Eminem has never been one to jump on trending topics, but the viral ‘Hawk Tuah’ meme fit too perfectly into his new album rollout.
The latest promo for the Detroit MC’s forthcoming LP The Death of Slim Shady (Coupe De Grâce) is centered on killing his early-career alter ego. In a clip shared to his Instagram profile on Wednesday (July 10), an unidentified person walks by gravestone marked “Slim Shady” and spits on it.
In the caption, he wrote: “It feels so empty without him” HAWK TUAH #TheDeathOfSlimShady 7/12.”
This a reference to a video that traces back to last month, when when Tim & Dee TV asked 21-year-old Hailey Welch to name “one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time,” to which she replied: “You gotta give him that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thang.”
Fans were rather surprised to see Eminem jumping on the trend, with one person writing “Did bro just type ‘hawk tuah,'” while another person added: “Wtf is happening now Eminem joined the ‘Hawk tuah’ trend.”
A third social-media user said: “no way Em is saying Hawk Tuah now too.. we’re doomed.”
Earlier this week, the D12 rapper shared the cover image for the upcoming LP. Per its title, said visual features the rap veteran with bleach-blonde hair and a startled expression on his face as he is almost fully zipped up inside a body bag while still alive.
This look alludes to his controversial Slim Shady character, which he now seems ready to retire.
Earlier this year, Eminem kickstarted its rollout by releasing an obituary for the aforementioned alter ego that helped kickstart his career in the 1990s. Published in the Detroit Free Press back in mid-May, the piece was was centered on the forthcoming LP.
Accompanied by a picture of the 8 Mile star wearing a Jason Voorhees-style hockey mask reminiscent of his younger days, the article stated that “Fans ‘Will Never Forget’ [The] Controversial Rapper” in the subheading.
So far, the D12 leader has released two singles to stir up anticipation for the upcoming project: “Tobey” (featuring Big Sean and BabyTron) and “Houdini.”
No surprise. Em has become everything he once dissed. Dude even made a public apology for calling a gay dude a fggot. That’s cuz em is one too, and synpathizes with others like him.
Funny thing is you the one being sensitive about it
@irony how so? Saying he’s what he dissed. And ap9logizes. And is a faaaaaag? That makes me sensitive lol?
Eminem is very gay.
I’m 100% positive you wrote all three of these reviews shut up and go do something in life…
Nah, I commented once. I apologize for hurting your feelings by insulting the man you idolize most.
This dude is lame af…. He is so desperate for attention and trying to fit in the culture he used the overplayed lame hawk tuah hype smh. Due is a grandpa trying to do everything to get the same attention he had in the 2000s. Doing that gay horrorcore Eminem shit. Now jumping on this trend. Dude sounds like a middle age democrat aka killary clinton that thought she would win black people over by saying she loves hot sauce. Em is a corny grandpa. Fell off after 2002.
he spit on a grave, how is that the hawk tuah trend? now everyone that ever spits on a grave is doing the trend?
@darkfoxx “how is that the hawk tuah trend?”. Gee, I dunno, maybe the fact that Em wrote “hawk tuah”? I don’t think ppl typed that out prior to that dumb girl.
“maybe the fact that Em wrote “hawk tuah””….Where did he write that?
It’s in the video description if you watch it on Instagram. Also, it’s not Eminem who posts this shit. He has a social media team. They’d be doing a bad job if they didn’t hop on a trending subject to help garner attention. It’s a sad world we live in with all this social media garbage, but to get views you have to play along.
@nm I don’t even have instagram… social media sucks… but I read the article… you know, the article that is above this comment section… I know, I know, it’s old-school to actually read.