Eminem Sits Down With Sway to Discuss ‘Kamikaze’

The first segment in their multi-part interview series.

Eminem’s surprise release, Kamikaze, was an interesting punctuation to one of hip-hop’s most exciting summers in recent memory. Given his legendary status, a surprise Em drop will always garner attention, sure. But this one didn’t just pique fan interest–it allured listeners.

Mainly a rebuttal to his lampooned 2017 album, Revival, Kamikaze traces elements of the old Shady by taking an impenitent, fiercely lyrical approach towards his critics and his most disdained current popular rappers alike. Slim left no stone unturned with this one. Each track pulsates with a raw, unfiltered energy reminiscent of his earlier work; it’s the Slim we’ve been missing, the one we knew was just laying dormant, waiting to strike.

And what’s particularly fascinating about an Eminem drop is the aftermath that undoubtedly ensues. That’s what happens when you call out half of the industry. People get mad; people’s feathers get ruffled; people take the opportunity to share their side of the story. Some targets took Slim’s slander in stride, like Lil Pump who commented, “Thank you I deserved that” in reference to the diss delivered on “The Ringer”; others decided to fight fire with fire, like Machine Gun Kelly who released a scathing rebuttal track, “Rap Devil”, which has racked-up almost 64-million YouTube views.

When one of the greatest rappers to ever do it unleashes this type of lyrical warfare, tangential narratives erupt. These tangents hijack hip-hop’s attention, creating speculation while demanding answers from the horse’s mouth.

Yesterday, Slim sat down with Sway Calloway to deliver part one of their Kamikaze interview series where he addressed a bevy of topics surrounding this release: his feelings about Revival’s failure, elements of his artistic process, the swelling beef with MGK, and more.

If you’re interested in hearing detailed explanations about Kamikaze, check out the interview below: