Eminem Takes Big Sean, BabyTron Home to Detroit, Michigan on “Tobey”

“Tobey” is Eminem’s all-Detroit, Michigan posse cut with Big Sean and BabyTron, and its music video, directed by Cole Bennett, premiered on YouTube on July 8, 2024. The song arrived July 2 as the second single from The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), Eminem’s twelfth studio album, which followed on July 12, 2024. The clip even sends Slim Shady back to the porch of Em’s childhood home.

What Does “Tobey” Mean?

The title nods to actor Tobey Maguire, who played Spider-Man in Sam Raimi’s trilogy and again in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the single cover riffs on the famous Spider-Man pointing meme, per Wikipedia. Production came from Marvy Ayy, John Nocito, Daniyel, Carlton McDowell and Cole Bennett, with additional production from Eminem himself. Stereogum’s Tom Breihan called it “rap for rap’s sake,” admitting the concept was a little goofy but that it worked.

Inside Cole Bennett’s “Tobey” Video

Bennett, who had directed Em’s “Doomsday 2” clip a few months earlier, shot “Tobey” about six weeks before release, entirely on blue screen with static shots, Hypebeast reported. The three rappers play factory workers in custom Detroit workwear, and multiple copies of each one trade lines through scenes that include a warehouse, a spaceship and what Uproxx called a “busy packing plant.” Bennett cited his “100 Bars” video for BabyTron as a deliberate inspiration.

The easter eggs hit hardest for longtime fans. According to XXL, BabyTron and Slim Shady appear at 19946 Dresden St. in Detroit, the house on the cover of The Marshall Mathers LP, where Shady raps on the porch about humble beginnings and inspiring kids. The video was first slated for July 5 before being pushed to July 8.

How Does It Tie Into The Death of Slim Shady?

The album is built as a showdown between Eminem and his Slim Shady alter ego, rolled out with a who-killed-Shady storyline and a fake obituary. “Tobey” plays its part: the video closes with a Jason Voorhees-masked Shady stepping into frame and killing the rapping Shady, per Hypebeast. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 281,000 units, according to Wikipedia, while “Tobey” peaked at No. 24 on the Hot 100 and gave BabyTron his first entry on the chart.

Quick answers

Who directed Eminem’s “Tobey” video? Cole Bennett, the director behind Eminem’s “Doomsday 2” and BabyTron’s “100 Bars.”

What album is “Tobey” on? The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), released July 12, 2024.

Whose house is in the “Tobey” video? Eminem’s childhood home at 19946 Dresden St. in Detroit, featured on the cover of The Marshall Mathers LP.

Sources

XXL — “Eminem Raps in Front of His Childhood Home in ‘Tobey’ Video Featuring Big Sean and BabyTron”

Hypebeast — “Eminem Enlists Cole Bennett for ‘Tobey’ Video”

Wikipedia — “Tobey (song)”