Kamikaze
by Eminem
  • Record Label: Atlantic
  • Release Date: Aug 31, 2018
User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 1419 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,144 out of 1419
  2. Mixed: 127 out of 1419
  3. Negative: 148 out of 1419
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  1. NikonDrake
    Sep 2, 2018
    10
    Eminem è tornato carico come non mai, soprattutto a causa delle critiche ricevute per il suo precedente lavoro "Revival".
    L'album, infatti, concede ampio spazio alla risposta a quelle stesse critiche ricevute l'anno scorso, senza però fossilizzarsi su di esse. Attraverso l'uso di beat (prodotti da Dre e dallo stesso Slim) dallo stile che ricorda un po' quello dei nostri "cari" amici    Eminem è tornato carico come non mai, soprattutto a causa delle critiche ricevute per il suo precedente lavoro "Revival".
    L'album, infatti, concede ampio spazio alla risposta a quelle stesse critiche ricevute l'anno scorso, senza però fossilizzarsi su di esse. Attraverso l'uso di beat (prodotti da Dre e dallo stesso Slim) dallo stile che ricorda un po' quello dei nostri "cari" amici trappari, il rapper americano arriva anche a parlare di questi ultimi e della loro musica, facendo capire più e più volte quanto a lui non vada a genio. Possiamo perciò parlare di dissing a tutta la scena trap del momento.
    Non mancano le frecciatine a Trump, che però hanno uno spazio marginale. Ad esempio, vi ricordate Like Home? Ecco, non ci sono canzoni interamente dedicate al Presidente degli Stati Uniti D'America, ma semplici barre (come in "The Ringer", ad esempio).
    Non manca nemmeno lo storytelling classico di Eminem, che ritroviamo in Normal, Nice Guy e Good Guy.

    A ciò si aggiungono la sua metrica eccezionale (che ricordiamo, nel corso degli anni è solo migliorata) ed il suo flow in grado di coinvolgere chiunque ascolti le sue canzoni. Quest'ultimo, inoltre, può mutare anche 3 o 4 volte nella stessa canzone. Insomma, Em dal punto di vista tecnico si è riconfermato essere il GOAT.
    I featuring sono pochissimi (3) e perfetti. Royce tira fuori il meglio di Eminem, l'inaspettato Joyner Lucas porta freschezza in Lucky You.

    Infine, ho parlato fino ad ora di Eminem. Ma penso sia meglio parlare di Slim Shady. Perché sì, ad esser tornato, in realtà, è proprio Slim Shady. Con tutta la violenza e irriverenza che esso si porta dietro, come da tempo non accadeva.    … Expand
  2. Dannyturner79
    Sep 2, 2018
    10
    Absolutely love this album! Eminem snaps and funny how anybody that was dissed has responded yet hahaha they don’t wanna mess with the RAP GOD
  3. Jerry5729
    Sep 2, 2018
    10
    The old school eminem is back! Thank you haters for helping eminem make this masterpiece!
  4. effie_oxo
    Sep 2, 2018
    1
    Honestly this album is a 5 out of 10 in my opinion, but needs to be marked lower to make up from the amount of stans giving it a 10. Eminem has a fast flow, and at least the production is better on this one, but this can't make up for the countless poor lyrical choice on this album (lil pump can't even make my dick pump, etc.). The lyrics that are meaningful lose a lot of their effectHonestly this album is a 5 out of 10 in my opinion, but needs to be marked lower to make up from the amount of stans giving it a 10. Eminem has a fast flow, and at least the production is better on this one, but this can't make up for the countless poor lyrical choice on this album (lil pump can't even make my dick pump, etc.). The lyrics that are meaningful lose a lot of their effect because they're so haphazardly woven into these numerous cringe-worthy bars.… Expand
  5. Unfassyscarab98
    Sep 2, 2018
    10
    His best album since TES. Good flow and lyrics, perfect feature, only average hooks
  6. Wallo
    Sep 2, 2018
    6
    Better than Revival but that's not saying much. There's 6 tracks that I enjoy from this album but another 6 or 7 that are skippable. Eminem's pen game is still unmatched to this day but just like most of his discography, this album adds to a ever growing list of weak projects.

    It seems like every album he's put out thus far there's always that 1 song that just ruins it, this time it's    Better than Revival but that's not saying much. There's 6 tracks that I enjoy from this album but another 6 or 7 that are skippable. Eminem's pen game is still unmatched to this day but just like most of his discography, this album adds to a ever growing list of weak projects.

    It seems like every album he's put out thus far there's always that 1 song that just ruins it, this time it's "Kamikaze". His flow on the song was pretty good but he completely botched it by interpolating lyrics from arguably his worst song ever "Fack".    … Expand
  7. timmo97
    Sep 2, 2018
    10
    Reminding us that he deserves more respect and is as sharp with his pen as ever. Welcome back Slim!
  8. Mobeenmir
    Sep 2, 2018
    10
    kamikaze has Eminem at his best, everything is impeccable from production to his delivery. His flows were smooth and the content was great. This album was absolute perfection, every track was of the highest quality. The only below par track is NICE GUY, but i can live with that.
  9. justuravgguy
    Sep 2, 2018
    10
    Lyrically, this album is untouchable as is the case with Eminem, and the addition of Joyner Lucas and Royce only add to it. Kamikaze is filled with lyrical manslaughter throughout the tracks.

    The production on this album is amazing as well, especially compared to Eminem's last project; the beats for all the tracks are on point, and the album is also a good length (not too long or too    Lyrically, this album is untouchable as is the case with Eminem, and the addition of Joyner Lucas and Royce only add to it. Kamikaze is filled with lyrical manslaughter throughout the tracks.

    The production on this album is amazing as well, especially compared to Eminem's last project; the beats for all the tracks are on point, and the album is also a good length (not too long or too short).

    In addition to the generally good music in this album, it also fairly entertaining; a clash between Eminem's era where lyricism was most crucial to the now new generation of mumble rap, where lyricism is weak, but the focus is on the beat and "riding" it. So when Eminem mocks mumble rappers, such as all the "lils" by either name-calling them or mimicking their music, it is very fun, entertaining and reminiscent of his old 'Slim Shady' days.

    With that said, however, this album is not 100% perfect. Some songs have bad hooks and I think the ending of the album is relatively weak compared to the immense start.

    But this doesn't take away from the rest of the album which is amazing; it is lyrical, entertaining, fun and has that raw power of a sleeping giant who has his 'fuse lit.' An album for his redemption, which you can hear from Eminem's thirst and hunger from the start. Hence I have given it a 10, but in reality, I would probably give it 9.5 as the weak ending and the 3 aforementioned songs.    … Expand
  10. GenXY
    Sep 2, 2018
    10
    REAL hip hop heads know that this album is the real deal. British publications NME and the Guardian are NOT accurate here. I had no idea that Slim Shady had an album of this quality still in him. Bravo.
  11. sam3
    Sep 2, 2018
    10
    His wordplay is out of this world. His lyrics are the best there is in this game. You can never compare him to any living (or dead) rapper.
  12. Pleiry
    Sep 2, 2018
    10
    Shady shows everyone that he is the best, and its no use to argue. Plus reminds others that its really bad idea to try and diss him.
  13. Heylady
    Sep 2, 2018
    10
    I didn’t have high hopes when I first listened to this but wow what an album. And the more I listen to it the better it gets!
  14. Nik_Outlaw
    Sep 2, 2018
    9
    So many good beats mixed with the finesse of Em's lyrics. People don't like the hooks but i could not care less since he kills it anyway. "The Ringer" doesn't even have one and is my favourite.
  15. ThomasRay
    Sep 2, 2018
    10
    Amazing Album, whoever says otherwise doesn't understand rap in general and should't review this type of music anyhow. Now go add entry on your blog, clown.
  16. danstevens
    Sep 1, 2018
    10
    em came hard with "the ringer," "the greatest," "lucky you," "not alike," and "fall" with an old school eminem record with "stepping stones." For the pop rap fans, eminem delivered with "good guy" and "normal." eminem brought back the "paul" skit for nostalgic reasons and brought some humor to transition nicely from new school rap into the old school/pop rap bits before answering withem came hard with "the ringer," "the greatest," "lucky you," "not alike," and "fall" with an old school eminem record with "stepping stones." For the pop rap fans, eminem delivered with "good guy" and "normal." eminem brought back the "paul" skit for nostalgic reasons and brought some humor to transition nicely from new school rap into the old school/pop rap bits before answering with the "em calls paul" skit to transition back into a more new school style of rap. "nice guy," "venom," and "kamikaze" are definite low points of the album, but "venom" is a movie soundtrack song so it gets a pass. overall a solid album and a solid comeback after the horrid "revival" album for eminem.… Expand
  17. bigoo
    Sep 1, 2018
    5
    let me start by saying this is a welcome surprise from Eminem i like to see him active again and this album is not bad. But i believe it is a stretch to say this album is actually good. what are we supposed to like? The spew of words? Em's technical skill? His **** disses? we have seen it all, just better. he is following the same process as the majority of his work. He complains aboutlet me start by saying this is a welcome surprise from Eminem i like to see him active again and this album is not bad. But i believe it is a stretch to say this album is actually good. what are we supposed to like? The spew of words? Em's technical skill? His **** disses? we have seen it all, just better. he is following the same process as the majority of his work. He complains about mumble rap, ironic that I can't hear what is being said in the hook of track number 10, "Fall". He lists as many names as he can for relevancy, and I'm expected to respect Eminem's lunge for fame? Don't get me wrong, this man has potential but until the day that he stops worrying about the next generation of rappers and focuses on the direction of his own music, he will be taking an L. My belief is that a rapper needs to live by what they speak. Eminem puts himself on a pedestal predominantly above rappers like lil Pump and Migos, there are many more though. I'm sure his lyrical disses sounded like hardcore disses to some, but that is where i draw a line. I don't listen to lil Pump or Migos personally but i understand them, and they don't pretend to be lyrical prophets or have anything important to say. The fact that Eminem is comparing himself to these guys is just plain pitiful. Recently these artist have been doing better numbers than him. is it too far to assume that the great Eminem could be jealous? Artists like Migos and lil Pump create music for their specific niches, and Eminem forgets about why people used to listen to him. i listened for his personal opinions about subjects he actually lived through (e.g drugs, women, mental health). Kamikaze just isn't that.

    Mediocre.    … Expand
  18. Llargotta
    Sep 1, 2018
    8
    Eminem delivered a pleasant surprise with this album, albeit falling short on a couple of songs. It is evident he applied much of the criticism from Revival, as the contrasts in sound and content are enormous, but in a positive way.
  19. hiphopfan1234
    Sep 1, 2018
    10
    Anyone who dislikes this album doesn't know hiphop and shouldn't be listening to it. Or the sensitive little baby's that are still hurt from the things he said about Trump you can gtfo
  20. Freezes
    Sep 1, 2018
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. At his finest. The albums is fire, with perfect production and flow. The album is probably going to be a classic… Expand
  21. PickleJuice
    Sep 1, 2018
    10
    After 2017's Revival Eminem again redeems himself in rap. The album, Kamikaze, features an angry, spiteful Eminem firing at all his critics and people who ignore his past accomplishments and albums and focus on just the negatives. This album is what all of his fans have been waiting for since the release of Relapse in 2009. In my opinion, this is one of the best albums Eminem has releasedAfter 2017's Revival Eminem again redeems himself in rap. The album, Kamikaze, features an angry, spiteful Eminem firing at all his critics and people who ignore his past accomplishments and albums and focus on just the negatives. This album is what all of his fans have been waiting for since the release of Relapse in 2009. In my opinion, this is one of the best albums Eminem has released in his entire discography. It features wonderful instrumentals, skits, and heavy and angry lyrics that we are all used to from Eminem. This time it is safe to say that Shady is back and I wholeheartedly welcome him back.… Expand
  22. maximhussey
    Sep 1, 2018
    10
    It's good to see Em learnt a lesson from last year's revival and fixed his instrumentals, and removed the corny lyrics. The Goat is back!
  23. tr4xx
    Sep 1, 2018
    8
    This album is an improvement from "Revival" in the categories of production, content, delivery, and variety. I'm not sure where this album ranks in his discography, but it's worth a listen by any fan or person who generally enjoys Eminem's music. My highlighted tracks are Lucky You, Stepping Stone, Not Alike, and Fall.
  24. Woggys
    Sep 1, 2018
    9
    So. As for me and maybe for alot of people this album hit them by surprise. And i was happily surprised. Bringing back his lyricism that Em has used in all his albums was expected, and he delivered really well on that front. He also brought back a bit more energy and less of the political verses/songs that we heard in Revival.

    I think its a really nice album that made me bring all but 2    So. As for me and maybe for alot of people this album hit them by surprise. And i was happily surprised. Bringing back his lyricism that Em has used in all his albums was expected, and he delivered really well on that front. He also brought back a bit more energy and less of the political verses/songs that we heard in Revival.

    I think its a really nice album that made me bring all but 2 of the songs onto my playlist.    … Expand
  25. ShadyMMLP2
    Sep 1, 2018
    9
    Eminem?? In 2018 ?? Does this still have any relevance ??
    The answer is YES!
    After Revival's failure, Eminem seems to have learned to deal with criticism and realize every mistake made last year. Kamikaze brings good featurings, good beats, good lyricism and even good choruses (in which Eminem is not very good but this album sounded good) Responding directly to everyone who doubted    Eminem?? In 2018 ?? Does this still have any relevance ??
    The answer is YES!

    After Revival's failure, Eminem seems to have learned to deal with criticism and realize every mistake made last year. Kamikaze brings good featurings, good beats, good lyricism and even good choruses (in which Eminem is not very good but this album sounded good)

    Responding directly to everyone who doubted Mr. Mathers and criticizing the current scene of Hip Hop was the main touch to bring Kamikaze to the top, the name of the album closes 100% with its main idea (Eminem dropped this surprise album without any marketing)

    BOTH: I think the last three tracks did not fit into the album's atmosphere and could very well have been replaced.
    The first few seconds of the Nice Guy track are impossible to hear, seriously.
    Venom made it seem like a continuation of Phenomenal, not that this is bad, but it's more of the same.

    A great album, a great comeback from a great rapper.
    9/10    … Expand
  26. Gitin
    Sep 1, 2018
    10
    Album super.
    Very interesting meaning, like the f*cked of a new school.
    Really cool **** guys you need to listen it.
  27. XPV70
    Sep 1, 2018
    10
    Eminem really got back to his old self. I didn't really like Revival and rated it less than 5. However, this album is possibly top 3 best of his album. He comes out, disses people, spits fire, got rhymes, flow and speed. It feels like he really let "Slim Shady" out on this one. Beats are by Dre which is noticeable. Also, Marshall put down his heart in this which made it feel more genuineEminem really got back to his old self. I didn't really like Revival and rated it less than 5. However, this album is possibly top 3 best of his album. He comes out, disses people, spits fire, got rhymes, flow and speed. It feels like he really let "Slim Shady" out on this one. Beats are by Dre which is noticeable. Also, Marshall put down his heart in this which made it feel more genuine and well made, which wasn't as obvious for Revival - which only had 1 or 2 "Okay" tracks. All 13 tracks are great, even though 2 are skits. This album is worse than the Eminem Show and Marshall Mathers LP put on par with the Slim Shady LP. Recovery and MMLP2 are close too, but let's be honest, Eminem shot way above expectations after Revival. I believe this album could become the album of the year - all tracks are great and relevant. The only thing lacking, for me, is a laid-back passive-aggressive track such as Marshall Mathers or I'm Back, even something like Say goodbye to Hollywood or Headlights (beat wise) would have been amazing. Otherwise 10/10 album.… Expand
  28. GerardistheWay
    Sep 1, 2018
    9
    If Revival felt like a failed attempt to stand alone against the tide of modern rap trends perverting the genre (in Eminem's opinion, mine, and a lot of other people's), then Kamikaze is a simultaneous acceptance and subversion of said trends. This album feels much more in tune with the times than Em's last, with common production/lyrical tropes seen in many a rap hit today present inIf Revival felt like a failed attempt to stand alone against the tide of modern rap trends perverting the genre (in Eminem's opinion, mine, and a lot of other people's), then Kamikaze is a simultaneous acceptance and subversion of said trends. This album feels much more in tune with the times than Em's last, with common production/lyrical tropes seen in many a rap hit today present in several songs, but what's most interesting is the way he manages to both sell them with a straight face and poke fun at them at the same time. The Wrath of Shady (perhaps a more appropriate, if less entertaining, title for this album), however, isn't limited purely to crap-rappers of the Lil Pump variety - music critics who can't be pleased, fickle audiences who embrace artists one day and reject them the next, and plenty more are subjected to his spittle-flying fury (as impressive on a technical, polysyllabic level as ever) for setting their expectations too high and then complaining when he doesn't live up to them. The end result is something akin to watching a grown man throwing a temper tantrum over his own fading relevancy in a rapidly evolving world, and it's absolutely fascinating to watch. THIS is the Eminem we hoped to find on Revival - profane, juvenile, and angry without losing his sense of humor - and in spilling his guts about being afraid of getting lost in the shuffle, Em is on the fast track to reclaiming his throne. 9/10

    Choice Cuts: "Greatest", "Stepping Stone", "Not Alike"    … Expand
  29. Vadim27
    Sep 1, 2018
    10
    Very strong album, I justified not just a small part of the new school. The general atmosphere of the album, musical accompaniment, text, everything at the highest level.
  30. rappityrap
    Sep 1, 2018
    9
    While maybe not as compelling as his earlier work, the level of skill Eminem exhibits is far too great to ignore. This man demands his respect, and all the drama aside, I'll say he has earned it this time. Not as well polished as the MMLP2 either, but the lyrical ability and ballsiness makes it a more entertaining album overall. Not to mention the great production. One of the 3 best albumsWhile maybe not as compelling as his earlier work, the level of skill Eminem exhibits is far too great to ignore. This man demands his respect, and all the drama aside, I'll say he has earned it this time. Not as well polished as the MMLP2 either, but the lyrical ability and ballsiness makes it a more entertaining album overall. Not to mention the great production. One of the 3 best albums of 2018, maybe even higher.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Most Discussed Album of 2018
7
#7 Most Shared Album of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. The Observer (UK)
    Sep 10, 2018
    60
    Kamikaze finds Marshall Mathers revelling in his Slim Shady rabid underdog role, fulminating at critics, boggling at Lil Yachty, and sneering at the Migos flow on Not Alike. How riveting all this finger-wagging is probably depends upon your birth date.
    Read full review
  2. HipHopDX
    Sep 7, 2018
    78
    Fans clamoring for the old Marshall Mathers should stream the old album or hell, rent it from the library or something. After being faced with nothing to prove as the highest-selling rapper of all-time, Eminem’s found another challenge in perfecting the new style he’s put on display.
    Read full review
  3. AllMusic
    Sep 7, 2018
    40
    As sheer performance, Eminem's vocals remain a thing of wonder, which is why it's so dispiriting to hear him circling the drain, relying on old tricks instead of expanding his worldview. He has the musical skills to mature; he's just refusing to let himself act his age.
    Read full review
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