Eminem, EZ Mil and Naruto’s Madara Voice Actor Unite for ‘MADARA’

Eminem and EZ Mil have added another chapter to their growing creative partnership with “MADARA,” a collaboration built around the intimidating presence of Madara Uchiha, the Naruto antagonist. Tokyo rapper Hideyoshi also appears on the song, while Neil Kaplan—the English-language voice of Madara—brings an especially direct connection to the character at its center.

The record’s premise goes beyond a quick anime reference or a name-check designed to catch attention. “MADARA” frames its sound and performances around the villain’s menace: somber piano, forceful low end and unsettled percussion establish a dark, pressurized backdrop for a four-way meeting of rap, voice performance and anime mythology.

For Eminem, the track is notable for a delivery that recalls his earlier Slim Shady-era approach. For EZ Mil, it is another high-profile opportunity to show why his role in this circle has continued to expand since joining Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records in July 2023. His shifts between English and Japanese, combined with the song’s anime-focused imagery, give the collaboration a perspective distinct from simply placing a newer artist beside a far more established guest.

A Naruto character becomes the song’s organizing idea

Madara Uchiha is not treated as decorative shorthand on “MADARA.” The song is constructed around the character’s threatening persona, and Kaplan’s involvement moves the concept beyond lyrical allusion. A voice actor’s presence can work differently from a sung or rapped feature: rather than adding another verse, it imports part of the character’s screen identity into the recording itself.

That choice matters because anime references in rap can range from brief cultural signals to full creative frameworks. Here, the supplied details point to the latter. The production’s ominous piano and booming bass complement a subject associated with power and intimidation, while the restless percussion keeps the instrumental from settling into a passive mood. In practical terms, the arrangement gives the rappers a tense sonic environment in which aggressive, technically dense performances feel purposeful instead of disconnected from the title.

Kaplan is known for voicing Madara in Naruto’s English-language version, while Hideyoshi supplies a Tokyo-based rap presence. Alongside Filipino-American rapper EZ Mil and Detroit’s Eminem, that lineup makes “MADARA” an explicitly international track without presenting its global elements as interchangeable. The participants bring different connections to the idea: a character voice associated with the anime, Japanese-language capability from EZ Mil, a rapper from Tokyo, and Eminem’s established role in the Shady Records orbit.

What “multilingual” means in this collaboration

Multilingual performance is not merely a change of vocabulary. It affects rhythm, phrasing and how a rapper places syllables against a beat. EZ Mil performs in both English and Japanese on “MADARA,” continuing an approach that has helped set apart his recordings. The shift also suits the track’s anime framework, tying its language choices to its central inspiration rather than treating them as an isolated flourish.

EZ Mil previously delivered verses in English and Tagalog on “Head Honcho,” from Eminem’s 2024 album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). That earlier appearance established that language-switching is part of his own artistic toolkit. “MADARA” applies a different combination—English and Japanese—to a song whose musical and narrative identity is tied to Japanese anime.

The result is less about flattening the participants into one generic crossover and more about allowing several artistic lanes to meet. Hideyoshi’s contribution supports the record’s international character, while Kaplan connects it to Naruto through performance rather than secondhand reference. Eminem and EZ Mil remain the song’s core rap partnership, but its premise gives all four contributors a recognizable role.

Eminem revisits a familiar kind of intensity

Eminem’s performance is described as especially energized, drawing on a vocal approach associated with his early Slim Shady material. That does not mean “MADARA” is presented as a simple return to an earlier era. It means the track makes room for qualities listeners associate with that persona: heightened character, sharp aggression and a delivery engineered to command attention.

His verse touches on censorship, racial privilege and prior rap conflicts—subjects that have surfaced throughout his career—while maintaining a technically demanding approach. In rap, technical density can include rapid internal rhyme patterns, tightly packed lines and dramatic changes in cadence. The available details do not require the song to be reduced to a checklist of lyrical targets; instead, they indicate that Eminem uses familiar themes inside a performance designed to match the track’s high-pressure atmosphere.

The Slim Shady reference is also useful as a marker of tone. Slim Shady is a performance identity long associated with provocative, exaggerated and confrontational material. Pairing that energy with Madara Uchiha gives “MADARA” a shared language of villainy and theatrical intimidation, even though the song’s musical setting comes from hip-hop rather than anime scoring.

That theatricality is not carried by Eminem alone. Kaplan’s inclusion turns the concept into something more literal, and the production supplies the darkness required to make those parts cohere. The piano does not soften the track; instead, its somber character adds suspense before the bass and percussion deliver the larger impact.

EZ Mil’s place in the Shady Records relationship

“MADARA” is not the first time Eminem and EZ Mil have worked together. Their professional relationship began before EZ Mil’s July 2023 signing with Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. Their first official collaboration, “Realest,” arrived the following month on EZ Mil’s DU4LI7Y: REDUX.

“Realest” reached No. 3 on both Billboard’s Rap Digital Song Sales chart and its R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart. That placement established a measurable early response for the pair, but the subsequent releases show a relationship continuing across different contexts. EZ Mil later appeared on Eminem’s chart-topping 2024 album, then returned for “MADARA,” a record where he is not merely a guest placed next to a superstar but a central participant in a concept tailored to his multilingual and anime-referential strengths.

His recent solo work adds further context. In July, EZ Mil released 3RD WRLD VOL. 1, a three-song project focused on Filipino heritage and personal ambition. One song, “2200,” takes its title from the ZIP code of his hometown, Olongapo City. Dr. Dre mixed that track, reflecting the continuing involvement of the veteran production circle around EZ Mil’s career.

A follow-up, 3RD WRLD VOL. 2, is expected, though no official release date has been given. That uncertainty is worth keeping clear: the project has been indicated as forthcoming, but there is no confirmed date to attach to it. “MADARA,” meanwhile, gives listeners a new release while keeping EZ Mil visible between the first volume and its planned successor.

Why the collaboration’s structure stands out

The main significance of “MADARA” lies in how carefully its components appear to align. Anime culture is the thematic foundation; ominous production translates that theme into sound; rappers from different scenes contribute to the cross-cultural frame; and Kaplan’s role makes the Madara connection tangible. The record is not described as a soundtrack cut or an official Naruto release. It is a hip-hop collaboration using a major fictional antagonist as its artistic anchor.

That distinction matters for listeners interested in the overlap between gaming-adjacent pop culture, animation and music. Shared fandom references can be shallow when they are only surface-level symbols. Here, “MADARA” appears designed around a specific personality and mood, with a performer associated with that character folded into the song’s lineup. The concept has a defined dramatic center rather than a scattershot pile of references.

It also arrives during a period in which label ecosystems are visibly investing in artists with clearly individual identities and international reach. For another current example of artists building label-centered platforms, see Gunna’s SB THE LABEL launch with three Atlanta artists. EZ Mil’s situation is different, but “MADARA” illustrates the value of an artist retaining specific strengths—language, heritage and reference points—within a major collaborative setting.

What listeners can take from ‘MADARA’

“MADARA” gives Eminem a vehicle for an energized, Slim Shady-evoking performance, but it also reinforces EZ Mil’s position as a collaborator capable of meeting that intensity without disappearing into its shadow. His English-and-Japanese performance, Hideyoshi’s appearance and Kaplan’s character connection all make the track’s international and anime-based ambitions concrete.

For fans of Naruto, the central hook is obvious: a record named for Madara Uchiha featuring the actor who voiced him in English. For rap listeners, the larger draw is the continuation of an Eminem–EZ Mil partnership that has already moved from “Realest” to “Head Honcho” and now into a darker, concept-driven song. And for EZ Mil, “MADARA” provides a bridge between the heritage-focused 3RD WRLD VOL. 1 and the still-undated next volume, showing another dimension of the multilingual artist’s range.