Eminem is bonafide rap royalty, so even if you’re one of those OGs who’s of the opinion that he peaked with 2000’s Marshall Mathers LP, it’s not to see why so many continue to stan out over Slim Shady.
These days, most of the focus is on Em’s personal life, which is understandable for a couple of reasons:
1. See our earlier comment about dude hitting his creative peak like 17 years ago.
(We love you, Em, but you know it’s the truth.)
2. Mr. Mathers tends to shy away from the press these days, which lends him a J.D. Salinger-esque recluse mystique.
(Hard to argue that anyone who appears in public as often as Eminem does could be considered a proper recluse, but in 2017, if you go a day without posting a selfie, you’re basically Emily Dickinson.)
Anyway, the point is, the 44-year-old has achieved permanent headline-maker status.
Even new photos of daughter Hailie Jade Mathers get social media all in a tizzy.
So we suppose it’s not a huge surprise that a major shakeup in the rap legend’s facial hair status has caused the Internet to lose it’f f–king mind:
Yes, that’s Em looking less like that the blonde trash-talker that rose to fame two decades ago and more like the guy who works the counter at your local vape shop.
The beard is working for him, but it’s a shock to see the man making such a significant change after being beard-free for his entire adult life.
Maybe Em got a memo from El-P, Action Bronson, Post Malone, Mac Miller, and Riff Raff, informing him that in 2017, white rappers rock facial hair.
Or maybe he remembered that he has a daughter in college, which means it’s time to flex his beard muscle.
Either way, the look is definitelt contributing to his mysterious reculse status.
Em was on the red carpet to promote The Defiant Ones, an upcoming HBO documentary about the collaborative relationship between Dr. Dre and hip hop mogul Jimmy Iovine.
Enjoy it, because it’s probably the last look you’ll get at dude this year.
But don’t worry, we’ll let you know when new photos of Hailie Jade surface.
(She turns 22 this year, you can ogle without shame.)
