Shady Surprises

5.25.22

Shady Records, founded in 1999 by none other than Slim Shady, Eminem, Marshall Mathers, has something in store for the Stans. Fans expected something for the 20th anniversary of the label, similar to the fifteenth anniversary, when we got the record, Shady XV. While expectations fell short, it may now be the time to see what was really being worked on. Or, something new.

For the 20th Anniversary of Shady Records, fans assumed that Eminem was working on another compilation album. This happened when a fan and designer of previous album covers, had shared numbers of sketches that were allegedly to be used for the Shady Records 20th Anniversary project. When Shady Records artists like Westside Gunn, Conway and Boogie had shared they had not heard of any compilation album, Paul Rosenberg stepped in to say that there was no new album. It was going to be basically a discography that you could purchase, like buying the whole series to a five-part movie. However, the product was super delayed and it just did not go through. Until now.

Yesterday, Eminem shared on his Instagram and Twitter , that the #TheEminemShow 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition drops tomorrow. It is precisely 20 years since this iconic album released, and something that is not super clear, but will be huge, is going to happen, in just a few hours. The post is accompanied by a video, seemingly of someone sitting in a chair with dozens of tv monitors in front of him, like a security guard watching over different rooms. Each television screen showcases a different song from the album, that we all know and love.

So, what is the expanded version? New songs? Unreleased songs from the same timeline? The album re-recorded? Different versions of the tracks? I cannot tell for sure, but it is sure to be a field day for Stans.

I always think it would be super cool to hear old tracks from the same time period that were never released. That is the era that we did fall in love with the now Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee. However, we do have some making up to do for the 20th Anniversary, and I would also love a compilation with the new Team Shady.

Boogie just went absolutely insane on his LA Leakers Freestyle, showing off three different beats, flows and personalities. He is gearing up to launch his new album, More Black Super Heroes, which I am hopeful will get him that recognition he deserves.

I believe Conway dropping God Don’t Make Mistakes may be the first and last from him and Shady, with Westside Gunn already out, but it would be a huge moment to get a Shady Records compilation with this crew. They really don’t make hip-hop like this anymore.