Eminem - Kamakazi

Eminem
Kamakazi
2018
Spotify

Eminem is like an old man being trolled on twitter, coming back at trolls in all the wrong ways, instead of tweeting it though Eminem makes albums. "Revival" came out less than a year ago and landed with a total thud. Played beats from 18 years ago, the same tired features and a delivery that has not aged well. Well on this new record Kamakazi Em is taking aim at anyone that had a problem with that album, including Donald Trump. Nothing sounds worse than Eminem taking swings at people who literally just ignore him. After that ridiculous cypher from the BET awards Eminem was setting himself up as the final word on our maligned President. When Trump didn't respond Eminem went on a damn near manic episode tweeting and speaking in the media. The thing is, I agree with Eminem for the most part on his politics, but watching an old man try and fail to diss someone who doesn't give a shit is really really lame. Eminem smartly uses some decent trapish beats on this album rather than settling back into old habits, but the knives are still out for damn near every rapper in the game. Maybe He saw how many records Pusha T and Drake sold after their beef and thought He might stir some with everyone from Lil Wayne to Lil Yachty. "Lucky You" goes hard on the trap beat and Eminem delivers a lightning fast flow that is pretty decent, but the fucking song sounds EXACTLY like Big Sean's "Moves", Joyner Lucas' delivery is almost an exact copy.

We see this cycle from Eminem so much: He releases a crap album that gets panned and then He releases another album that calls out all the people who would dare to question his art. Eminem even has a skit on this album (yes a skit) featuring Paul Rosenberg telling him the same. Bon Iver's Justin Vernon features on "Fall" but recently tweeted "Was not in the studio for the Eminem track... came from a session with BJ Burton and Mike Will. Not a fan of the message, it’s tired. Asked them to change the track, wouldn’t do it.". What Vernon is referring too is that Eminem calls Tyler the Creator a "fa***t" on the track in one of the lamest slams humanly possible. Em also obscures the diss on even the explicit version of the record, does He stand behind his words or not? Make a fucking choice dude. "Stepping Stone" an apology to all the friends He's left behind on his come up is typical Eminem, looking back with regret on a constant basis and asking for forgiveness for it all. Eminem needs to realize that his position makes these petty disses feel beneath him and childish. He doesn't look hard He looks like an out of touch fool. "Not Alike" has Eminem switching up his style the most and really reaching for a sound that is not his whatsoever. At the end of the track He sifts into a delivery that is much more him and the song actually starts to make sense, but when it's coupled with this soundcloud rapper intro it just doesn't work. I don't think Eminem should shut up, retire or not be allowed to say what He wants, He just needs to find a voice for this period of his life, not from 20 years ago.

3.0 out of 10