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AI Eminem: The Mixtape We Can’t Ignore, But Must Defend Against

AI Eminem: The Mixtape We Can’t Ignore, But Must Defend Against

AI Eminem’s mixtape raises tough questions about authenticity, creativity, and whether Hip-Hop’s essence can survive in an artificially generated future.

Source: AllHipHop

Artificial intelligence is, in many ways, the great scoundrel of our age. The technology has barreled into creative spaces without checks, balances or any real regard for the fragile ecosystem of artistry. Right now, it feels less like innovation and more like the mass production of counterfeit creativity. And yet, every so often, an exception emerges that forces even the staunchest critic to pause.

Someone recently stitched together an entire mixtape of “AI Eminem” with the name Dope Sick. The creators didn’t just mimic Slim Shady. They did the unthinkable: they trained the machine to channel early-2000s Marshall Mathers with frightening precision. There are some glitches, but it truly sounds close to the raw, unfiltered Em that many fans still long for. Hardcore listeners immediately know it’s not Marshall Mathers. But to the casual ear, it sounds like unreleased material from a prime era, once thought to be long gone.

In the early 1900s, Walter Benjamin made a now-famous argument in The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. He theorized once art is endlessly replicated, it loses its “aura.” He said that its unique presence was tied to time and place. AI Eminem, despite how it feels, has no aura. It’s just a damn simulacrum that tricked me—tricked us—into nostalgia. And that’s what bothers me.

This digital quandary raises existential questions for every creator. What happens when machines can convincingly replicate the artistic peaks of our icons? On the other hand, what if the real Slim Shady decided to use this technology as a mirror, a way to rediscover the old him, the cadences or some new demented inspiration? This is the messy reality of artistry smashing into the algorithm.

Read more at https://allhiphop.com/exclusives/ai-eminem-the-mixtape-we-cant-ignore-but-must-defend-against/

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Eminem Makes Fun of His Old Self in New ‘Houdini’ Video

Eminem Makes Fun of His Old Self in New ‘Houdini’ Video

Eminem signals the disappearance of his rap career with the aptly titled new song “Houdini.” The superstar lyricist also plays a superhero named Rapboy in the accompanying comical video featuring Dr. Dre and 50 Cent.

Source:  XXLMag

Eminem Officially Kicks Off His New Album With “Houdini”

Over the last month, Eminem has been teasing the release of his forthcoming 12th album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). Today (May 31), the Detroit MC debuts “Houdini,” the first single from the project. The Em and Luis Resto-produced track is named after famed escape artist Harry Houdini and samples Steve Miller Band’s 1982 chart-topping hit “Abracadabra.” While the goal may be to off Slim Shady, this new effort sure sounds like the music coming from Marshall Mathers’ alter ego of the 1990s.

“Houdini” finds Em serving up some questionable lyrics regarding Megan Thee Stallion being 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? I don’t know, but I’m glad to be, back like…”), addressing his own past drug use (“Now, back in the days of old me/When right around the time I became a dope fiend/Ate some codeine, as a way of copin’, taste of opiates, case of O.E. (Mmm)/Turned me into a smiley face emoji”) and detailing the gender identity of his cat (“My transgender cat’s Siamese, identifies as Black, but acts Chinese”).

In the accompanying music video, Em plays superhero Rapboy who battles an evil Slim Shady. The old Slim time travels from 1999 to 2024 to wreak havoc on the city of Detroit. Dr. Dre co-stars in the visual, which features cameos from 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Royce 5’9″, The Alchemist, Boogie and more.

Marshall Mathers called on prominent magician David Blaine earlier this week to assist with his rollout plan for the new track. Em and Blaine were on FaceTime together discussing how the rapper could make his career disappear. The moment, captured in a promo trailer, ended with Blaine eating a wine glass.

Why Does Eminem Want to Vanish?

As Eminem prepares to drop what seems to be the final project of his more than 35-year career, the question remains why is he trying to vanish? The self-proclaimed “Rap God” has been lyrically annihilating the competition for over three decades. With 10 No. 1 albums in his career, from The Marshall Mathers LP to Music to Be Murdered By, and plenty of pivotal accolades to show for his lengthy run in the game, the chart-topping artist may be bowing out of the game once The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) arrives. He’s already featured an obituary for Slim in a Detroit newspaper. Could he be retiring or is he just trying to kill off his old alter ego? Stans are waiting for some clear answers.

Take a look as Rapboy beats up Slim Shady in the video for “Houdini” below.