Eminem appears to be putting out an album this November. The rapper will release Shady XV, thought to be either his ninth studio LP or a compilation for his label, Shady Records.
Rumours regarding the new release come via a movie trailer. The latest preview clip for The Equalizer, starring Denzel Washington, includes snippets of audio of Guts Over Fear, Eminem’s new track with Sia. At the end of the trailer, a split-second title card indicates that the song will appear both in the movie and on the mysterious Shady XV, due out on Black Friday, which is 28 November. Since the clip’s release, another short video has been posted by Eminem, showing flashes of images of his career’s greatest hits.
Over the weekend, those scant details – Shady XV, Black Friday – also briefly appeared on Eminem’s official website; however, the page has since been taken down. The rapper and his collaborators have been tweeting the #SHADYXV hashtag since June, and Eminem was also spotted sporting the phrase on a t-shirt at his recent concerts.
Most fans assume that Shady XV is not a new studio album. Eminem released his last full-length, The Marshall Mathers LP 2, less than a year ago; this would be an uncharacteristically swift follow-up for the rapper. Instead, Shady XV is most likely a nod to Shady Records’ 15th anniversary. Although Eminem has released his own greatest hits anthology, Shady has only ever issued one compilation, 2006’s The Re-Up. Like Young Money’s Rise of an Empire or Good Music’s Cruel Summer, Shady XV could be Shady Records’ bid to promote its roster acts, such as Yelawolf and Slaughterhouse.
This new record might also be his way of saluting The Slim Shady LP, which turned 15 in February. At home and in the UK, the 41-year-old’s last six albums have all gone straight to No 1.
