Introduction
Eminem’s “Kamikaze” Album Review: A Return to Form or Misguided Rage?
Was hit up with the music alert by one of my friends, Donaldson, about a new album by Marshall Mathers, and I was like, “NO.” For every follower of Eminem’s music, you should understand that Eminem has been releasing albums every three to four years. But this year, there was a twist. Eminem is a musician who listens to what people say about his music and loves success. When the “Revival” album did not get a wild audience like his previous albums, it spurred him to work on the “Kamikaze” album quickly. This album is like Eminem wearing his old dissing cap, like Thor’s helmet with a large sledgehammer, going for the critics who went against his work on “Revival.”
The Revival Backlash and Kamikaze’s Creation
Eminem replaced dissing his wife and mother with dissing critics and everybody who may have said one negative thing or the other against his work. He also insults mumble rappers, who he sees as the people killing hip-hop. He starts a cleanup by telling them their flaws while insulting the hell out of them. On the issue of cleaning up the rap industry, I am really happy he applauded good rap artists of this age like Logic, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Big Sean, and others who are sticking to rap purity. If you are applauded by one of the greatest rappers alive, then you should know that you are on the right path. “Kamikaze” is a work of art that applauds good art and insults bad ones.
Public Reception and Personal Reflection
I have been watching people react to this album, and many of them are of the opinion that Em did a real job on this. But I really don’t see this album as an album bigger than “Revival.” I feel people like seeing others get burned, and they don’t really care what the lyrics of good songs are all about. Eminem made a good album in “Revival” when you compare lyrics and morals. However, because he uses a lot of women in that album, people think it is bad. I feel this album is not better because it is full of unnecessary hate and jabs at others. I think if you are the greatest, you don’t go after others; all you do is show class and make better songs. Em just called out a demon he has been trying hard to hide since 2010 by making real music and not dis tracks or albums. This album just brought out Slim Shady in his 20s looking for who to murder. Eminem is a musician who does not know how to reply to people in press conferences, but he answers in damaging ways with dope lyrics that will last for a lifetime because he turns his anger to the mic and buries anybody he is going after. This album is healthy for the rap industry because the purity of rap music, which is stories and messages told in poetry, is blowing away.
The Theme
Many a time, celebrities like The Game, 50 Cent, and Chris Rock have warned major and upcoming artists about getting into Eminem’s diss radar, but it seemed that these guys did not get the memo. As stated earlier, this album is primarily a diss album that goes after the virus eating up pure rap music. Rap music, as we all know, has been bastardized by modern-day new school rappers who write two or three words in every line of lyrics, repeat the same word for eight bars, and call it rap. They make rap sound like singing. This, in other words, is making a genre of music, which was built on ego and street arrogance, bend to the feet of R&B and pop music, which for real rap lovers is going way below standards. Eminem went after the rappers who are creating this mess in rap music. He also went after people who never made a real musical hit and yet come out as pundits speaking ill things about people’s work. Eminem was bullish, like he was in the early 2000s. In songs like “Fall,” “Kamikaze,” “Lucky You,” “Not Alike,” “The Ringer,” and “Venom,” he goes after new school rappers and critics. Eminem took his diss game to a new level on this album, calling rappers by their names and using their rap style to prove his mastery and artistry at a mad, mad level.
Technical Mastery and Versatility
He used the couture trap music genre, vocal style, drop words rap styles, and normal double or triple words rap styles, which are synonymous with new age mumble rappers like Migos, Travis Scott, Young Thug, Drake, and many more, to make a musical and identity statement. He used the signature “hoooooo,” which can be attributed to Young M.A. in the song “The Ringer.” He and Joyner Lucas went ballistic on “Lucky You,” using Migos and Drake’s rap styles to burn mumble rappers. They did this by adding some tongue-twisting intimidation rap to roast all of them. In the end of the song, he steals a rap style from Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA.” Drake had fatal punches on this album because he got smashed on the face with all the tactics he uses in making his music stay number one on the Billboard. He tells Drake that he does not write his songs because of the ghostwriter issues he has had in the past. He tells him that he makes music that is only pleasant to ladies and is making a mess of the rap music industry. He went after couture and mumble rappers in more than four tracks. He did not stop there; he went for critics and review guys like me who must have written negative stuff about him and his performance in “Revival.” He went after Joe Budden, stating the obvious about him and his family issues. Joe Budden was not the only one he went after; he went after DJ Akademiks, telling him he is going to twist him. He went after Machine Gun Kelly and other rappers like Tyler, the Creator. He told all his critics that if they are going to talk about him, they should be on the same level or higher than him in the musical game.
The Other Tracks: Beyond the Disses
The other songs that were not diss songs are three love songs and a song made in memory of the deformed D12 music group. The song “Normal” discusses his issues with females in relationships. He talks about the too much attention that ladies are always seeking, leading to domestic violence. “Nice Guy” is a song that talks about a Mr. Perfect who does not get credit for being a nice lover but gets insults and lawsuits from his lovers. He gets fed up and tells his lover to suck his d**k. “Good Guy” is like a continuation of the story in “Nice Guy” but with a tweak in the beat to tell a clearer story in a straightforward rap style. “Stepping Stone” is a track that sounds and speaks hardcore with a real beat and storytelling. It talks about the issues that led to the breakup of the D12 music group. He shares that as they grew, they began to fall apart because he was the only one making it big and had to shoulder the career of the others. He states that making music with them as his group gave him more popularity. He declares that he made them his stepping stone but recalls that when his best friend Proof died, the group D12 died with him.
Conclusion
“Kamikaze” is a raw, unapologetic album that brings back the old Slim Shady with a modern twist. While it has its share of brilliance in technical mastery and lyrical execution, it also carries an excessive amount of hate and jabs. Eminem’s need to respond to his critics might resonate with fans who love seeing the fiery side of him, but it also raises questions about the direction of his music. Is “Kamikaze” a necessary cleanse for the rap industry, or does it show an artist struggling to find a new path? Only time will tell, but for now, Eminem has made his statement loud and clear.
