz)
Eminem is saying that the topics he discusses in his music are often hurtful or offensive to those who listen, similar to how it hurts being stung by a bee. Eminem has been the talk of many controversies throughout his career, often being criticized for his insensitive lyrics, tendency to attack aspects of popular culture that annoy him, and his quick-to-fight temper when engaging in public beefs.
In the coupe, leaning back my seat (What?)
Bumpin’ R. Kelly’s favorite group (Uh), the black guy (Guy) pees (Pees, haha)
R. Kelly is a popular R&B artist from the 1990s and early 2000s, known for hits such as “I Believe I Can Fly” and writing credits on songs such as Michael Jackson’s “You Are Not Alone.”
Kelly has a long history of sexual misconduct-involved crimes, though his best-known case occurred in 2002 when he was indicted by court from a circulating video where the then-30-year-old Kelly peed on and sexually assaulted a then-14-year-old girl. The given evidence failed to convince the court, though, and Kelly was found not guilty on all counts in 2008.
Eminem employs a reference to him in a double entendre that calls out to Black Eyed Peas, a hip-hop/pop group best known for hits like “My Humps” and “Where Is the Love,” whose name is used to sound like “Black guy pees,” further bringing up R. Kelly’s 2002 case.
In my Air Max 90s
White Ts, walkin’ parental advisory
Em evokes the image of Slim Shady that has remained recognizable to the general public since his 1999 debut: wearing those exact clothes and swearing profusely.
My transgender cat’s Siamese (Why?)
Identifies as black, but acts Chinese (Haha)
This is a line by Slim Shady, one of Marshall’s personas who was really popular in the early 2000’s for his offensive and appalling lyrics. During the music video, before the final verse began, two of Marshall’s personas, Eminem and Slim Shady combined together, so this line was likely dropped by the Slim Shady version of the “monster” that was created.
Slim Shady appeared a lot across Eminem’s albums, especially his older ones, and here he seems to be taking a dig at the transgender community. The character similarly referenced them in 2000’s “Criminal,” where Em makes a transphobic/homophobic bar that turned out to be one of the most controversial of his career.
“My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge
That’ll stab you in the head, whether you’re a fag or lez
Or a homosex, hermaph or a trans-a-vest
Pants or dress, hate fags? The answer’s yes”
He is also mocking the transracial community, a rarer sub-community who are individuals who say they identify as a different race than the one they were born in.
Siamese cats are a breed best identifiable from the black strike on their face. The species originated in Thailand, gaining them the nick-name “Thai cat.”
Like a motherfuckin’ Hacky Sack, I treat (What?)
The whole world ’cause I got it at my feet (Yeah)
The game of Hacky Sack involves kicking a ball repeatedly as to avoid it hitting the ground, so playing Hacky Sack with the world would literally have it at his feet, an expression signifying extreme success.
How can I explain to you (What?)
That even myself I’m a danger to? (Yeah)
This is possibly about Slim Shadys lyrics being so offensive that they might get him canceled/lose him his career. It could also be a reference to his upcoming album, “The Death Of Slim Shady”, or about the countless times Eminem has tried to kill Shady.
I hop on tracks like a kangaroo
Kangaroos are known for jumping. Just like them, Eminem claims that he will jump on tracks. This might be a tongue in cheek reference as to how he made so many songs in 2020 with both Music to be Murdered by and Side B, releasing a whopping total of 32 songs during the year.
And say a few things or two to anger you
But fuck that, if I think that shit, I’ma say that shit
Eminem has previously said in many of his earlier songs that he says things that are out of line just for shock value and to upset people such as in the chorus of his song “Get You Mad”
“So if I hurt your self-esteem and you get dissed too bad
(Yo, why you diss me?)
You know I just be sayin’ that to get you mad
And when I rap about a bunch a shit that you wished you had
(A big dick)
You know I just be sayin’ that to get you mad
I can’t listen to that song, that shit’s too sad
You know I just be sayin’ that to get you mad
He’ll never make it, his wrist is slit too bad (Nurse, nurse)
You know I just be sayin’ that to get you mad”
Cancel me, what? Okay, that’s it
Eminem has had a long history with cancel culture before it was even named that. As always, he laughs in the face of it.
Go ahead, Paul, quit, snake-ass prick
Paul Rosenburg, Eminem’s long-time manager, stepped away in 2017 to run Def Jam Recordings. After a tumultuous tenure as CEO, in early 2020, Paul stepped down as CEO and returned to managing Eminem.
You male cross dresser (Haha), fake-ass bitch
And I’ll probably get shit for that (Watch)
Male cross dressers are men who ‘dress contrary to the prevailing standards for a person of their gender in their own society’. Or, more simply, in a traditionally feminine manner. Eminem is saying that his manager, Paul Rosenberg, is a “fake ass bitch” if he quits, similar to how some consider male cross dressers to be playing as fake women.
Eminem has been known to dress as women in many of his music videos, such as “Just Lose It’, “My Band”, “Godzilla”, etc.
But you can all suck my dick, in fact
Slim Shady being Slim Shady. He said this countless times in the early 2000s. He mentions people sucking his dick on tracks like “Under The Influence”, “If I had”, “My 1st Single”, “Fine Line”, and many more.
Fuck them, fuck Dre, fuck Jimmy, fuck me, fuck you
World famous producer Dr. Dre and Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine were instrumental in the rise of Eminem’s career, having discovered him in 1997 upon hearing The Slim Shady EP.
As is expected from his persona, when it comes to Slim Shady, a “fuck you” is as good as a “thank you.”
Fuck my own kids, they’re brats (Fuck ’em)
Eminem has three children – one biological, Hailie Jade Mathers, and two adopted, Alaina Marie Mathers and Stevie Laine Mathers. Alaina and Stevie were both legally adopted by Marshall in the 2000s.
All three of them appear in the song’s music video as Em spits these bars, looking surprised at their dad through the phone as he points a middle finger towards them.
They can screw off (Yeah), them and you all (Uh)
He’s saying his own kids should screw off (move out the house and leave). Renting a U-Haul (You all) is common when you move out. He’s also saying all the rappers or the music industry can fuck off.
You too, Paul (Punk), got two balls
Big as RuPaul’s (Woah)
Eminem employs a reference to his manager Paul Rosenburg, whose voice is heard in several skits by Eminem, most recently on his 2018 album Kamikaze.
He also calls out RuPaul, debatably the most iconic drag queen of all time, best known for his ongoing drama series RuPaul’s Drag Race. Em compares Paul and RuPaul’s genitals, in his third cross-dressing reference in “Houdini.”
What you thought you saw ain’t what you saw (Nah)
‘Cause you’re never gon’ see me
During the promotion of “Houdini”, Eminem was purposefully saying things that could be associated with his retirement.
First of all, the phrase “and for my last trick”. Secondly, the announcement of “Houdini”, where Marshall said that he want his career to disappear. These things made some fans think that The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) will be Marshall’s last album. But now Shady once again saying that retirement is not in his plan and these thoughts are false.
Caught sleepin’ and see the kidnappin’ never did happen
Like Sherri Papini, Harry Houdini
I vanish into the thin air as I’m leavin’ like
Sherri Papini is a Californian stay-at-home mom who faked her own kidnapping in 2016, disappearing for 3 weeks before reappearing with an elaborate tale of being held captive by two women. After a lengthy investigation discovered she lied and was actually voluntarily staying with a former boyfriend, she was arrested on charges of making false statements to federal law enforcement officers and mail fraud in March 2022. She plead guilty in 2023 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Mentioning Papini continues a motif that Em has had throughout his career, especially in Slim Shady verses – referencing salacious and lurid tabloid stories.
Harry Houdini, the legendary illusionist and stunt performer, once made an elephant vanish, and was known for the many seemingly impossible escapes he performed over his career.
Em invokes these figures known for faked disappearances to build on his wordplay – he won’t be caught sleeping because “the kid” (him) napping never happens. Even if he’s taking a break between releases, he would never fall off.
