Eminem 'eulogized' in faux-obituary in Detroit Free Press ahead 'The Death of Slim Shady'

Talk about a clever album execution.

As Eminem apparently prepares to kill off his best-known alter ego, promotion continues to build for his summer album “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace)” — now with a faux-obituary in the print edition of Monday’s Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The quarter-page advertisement, which appeared on Page 3B in the sports section, memorializes Slim Shady, the diabolical antihero character created by Eminem in the 1990s.

Under the label “OBITUARIES,” the blurb is headlined “Slim Shady Made Lasting Impressions,” with the subtitle “Fans ‘Will Never Forget’ Controversial Rapper.” The piece goes on to remember Slim Shady as “a rogue splinter in the flourishing underground rap scene” who was introduced to the wider world on the 1999 hit single “My Name Is.”

Eminem teases new album, 'The Death of Slim Shady'

The ad describes the character’s “complex and tortured existence” and his “sudden and horrific end.”

The fake obit is accompanied by a photo of Eminem in overalls and a hockey mask — part of the horror-inspired, chainsaw-wielding guise that was part of his Slim Shady stage presentation back in the day.

Michigan.com, the business arm of the Detroit Free Press, said the ad space was purchased by an agency. In keeping with standards distinguishing paid content from news stories, the item is marked "ADVERTISEMENT."

The ad, which also appeared in Monday’s Detroit News, follows a 30-second TV spot that premiered April 25 revealing the album's title and its summer release. The commercial, which aired during opening night of the Detroit-hosted NFL Draft, was produced in the style of a true-crime show.

The emphasis on “Will Never Forget” in the new print ad got fans speculating that a song with that title, or something similar, will be the album’s first single.

And the Eminem ad harks back to a previous album promotion: In October 2017, a half-page ad in the Free Press — which also ran in the sports section and was formatted like a pharmaceutical campaign — touted a product called “Revival.” Eminem’s album of that name was released seven weeks later.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eminem obituary: Slim Shady eulogized in newspaper ad