Kamikaze

“Everybody’s been telling me what they think about me for the last few months”, Eminem says “Fall”. “Maybe it’s time I tell them what I think about them”. Just eight months after the vulnerable <i>Revival</i>, Eminem has heard the doubts about his relevance and issues a brutal rebuttal; those doubters might feel nervous upon listening to “The Ringer”, which is Em going through receipts over an ominous beat. (Note: “I can see why people like Lil Yachty, but not me, though” broke Rap Twitter.) <i>Kamikaze</i> feels like 2002 again—Eminem blowing off steam and blowing up the high road, rapping angry, yet in total control. On “Not Alike”, he teams up with his old right-hand man Royce da 5'9" to clown Auto-Tuned rappers over a trap beat reminiscent of BlocBoy JB’s Drake-featuring hit “Look Alive”. “Greatest” is a prime Shady flex, brushing off disses like crumbs (Die Antwoord gets a mention). As usual, relationships aren’t spared his rage; “Nice Guy” is a salty he said/she said featuring rising R&B star Jessie Reyez. During his freestyle cypher at the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards, Eminem drew a line in the sand to weed out Trump supporters from his fan base. <i>Kamikaze</i> extends the challenge to his non-believers: Which side are you on?