The magic trick behind Eminem’s “Houdini” single is deeper than it seems. The cover art takes inspiration from Houdini’s rival.
The fascinating book, “The Last Greatest Magician in the World: Howard Thurston Vs. Houdini & the Battles of the American Wizards”, delves into the rivalry between legendary escape artist Harry Houdini and Howard Thurston, a fellow illusionist who, according to some showmen and fans, even surpassed the legendary Houdini himself. Thurston’s legacy is considered to have set the bar for modern stage magic.
Looking at the single’s cover art difficul to miss that it looks strikingly similar to Howard Thurston’s show posters, one of which is used for the book cover. You can notice red demons on the both pictures, for instance.
On this 1935 lithograph advertising a Howard Thurston magic show a woman floats resembling Shady’s floating mic from the single cover.
So, what does this tell us about “Houdini”, the single? Perhaps Em’s new track explores themes of legacy and challenging the status quo, mirroring the fierce competition between Houdini and Thurston. Or maybe Eminem is suggesting there’s another side to the story. Is he the “last greatest magician” in the rap game, ready to challenge the established hierarchy?
It also might be that Shady positions himself as the modern-day magician, redefining the boundaries of rap and surpassing expectations.
So many theories, but only one way to find out what exactly Eminem has in store for all of us. The countdown is on, with just a few hours remaining until the song unveils its magic at the stroke of midnight on May 31. The first single from the long awaited Eminem’s new album “The Death of Slim Shady”.
