Eminem has made a thunderous return to the music scene with his latest album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), marking his first full-length release in four years. True to his provocative style, Eminem doesn’t shy away from controversy, and this album sees him taking aim at several prominent figures, most notably Sean “Diddy” Combs, amidst the swirling allegations surrounding the hip-hop mogul.
Eminem portrait 2024, press photo by Travis Shinn, promoting his album The Death of Slim Shady which includes songs referencing Diddy.
Across multiple tracks on The Death of Slim Shady, Eminem directly and indirectly addresses the serious sexual misconduct accusations that have been levied against Diddy in recent months. While the album is packed with Eminem’s signature lyrical dexterity and cultural commentary, the references to Diddy have sparked significant conversation and added another layer of intrigue to the already highly anticipated release.
One of the most explicit mentions of Diddy comes in the track “Antichrist.” Here, Eminem appears to directly reference the disturbing 2016 video footage showing Diddy assaulting his former partner, Cassie, in a Los Angeles hotel. The lyrics, “Next idiot ask me is getting his a– beat worse than Diddy did,” are a clear and pointed jab, although Eminem stops short of naming Cassie directly in the verse. This line immediately grabbed attention, becoming a key talking point amongst fans and media outlets dissecting the album.
Further fueling the speculation and controversy are bars from the song “Fuel,” featuring J.I.D. In this track, Eminem pays homage to hip-hop legends The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac, but then seemingly pivots to suggest a darker narrative involving Diddy’s potential role in their deaths. The lines, “R.I.P., rest in peace, Biggie/ And Pac, both of y’all should be living/ But I ain’t tryna beef with him (Nope)/ ‘Cause he might put a hit on me like Keefe D did him,” are followed by a clever wordplay: “I’m like a R-A-P-E-R/ Got so many S-As (S-As), S-As/ Wait, he didn’t just spell the word, ‘Rapper’ and leave out a P, did he?” The “P, did he?” homophone for P. Diddy is widely interpreted as a thinly veiled accusation, stirring up long-standing rumors and conspiracy theories surrounding the deaths of Biggie and 2Pac.
Eminem and Jelly Roll together in 2024, a promotional image related to Eminem's new album release featuring songs that address Diddy allegations.
Adding another layer to Eminem’s critique is a possible reference in the song “Bad One” to the alleged incident involving Kid Cudi. Cassie’s 2023 lawsuit detailed an accusation that Diddy threatened to blow up Kid Cudi’s car in 2012 due to Cudi’s romantic interest in Cassie. Lyrics from “Bad One,” “The f—ing bomb with the puffy on/ I’m blowing up for Kid Cudi’s car/ In front of his house where all his buddies are,” appear to directly echo this disturbing allegation, further painting a picture of Diddy’s alleged past behavior.
Eminem’s decision to address these serious accusations against Diddy on his new album is undoubtedly a bold move. Whether through direct name-drops or veiled lyrical jabs, the “Eminem Song About Diddy” content on The Death of Slim Shady has ignited conversations and added a controversial edge to his highly anticipated return. As the album continues to be dissected by fans and critics alike, these tracks are sure to remain a central point of discussion, reflecting the ongoing scrutiny surrounding Sean “Diddy” Combs and the power of Eminem’s platform to address such sensitive issues within the hip-hop landscape.
