Wake up! Shortly after midnight on Friday, a new solo project from Eminem came unannounced. The mogul surprised fans with “Kamikaze” by sneaking the album online without a calculated rollout.
“Kamikaze” is Eminem’s second album in just eight months. The 13-track album features collaborations with Joyner Lucas, Jessie Reyes, and usual suspects, Royce Da 5’9 and Em’s manager, Paul Rosenberg.
The artwork for Kamikaze pays respect to The Beastie Boys debut album cover, “Licensed to Ill,” using the same jet the group featured on their 1986 debut album cover. (Eminem of course added a very subtle “F U 2” tag on the side of the aircraft.) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Em took to Twitter to announce the big news, his cover art paired with the caption, “Tried not 2 overthink this 1…enjoy.?”
The caption is likely in reference to his previous project, the highly anticipated album, “Revival,” which dropped last December and was met with mixed reviews. Critics accused the album of lacking a modern sound. Despite some negative feedback, this did not stop “Revival” from debuting at No. 1 on Billboard, making it his ninth album to do so.
The track already taking over the internet is the title record where Em is taking shots at former Shady Records artist, Joe Budden and Tyler the Creator.
If you remember, Budden put himself in a bit of hot water last year after he referred to “Revival,” as “trash.” While this may seem harmless, Eminem is not only a friend of fellow Slaughterhouse rapper, Royce da 5’9, but it was said Eminem could be responsible for putting together a new Slaughterhouse album. It’s assumed Budden’s remarks may have contributed to project being cut short.
“Somebody tell Budden before I snap/ He better fasten it, Or have his body bag get zipped/ The closest thing he’s had to hits/ Since smacking bitches,” says Em.
In reference to Tyler, Eminem also got a few things off his chest. “Tyler create nothing, I see why you called yourself a faggot, bitch/ It’s not just ’cause you lack attention/ It’s ’cause you worship D12’s balls, you’re sacrilegious,” he spits. Charlemagne tha God and Machine Gun Kelly were also a target, criticizing their roles in the industry. ⠀
Ouch. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Never one to hold his tongue, it will be exciting to see what hear Eminem brings to his newest project. How do you think it measures up? Listen here:
