Washington, September 12
Eminem brought back his iconic Slim Shady persona at the 2024 MTV VMAs, giving fans a nostalgic performance that kicked off the night in a memorable way.
The rapper, whose latest album is titled 'The Death of Slim Shady,' revived his platinum-haired alter ego during his performance of "Houdini," echoing his famous 2000 VMAs entrance.
Eminem entered the Long Island UBS Arena with a group of look-alikes, all sporting the signature blond hair. The scene was reminiscent of his 2000 VMAs act, where he performed alongside 100 look-alikes, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Before entering the arena, the VMAs even featured a Bat-Signal-like "E" in the sky, adding to the dramatic build-up.
Once on stage, Eminem navigated through his doppelgangers before transitioning into his next track, "Somebody Save Me." For this part, he ditched the wig for a black hat, returning to his modern look. Jelly Roll, who is featured on the song, appeared on screen via video as he was unable to attend due to his ongoing tour.
Eminem's performance concluded with him sitting reflectively in a chair, capping off his powerful return to the VMAs stage.
Heading into the 2024 MTV VMAs, Eminem had eight nominations, including for Video of the Year, Best Hip-Hop, and Song of the Summer. He walked away with two awards: Best Hip-Hop and Best Visual Effects. These wins made him the solo male artist with the most VMA awards in history, surpassing Peter Gabriel. Eminem now holds 15 VMAs, the highest for any rap artist, and remains the second most nominated artist in VMA history, just behind Madonna.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Taylor Swift led the 2024 VMA nominations with 12, followed by Post Malone with 11, while Ariana Grande, Megan Thee Stallion, SZA, and Sabrina Carpenter each received seven nominations.