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apple, beats electronics, business, dr. dre, eminem, entertainment, hip-hop, music
This is just a “drive-by” post to let readers into hip-hop for grown folks know that, at last, we have some word on Eminem’s new LP dropping. The question is: When? That’s the hot speculation in the music world about the as-yet-untitled album. Some music news outlets like Breathecast and MStar News are printing the rumor of a May 28, 2013 release. However, in an interview with industry bible Billboard, Shady Records’ President Paul Rosenberg says, “We fully expect to be releasing a new Eminem album in 2013. He’s been working on it for some time.”
Eminem pal, mentor and frequent collaborator, Dr. Dre, mentioned in an interview with Los Angeles radio station Power 106′s Big Boy’s Neighborhood way back in the latter part of March that Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers, (aka Slim Shady), was in the studio working hard on his eighth album. “Em is finishing up his project,” Dre said.
The man also mentioned some exciting news about his own next venture. It’s all sort of very hush, hush, but Dre and Power 106′s Fuzzy Fantabulous are launching a new music subscription service. Hey, as Apple showed the record industry, vertical integration is the way to go. Dre’s got to have product to flow through his Beats Electronics product line. I’m sure he’s thinking this is an Apple killer. Go on, hon, keep thinking that way. Many before have tried and failed. You’ll be in good company. Oh, and Apple is a state of mind in addition to an innovative company. That is why others have failed. They don’t get it and never will. But that’s an article for another day.
Getting back to Mathers, the Huffington Post, of all outlets, is reporting that hints of a new album this year came from his 2012 merch. “Fans first caught wind of Eminem’s plans for a 2013 album when the rapper’s merchandise store began marketing a snapback hat printed with the years of ‘landmark Eminem solo albums,’ which included 2013.”
“It’s safe to say that it will be post-Memorial Day at some point, but we’re not exactly sure when, Rosenberg added. “We’ve got some dates locked in for him to perform live in Europe in August, so we’re trying to see what else lines up,” he elucidates in the Billboard article. The dates to which Rosenberg referred take Mathers to Belgium on August 15; Ireland; Scotland; England; France, and; a few dates back in England where he will finish up at the Leeds Festival in Bramham Park on August 25.
So now we ask the question again: When will Slim throw some shade? This is where the interworking of different record companies, labels and imprints gets interesting.
Aftermath Entertainment, founded by Dre and distributed by Universal Music Group’s Interscope Records has on its roster: Dre; 50 cent; Kendrick Lamar and . . . Eminem, founder of the imprint Shady Records. Aftermath’s Facebook page had this graphic teaser up for some time, leaving anyone who might have an ear to the grooves to speculate.
The Christian Post is reporting that Em’s new LP is to drop on July 2, 2013 after originally going with the May 28 date. According to the Christian news outlet, they scooped the information from the hip-hop website allhiphop.com. I tried to find the original article on allhiphop.com but was unsuccessful. Mstarz is also reporting the rumored May 28 date.
I realize this is breaking the third veil, so to speak, but why is The Christian Post interested in Eminem/Marshall Mathers/Slim Shady? Am I the only one asking this question? What a strange, weird, whacked-out world in which to live. Although the article was not at all judgemental, I just can’t see the fundy set tripping and cruising to Cold Wind Blows, W.T.P., Seduction or any other track on the Grammy-winning LP. Hey, just sayin’. . .
Since everyone and their mother-in-law has weighed in on a release date, I may as well too. The difference is that my predictions are based on absolutely no “inside” information at all. They are only guesses. Worse, yet, they are guesses with almost no basis. (Hey, at least I’ll admit it!) Having inserted those caveats, I vote for June 11, 2013. Eh, it’s two weeks after Memorial Day, so Rosenberg would be closer to right than not. Alternatively, I’ll suggest that June 18th is a fine Tuesday on which to release new material. Like June 11, it’s a Tuesday, which is the record industry’s day to release new product, and; it’s two weeks BEFORE July 2, 2013, which would probably confuse the fundies when they go get their permits to picket some radio station or record store (the few that still exist) because they’re on the LP. Ok, ok. That’s not fair to fundamentalist Christians. They probably have a spy in the Aftermath/Shady camp.


