The Death of Slim Shady (Coupe de Gråce), Eminem's most recent album, is a burial ceremony for one of the most well-known and controversial figures in rap.
The public first encountered Slim Shady, the foul-mouthed persona of Detroit's most well-known MC, in the music video for "My Name Is," the lead song from Em's big label debut, The Slim Shady LP. Slim Shady instructed children to "stick nine-inch nails through one of my eyelids" while grinning in a bewildered but slightly unsettling manner. With a clever blend of current cultural criticism, razor-sharp humor, and a penchant for pushing boundaries, the persona went on to assist Eminem, née Marshall Bruce Mathers III, in selling millions of CDs.
However, as rap matured, Eminem had to deal with a shifting audience that increasingly finds Slim's signature blue bars obnoxious and unsuitable. Em has therefore determined that it is time to permanently bid his cherished alter persona farewell at the age of 51. "His complex and tortured existence has come to a close, and the legacy he leaves behind is no closer to resolution than the manner in which this character departed this world," his team wrote in an ad for Slim Shady that was published in the Detroit Free Press earlier this year.
Em made the decision to revive Slim Shady in both song and visual form in order to appropriately express "peace." The first song from The Death of Slim Shady (Coupe de Gråce), "Houdini," is a bit of a throwback. It has a similar vibe to older Em hits and was produced by Eminem and Luis Resto. "Houdini" might be "Without Me Part 2" because of its whimsical beat, which was largely taken from The Steve Miller Band's 1982 hit song "Abracadabra." It sounds like the soundtrack of a crazy carnival ride. The song's refrain, which quotes that 2002 single, "Shady's back," further emphasizes the issue. Inform a friend. The video's comic book-inspired style and the fact that a youthful Slim Shady co-stars with a contemporary Eminem are what really make it stand out.
However, how exactly was it possible for Eminem to re-create himself from two decades ago? with the aid of Metaphysic and AI. Metaphysic was established in 2021 and provides a set of tools that let artists make and maintain digital representations of themselves, which they can then edit and utilize for their own projects or license to other companies for use in motion pictures, television series, or other commercial endeavors.
According to the website, their flagship product, Metaphysic Pro, enables artists and creatives to build a "portfolio of high-quality data assets used to create your AI, voice, and performance." Therefore, you might register with Metaphysic to create a database containing your face, voice, and performance videos from any stage of your career if you were a platinum-selling rapper who wished to safeguard your image and likeness against the impending assault of artificial intelligence. In order to maintain control over your AI self, Metaphysic will then assist you in documenting license agreements.
There is now little to prevent businesses and rogue actors from taking use of celebrities' appearance and resemblance since the law lags behind the state of the art. However, Metaphysic will notify you of any instances they discover on any social media or video platforms where a third party chooses to just produce a digital replica of you without your consent. Metaphysic aims to offer some kind of control and safety at a time when musicians, actors, and other creatives are growing more and more afraid of their voices or faces being used without permission.
According to Ed Ulbrich, chief content officer and EVP of production at Metaphysic, "we're here to help people protect themselves and at least understand what's going on." He is able to enthusiastically praise Metaphysic and AI while rushing to catch a flight. "The idea that individuals need to own their own likeness is not irrational. Their biometric information ought to belong to them. Their AI self ought to be accessible to them. It should be under their authority. Furthermore, we don't own it if you are the one in charge. We take care of it for them, but they are free to choose who they want to license it to.
The last person you would think to promote the advantages of the AI revolution is Ulbrich. He attended art school and had traditional training as a painter, but he understood that everything would change when he saw computer-generated imagery for the first time. He had a brief career in advertising before deciding what he wanted to do with his life after seeing James Cameron's 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Ulbrich was able to secure a position at Cameron's Digital Domain VFX business alongside his filmmaking idol after relocating to Los Angeles. He departed to head Deluxe Entertainment's virtual reality and visual effects departments after becoming CEO.
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Ulbrich has over 30 years of experience in visual effects, and he has contributed to some of the greatest films in Hollywood, such as Titanic, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Black Panther, and most recently, Top Gun: Maverick. His career has been amazing by all accounts, and he feels that new artists may no longer be able to pursue it.
"I saw my passion turn into factory work in the 1990s and early 2000s," he recalls. "The film industry grew significantly. We were no longer sitting in the cinema with filmmakers [using] laser pens to examine shots, take notes, and collaborate with the directors on the film's creation. It became into a worldwide enterprise. In order to receive government refunds that are then transferred back to the studios, it became [a business where you had to] have factories all over the world. I ended up managing manufacturing plants. I never intended to work in a factory. I attended an art school.
He thinks a "whole renaissance of creativity" will result from the tools Metaphysic is developing. Thus, we return to "Houdini." Metaphysic’s Live solution, which enables, among other things, real-time photoreal face swaps powered by live actor performances, enabled the music video for the main track from Eminem’s 12th album. Eminem was able to seem twenty years younger using the technology and very little effort (or money, according to Ulbrich).
This is how it operates: The Metaphysic crew first finds out the precise scope of the project, including who would have their faces exchanged or de-aged. After that, they compile all the materials they'll need to create their models, including vintage photographs, recordings, and audio samples. Metaphysic trains its AI model on all the gathered assets in little under two months. Before assembling all of its production equipment on site, the team examines the model to ensure that it functions well and looks authentic. Then the show begins.
"I would have laughed if you had asked me two years ago if we could have made a video like this in the time we had and with the budget we had," he adds.
Aside from the resources, the younger Slim Shady's realistic and lifelike appearance is the video's most striking feature. His motions and facial features may be mistaken for those of a genuine person. According to Ulbrich, this is the case: "People said, 'You created Slim Shady!'" It wasn't us who made Slim Shady. Let's be quite clear. The actual Slim Shady was the one who performed. We just provided him with something that cosmetics was unable to provide. Through the use of computer-generated imagery or other technologies, we allowed him to portray himself. He's acting like him.
The AI Mirror, one of Metaphysic's other inventions, assisted Em in channeling his younger self. The AI Mirror, which is centered on a massive 85-inch LED panel, combines a camera with a gentle light to enable users to approach and view real-time AI reflected onto their face. In order to assist him better get into character, Em was able to observe exactly how a young Slim Shady would appear and move before the cameras began to film. Ulbrich claims that you may see yourself from thirty to forty years ago staring back at you. "Going through that is truly quite magical."
