After releasing 2017’s Revival which received a fair amount of backlash, Eminem has now dropped a surprise album titled Kamikaze. For most of his fans, there are hopes that his new album will be the project that Revival wasn’t. This includes moving away from his fragmented flow, avoiding stale beats, and returning to the standard form and quality of the overall production.
To put things simply, Eminem completely snaps on Kamikaze. He’s confronting Revival’s failure head on, while at the same time calling out most of today’s rappers by questioning their talent and legacy.
The album itself includes songs in many different styles, but it consistently delivers instrumentals that are minimalistic; mainly because the focus is intended to be around the vocals. As a result, Kamikaze has a significantly different feel compared to any of his previous projects. Even though Dr. Dre is the executive producer, the larger orchestral and thematic elements are taken out. Instead, the music gets right to the point as it supports Eminem’s masterful yet ever changing flows.
From a few initial lessons, tracks that immediately stick out include “The Ringer”, “Lucky You”, “Not Alike”, and “Fall.” There are also a fair amount of features on the project that include Joyner Lucas, Royce da 5’9″, and Jessie Reyez.
As everyone knows, Eminem is one of the most controversial and successful artists in the history of music. After dropping Revival in 2017, many are confused and put off by the latest steps in his career. For most fans, many will be looking for Kamikaze to be his comeback album. While there are certain elements that fall short on the project, Kamakaze is a clear improvement from his previous album because it demonstrates his masterful flow and delivery, includes direct but creative punchlines, and moves into a new sonic landscape without watering down the album as a whole.
There are many successful elements seen on Kamikaze. One of the most refreshing aspects was the overall length. Clocking in at 46 minutes, the flow of each track and the feel of the project seemed spot on. Nothing seemed to drag on or be too short. Eminem’s Paul Rosenberg skits were also on point, but reminiscent of his older material at the same time.
Perhaps one of the most interesting elements throughout Kamakaze is the departure from the rock beats and orchestral elements. The instrumentals are mainly trap based, but at the same time kicked up a notch with beat changes and free-flowing instrumental lines in between. While the instrumentals can be described as “hollow” and “open” at certain points, they also enable Eminem to have complete creative control with his verses on each track.
While Eminem himself is on point in addition to many elements working well on Kamikaze, there were also some things that fell short. The feature of Jessie Reyez on “Nice Guy” broke up the flow of the album with the off-pitch screeching of the chorus. In addition, “Venom” didn’t fit on the album at all, as it was a disappointing conclusion. In contrast, songs such as “Kamikaze” and “Stepping Stone” were successful, but it would have been nice to get a more wholesome slow track on the project as well – something that was a little more soulful and emotional. This would have broken up the more intense and hardcore cuts on the album.
Eminem’s album Kamikaze can be looked upon in the same light as Kanye West’s Yeezus – as it holds nothing back and displays a sound far different from his previous material. As a result, some people will love this project while others will hate it. Unlike previous Eminem albums, this will most likely be a project that grows on people over time.
Overall Grade: B-
Stream Eminem’s new album Kamikaze on your preferred streaming platform below:
Apple Music || Spotify
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