Eminem released Music To Be Murdered By: Side B on December 17, which wasn’t a complete surprise. There’d been signs leading up to its release, including the cover art Aftermath Records affiliate Dem Jointz shared to his Instagram page the day before it dropped.
As fans all over the world get a chance to dissect the project, a few standout verses have emerged. On the song “Zeus,” Slim Shady directs his attention toward Drake and warns him of a day when some of his fans will no longer be in his corner.
“I’ve had a great view to see the (See the) game through (Through),” he raps. “And, Drake, they’re gonna turn on you (You) one day too (Too)/And the more you win, the sooner (Sooner) they do/They’ll be calling you a trash bin/Sayin’ that your new one isn’t better than your last and/Even if it is, once they start to turn their backs/They ain’t never comin’ back/They did it to Chance/Next they’ll be mentionin’ Future in the past tense (Yeah)/Or sayin’ “Adiós” to Migos.”
Shady is clearly speaking from experience. Although he’s earned a reputation as one of the best MCs to ever pick up a mic, he’s faced an onslaught of criticism over the course of his career.
Following the release of 2017’s Revival, Eminem was ripped to shreds by fans and critics alike, so much so he came back full speed ahead with 2018’s surprise drop Kamikaze, which found him dropping lyrical bombs all over his detractors.
He even took out a full page ad in the The Hollywood Reporter, blasting various publications for criticizing his latest work — despite the fact Kamikaze was the No. 1 album in 103 countries and sold over 434,000 total album-equivalent units in its first week.
“NOT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION!” the ad reads in part. “Thanks for the support a**holes!”
Reviews are still coming in for Eminem’s latest effort, but it looks like it won’t land at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 like his previous 10 releases. According to Hits Daily Double, Music To Be Murdered By: Side B is projected to sell between 70,000 and 80,000 total album-equivalent units, enough to get him to the No. 3 spot.
If those numbers are indeed accurate, it will mark the first time an Eminem album didn’t land in the coveted spot since 1999’s The Slim Shady LP, which debuted at No. 2. It would also become his worst debut week by close to 200,000 EAU. Revival moved 267,000 EAU in its debut week, while the original Music to Be Murdered By album moved over 279,000 EAU in its opening week alone.