Bow down to the “Rap God.” Eminem surprised fans with the release of Kamikaze, his 10th studio album, and true to form, he isn’t holding back.
The 45-year-old dropped the album without warning on Thursday, August 30. “Tried not 2 overthink this 1… enjoy,” he tweeted at the time.
Over the course of Kamikaze’s 13 tracks, Eminem criticizes President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Drake, Lil Pump, Lil Yachty, Lil Xan, Tyler the Creator, the media, and even the Grammy Awards.
On “The Ringer,” for instance, the rapper once again takes aim at Trump as he reconsiders a freestyle rap last year in which he gave a middle finger to his Trump-supporting fans. “But if I could go back I’d at least reword it,” he raps on the new track. “And say I empathize with the people this evil serpent / Sold the dream to that he’s deserted / But I think it’s workin’ / These verses are makin’ him a wee bit nervous / And he’s too scurred to answer me with words / ‘Cause he knows that he will lyrically get murdered / But I know at least he’s heard it / ‘Cause Agent Orange just sent the Secret Service / To meet in person to see if I really think of hurtin’ him / Or ask if I’m linked to terrorists / I said, ‘Only when it comes to ink and lyricists.’”
Eminem segues into a diss against music critics for the negative reviews of his last album, Revival: “But my beef is more media journalists … ‘Cause they been pannin’ my album to death / So I been givin’ the media fingers.”
On the album’s title track, he goes after Drake, referring to the ghostwriting allegations hounding the Toronto rapper. Put me on a track, I go cray on it like a color book,” he raps. “You got some views, but you’re still below me / Mine are higher, so when you compare our views, you get overlooked / And I don’t say the hook unless I wrote the hook.”
And on “Lucky You,” the 15-time Grammy winner rails against the Grammy Awards. “I done won a couple Grammys but I sold my soul to get ’em / Wasn’t in it for the trophies, just the f—kin’ recognition.”
Kamikaze is available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music and available for download from Eminem’s official website.
