Eminem’s “The Death of Slim Shady” and the JID-assisted “Fuel” have earned well-deserved spots on Complex’s 50 Best Albums and 50 Songs of 2024.
Eminem continues to stay the conversation in 2024 as “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)” and its fan-favourite track “Fuel” have both secured spots on Complex’s end-of-the-year lists.
Complex praised TDOSS for its sharp storytelling, humour, and conceptual brilliance, calling tracks like “Guilty Conscience 2” a standout as Eminem grapples with his infamous Slim Shady persona.
The entry on the album goes as follows:
The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace) finds Eminem paying homage to the flippant, wacky persona of his past and grappling with how both he and society have outgrown it in the decades since. Jokes about Christopher Reeves and marginalized communities abound (“fuck deaf people! And blind people suck!” he quips on “Trouble”), along with dextrous displays of rapping and some of his signature funhouse-styled production.
But it’s all in conceptual context: The immature moments are the Slim Shady figure making a final stand. The album’s climax is the clever, cinematic “Guilty Conscience 2,” which pits the old Slim against the middle-aged Marshall Mathers in an ethical death match. There have been plenty of split-personality-styled rap songs, but few carry the referential weight needed to create this level of investment. And there are still another five songs after that on the album, some of his most naturally clever (“Tobey,” featuring Big Sean and Babytron) and earnest (“Temporary,” a heartfelt ode to his daughter) songs that prove he still has plenty to contribute.
Here is the Top 10 Albums list:
1. Kendrick Lamar – “GNX”
2. Tyler, The Creator – “Chromakopia”
3. Metro Boomin & Future – “We Don’t Trust You”
4. Doechii – “Alligator Bites Never Heal”
5. Billie Eilish – “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT”
6. Ka – “The Thief Next to Jesus”
7. Beyoncé – “Cowboy Carter”
8. Eminem – “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce)”
9. Laila! – “Gap Year!”
10. ScHoolboy Q – “Blue Lips”
On the Top Songs list, “Fuel” earned a place at No. 19 as one of the year’s best for its electrifying energy and masterful lyricism. Eminem and JID deliver a clinic in bars and flow, cascading syllables effortlessly over the beat. Complex singled out Eminem’s clever wordplay, which packs in a Diddy jab alongside a tribute to 2Pac. A reporter wrote:
Sometimes, cross-generation collabs can get a little clumsy. Styles can be as fickle as the rappers you decide to record with, and even properly aligned spitters can have off days on wax. But Eminem and JID are stylistically compatible in the best ways possible, and they prove it on “Fuel,” an electrifying standout from The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce). Both got bars off, but Em took home the most memorable quips, unloading a multi-entendre at Diddy while giving a 2Pac shout-out. And, quite naturally, it all rhymes flawlessly as Slim Shady and JID let their flows cascade over the track like an oil spill as they twist and turn syllables in every direction.
With “The Death of Slim Shady” and “Fuel” earning acclaim, Eminem proves yet again that his legacy remains untouchable, even decades into his career.
