Surprise! Eminem releases ‘Music to Be Murdered By’ Album

Eminem has dropped the follow-up to 2018’s Kamikaze. The rapper surprise-released his latest album, Music to Be Murdered By (via Shady/Aftermath/Interscope) on Thursday night, 16 January.

Produced by Eminem and Dr. Dre, the 20-track album boasts a number of high profile features including Young MA, Royce da 5’9” & White Gold, Ed Sheeran, the late Juice WRLD, Skylar Grey, Black Thought of The Roots, Q-Tip, Denaun, Anderson Paak, Don Toliver, KXNG Crooked, and Joell Ortiz.

Inspired by the master, Uncle Alfred! #MusicToBeMurderedBy pic.twitter.com/ilXAjJtqzV
— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) January 17, 2020

Additionally, Em has dropped a video for “Darkness,” which samples Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence.” The somber song was inspired by the 2017 mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas and serves as a commentary on gun violence. “When will this end? When enough people care,” says Em before encouraging fans to register to vote in order to help change gun laws.

On the album’s second track, “Unaccomadating” featuring Young M.A., Eminem references the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing attack that took the lives of 23 people.

“I’m contemplating yelling bombs away on the game like I’m outside an Ariana Grande concert,” he raps.

This line was met with online outrage:

I love Eminem but this guy really has a bar in his new song mocking the Ariana Grande concert bombing and then has a explosion noise straight after..
— cal 🕊 (@Rxstive) January 17, 2020

Tf wrong with #Eminem?
I’ma have to disagree with him on this line because that was a traumatizing event for people who attended in 2017. Some people perished. Ariana was traumatized from the event. I know he says crazy things but, this outta line!#MusicToBeMurderedBy: pic.twitter.com/8bfOqvwxyq
— DaShawn Peterson (@BadLikeNicki) January 17, 2020

Havent heard the new eminem yet and whilst I've been a massive fan of his for the longest, I rlly cant stand for the ariana bombing line particularly having met ppl over the last year since I've moved here that were actually directly affected by incident…
— 𝕃𝔼𝕎𝕀𝕊 (@LewisThorp) January 17, 2020

Music to Be Murdered By marks Eminem’s first album since 2018’s Kamikaze, which became his ninth consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

View the Music to Be Murdered By full tracklisting below.