Music Review: EMINEM'S "KAMIKAZE"
Funny thing happened on the way to this review: I went to listen to some music while proofreading and noticed some new Eminem. And holy shit it was a whole new album. I just finished writing the rest of this, and now I had to turn around and put together a hot take before a WikiPedia page went up (as of writing: still on schedule!). So here are my fumbling thoughts on:
Eminem "Kamikaze" *** and 2/3
The first three songs are TIGHT AS FUCK. If you have ever wondered what the big deal is about this Eminem guy and aren't into rap, listen to the first three songs on this and bask in the insane acrobatics. His speed is on android playing the knife game from Aliens level. Even if the lyrics are...insecure. To say the least.
To be fair, the first three songs get more visceral and in charge of themselves as they go along, but halfway through "The Ringer" you start to wonder if this is gonna be a whine fest about how much people thought "Revival" sucked. It's not (completely), but the "Paul" skit gives the game away by criticizing him for putting out a response album to all the people that didn't like his last one, then snarkily wondering if his next one will be a response to the people that didn't like this one either.
Unfortunately, Eminem doesn't do anything to disprove it. Two tracks later is a response skit where he calls out somebody who left a bad comment and threatens to come to his house and fuck him up. I know he won't actually do that (I fucking HOPE), but it sounds really groan-worthy to hear someone with this much talent, success and (once upon a time) respect be this fucking insecure, even in (not convincing enough) jest.
The song "Normal" is a huge misstep, not only going back to his favorite crutch of bagging on women but doing it as a complete non-sequitur. There's no reason for it to be here. Actually, this is where the cohesion of the album breaks down entirely, and things get messy. The placement of "Stepping Stone" is jarring both sonically and tonally. "Not Alike" pulls it back into focus, and "Fall" and the title track follow nicely, but WOW "Nice Guy" is awful. It might have the worst hook I've ever heard on an Eminem song. And I was typing how I thought the hooks on this album were better on average than the ones since...God, The Eminem Show, maybe? But UGH this is horrible.
"Good Guy" isn't as blatantly shitty, but it's not great. Jessie Reyes is not my cup of tea. (Imagine Elmira from Pinky & The Brain singing a pop chorus. That's what she sounds like.) Also, "Nice Guy" and "Good Guy" could have gone down far more problematic paths than they do, but thankfully (?) we're only treated to Eminem's repetitive, tired retread of misogyny instead of the mutations brought about by Red Pill discourse. (Which, let's face it, probably grew in the shade of his tree. As it happens, that's a way better segue to the last song than the album makes: )
"Venom" doesn't work as a closer. It's not bad, but it doesn't mesh with the previous songs, beat or subject matter wise. I'd put it in the middle of the pack of Em's considerable discography, BUT FOR ONE LINE that cuts through everything and puts it a notch above that log jam:
"Eddie Brock is you and I'm the suit."
In a parallel to Eddie Brock being usurped by the symbiote/parasite from space, Slim Shady's influence over an entire generation has made the people that listened to him for two decades now part of who they are (for better and worse).
Kamikazi's got some INSANE songs, but it's hampered by less than optimal decisions. (For instance: It would work a lot better if you took "Stepping Stones", which is about the end of D12 and put it at the end and switched its place with "Venom", a movie tie-in stapled onto the project. Also, take out "Normal", "Em Calls Paul", "Nice Guy" and "Good Guy". Nice and tight nine tracks, it makes the "Paul" skit seem self-aware instead of Paul Rosenberg being the only voice of reason, the women bashing loses place of prominence and the shitty hooks disappear.) The good songs are great enough to push past its flaws for a high rating, but it's definitely gonna require a few more listens.
The first three songs are TIGHT AS FUCK. If you have ever wondered what the big deal is about this Eminem guy and aren't into rap, listen to the first three songs on this and bask in the insane acrobatics. His speed is on android playing the knife game from Aliens level. Even if the lyrics are...insecure. To say the least.
To be fair, the first three songs get more visceral and in charge of themselves as they go along, but halfway through "The Ringer" you start to wonder if this is gonna be a whine fest about how much people thought "Revival" sucked. It's not (completely), but the "Paul" skit gives the game away by criticizing him for putting out a response album to all the people that didn't like his last one, then snarkily wondering if his next one will be a response to the people that didn't like this one either.
Unfortunately, Eminem doesn't do anything to disprove it. Two tracks later is a response skit where he calls out somebody who left a bad comment and threatens to come to his house and fuck him up. I know he won't actually do that (I fucking HOPE), but it sounds really groan-worthy to hear someone with this much talent, success and (once upon a time) respect be this fucking insecure, even in (not convincing enough) jest.
The song "Normal" is a huge misstep, not only going back to his favorite crutch of bagging on women but doing it as a complete non-sequitur. There's no reason for it to be here. Actually, this is where the cohesion of the album breaks down entirely, and things get messy. The placement of "Stepping Stone" is jarring both sonically and tonally. "Not Alike" pulls it back into focus, and "Fall" and the title track follow nicely, but WOW "Nice Guy" is awful. It might have the worst hook I've ever heard on an Eminem song. And I was typing how I thought the hooks on this album were better on average than the ones since...God, The Eminem Show, maybe? But UGH this is horrible.
"Good Guy" isn't as blatantly shitty, but it's not great. Jessie Reyes is not my cup of tea. (Imagine Elmira from Pinky & The Brain singing a pop chorus. That's what she sounds like.) Also, "Nice Guy" and "Good Guy" could have gone down far more problematic paths than they do, but thankfully (?) we're only treated to Eminem's repetitive, tired retread of misogyny instead of the mutations brought about by Red Pill discourse. (Which, let's face it, probably grew in the shade of his tree. As it happens, that's a way better segue to the last song than the album makes: )
"Venom" doesn't work as a closer. It's not bad, but it doesn't mesh with the previous songs, beat or subject matter wise. I'd put it in the middle of the pack of Em's considerable discography, BUT FOR ONE LINE that cuts through everything and puts it a notch above that log jam:
"Eddie Brock is you and I'm the suit."
In a parallel to Eddie Brock being usurped by the symbiote/parasite from space, Slim Shady's influence over an entire generation has made the people that listened to him for two decades now part of who they are (for better and worse).
Kamikazi's got some INSANE songs, but it's hampered by less than optimal decisions. (For instance: It would work a lot better if you took "Stepping Stones", which is about the end of D12 and put it at the end and switched its place with "Venom", a movie tie-in stapled onto the project. Also, take out "Normal", "Em Calls Paul", "Nice Guy" and "Good Guy". Nice and tight nine tracks, it makes the "Paul" skit seem self-aware instead of Paul Rosenberg being the only voice of reason, the women bashing loses place of prominence and the shitty hooks disappear.) The good songs are great enough to push past its flaws for a high rating, but it's definitely gonna require a few more listens.
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