Eminem returns to his Slim Shady flow on 'Madara,' a Naruto-inspired single with Ez Mil, Japanese rapper Hideyoshi, and voice actor Neil Kaplan, arriving ahead of Ez Mil's '3RD WRLD VOL. 2' EP.
Eminem has resurfaced with his first guest verse of 2026, trading bars with Shady Records signee Ez Mil on "Madara," a single built around the antagonist of the Naruto manga and anime franchise. The track arrived Friday, October 9, and lands on Ez Mil's forthcoming EP 3RD WRLD VOL. 2, on which Eminem serves as a co-producer.
The song — formally titled "MADARA (feat. Neil Kaplan & Hideyoshi)" — also enlists Japanese rapper Hideyoshi and Neil Kaplan, the English-language voice actor for Madara Uchiha. It is a cross-cultural collaboration that blends Japanese rap cadences with English lyricism over piano and heavy bass.
A Return to Vintage Shady
Across the track, Eminem employs a saturated vocal filter that recalls his early-2000s Slim Shady delivery — a stylistic choice that drew mixed reactions from listeners on social media. His verse mixes battle-rap bravado with a rare moment of reflection on his own early career.
"So many non-believers fueling my rage / That I truly never really believed I'd make it / Let alone believed in fully by Dre," he raps, referring to Dr. Dre, who signed him to Aftermath Entertainment in 1998 after discovering him in Detroit the previous year. "So when he said he was puttin' me on / I thought he was pullin' my leg / Ironic, I found the doc, then I got sicker."
Eminem also swipes at his rivals, invoking a martial metaphor consistent with the anime theme: "Out of all the rappers I've slain who have come at me I never felt guilt, cuz it wasn't murder, just suicide 'Cause really they all got themselves killed."
Kaplan, the voice of Madara, added his own stamp to the rollout. Responding to a post that credited the track's featured artists, he noted on X, "There's also another voice on this track…" — alluding to his role in the song.
Who Was Madara Uchiha
Madara Uchiha was one of the primary antagonists of Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto, serving as the series' penultimate villain. Kishimoto serialized the manga in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump from 1999 to 2014, and the property has since expanded into television anime, films, novels, stage plays, video games, and the Boruto sequel series.
The release coincides with a flurry of activity around the franchise. At New York Comic Con, Kishimoto announced a new Naruto manga, teased as Naruto Shadow Rising, with further details promised at Jump Festa '27 in December. The anime staff also announced a crossover limited series pairing Naruto with the ninja manga Ninku.
What Comes Next
"Madara" is not Eminem's only pending release. He is set to appear on Kid Rock's track "7 Sins," from the album Halfway to Jesus, due October 17. Separately, 50 Cent has said he intends to recruit Eminem for the Street Fighter soundtrack accompanying the film's October 16 release.
Eminem's most recent studio album remains The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), released in July 2024. That record topped the Billboard 200, moving 281,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, according to Luminate.
The "Madara" collaboration marks the latest reunion between Eminem and Ez Mil, the Filipino rapper Ezekiel Sapiera, who first drew attention after Eminem signed him to Shady Records and who previously appeared alongside the Detroit rapper on tracks including "Realest" and "Head Honcho."