Kamikaze | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by Twista | ||||
Released | January 27, 2004 (US) November 2, 2004 (Re-Release) |
|||
Recorded | March 2002-January 16, 2004 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 65:55 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Producer | Kanye West, Jazze Pha, The Legendary Traxster, R. Kelly, Toxic, Red Spyda, D-Roy & Mr. B, Mike Caren | |||
Twista chronology | ||||
|
||||
Singles from Kamikazee | ||||
|
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 66/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
Blender | |
Robert Christgau | |
HipHopDX | |
Pitchfork Media | (6.4/10) |
PopMatters | |
RapReviews | (8.5/10) |
Rolling Stone | |
USA Today | |
Vibe |
Kamikaze is the fourth studio album by American rapper Twista which reached the top of the US Billboard 200 album charts in early 2004 based on the success of the lead single "Slow Jamz". It was released on January 27, 2004 & sold 312,000 units first week. The album has received generally positive reviews from critics. It is Twista's only Platinum album and most successful to date.
On his website, Twista stated that he made Kamikaze to show that he was still true to the ideals that he had when he started out. "I represent for the MCs that have skills, not just make music for the hell of it. I take the time to concentrate. Otherwise, I could have 10 albums out there, easy. I could sit down all day and write something. But I write when I get in a zone more than writing because I’ve got to do this. I represent the artists that keep it true to what really is, to be able to make rappers want to write."
"I want to show the streets that I’m back and that I’m true to the game. Musically, I want to show that I’m still out here doing my thing. After all the people that were out when I was out years ago fell off, I’m still out here competing with the shorties. I also want to gain platinum success. It’s something that I haven’t done."
The song "Sunshine" contains the backing track from Lovely Day by Bill Withers.
The song "Overnight Celebrity" contains a sample of the Lenny Williams 1978 song "Cause I Love You".
The album so far has a score of 66 out of 100 based on "generally positive reviews".The A.V. Club gave it a favorable review and stated that the album "feels eclectic without stooping to demographics-pandering, though its contradictory elements create a few jarring moments."E! Online gave it a B and said, "Twista still manages to steal the limelight on hot booty-busters like 'Slow Jamz' and 'Pimp On.'"Yahoo! Music UK gave it seven stars out of ten and called it "overlong, like almost every rap album today, and it's not the sort of place to come expecting erudition or insight. But for one singular rapper unwilling and unafraid to stick to his guns, it's a deeply satisfying record." Other reviews are pretty average or mixed: Q gave it three stars out of five and said, "Twista's overshadowed by [Kanye] West, but with jacked-up soul tunes such as 'Overnight Celebrity', the result, who cares?"The Village Voice, however, gave it a mixed review and said that the album "Suggests nothing so much as Adrenaline Rush part two."