Wait, Is There A Message From Eminem Hidden In This Prescription Drug Ad?
The last we saw of Eminem was his scorching, anti-Donald Trump cypher at the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards with bars that could have flipped the whole White House upside down.
The good news for Shady fans is that the viral cypher may only be the beginning of Em’s 2017 rap re-entry (or revival), according to a subliminal photo from his manager Paul Rosenberg.
The picture and caption posted to Rosenberg’s Instagram seems innocent enough: a flick of him holding Alabama rapper Yelawolf’s Trial By Fire album, which releases on Friday (October 27).
“Look what arrived at the Shady offices today!,” Rosenberg excitedly wrote in the caption. “@Yelawolf TRIAL BY FIRE comes out this Friday 10/27! #cdbaby.”
In the window behind his hand, however, a huge billboard is seen for what appears to be a prescription drug named “Revival.” Dig deeper, as Eminem enthusiasts on Reddit did, and clues of Eminem’s forthcoming album can be discovered.
The first hint leading fans to the project is found in the backwards “E” in the word “Revival” on the ad, which is Em’s signature logo. The website for the “drug” even features a 1-800 number and video ad. In that same video, Dr. Dre’s “I Need a Doctor” with Skylar Grey and Em soundtracks the mock promo.
“REVIVAL is proven to effectively treat people with Atrox Rithimus,” the description beside the video reads. The next sentence is, perhaps, the most telling of Em’s secret message. “If you’ve tried other treatments without getting the AR symptom relief you need, REVIVAL could be music to your ears.”
For the record, “Atrox Rithimus” is not an actual condition. But the allusions to Em’s “Lose Yourself,” and his brash mannerisms, are very much real and found on the 1-800 number and even in the commercial actor’s “keep that s**t under control” comment about the drug.
“Thank you for continuing to hold,” the operator says when you call the website’s number. “We give you some serious f**king credit for sticking with this.”
Em, you’re a genius for this one.
Follow the signs with the first clue on Rosenberg’s Instagram below and the official “Revival” website here.