Atlanta, Georgia rapper & CBFW Records founder Lil Baby dropping his 6th LP almost 2 years after its original announcement. Rising to stardom in 2018 off his full-length debut Harder Than Ever, his profile would gradually increase from there by following up with a collab project with Gunna entitled Drip Harder & Street Gossip. His sophomore effort My Turn as well as It’s Only Me & W.H.A.M. (Who Hard As Me?) all left people divided, coming off The Leak$’ poor reception to stay Fresh.
“Top Uh It” incorporates a cheap trap instrumental with some bells talking about having 1 foot deep in the streets & 1 foot out of it whereas “Mr. Do Something” produced by Taurus experiments with the Detroit sound to discuss being the type of person who takes action. “Burnt Shit” continues from there flexing his wealth over a Wheezy beat leading into “Be the One” talking about the feeling he always had of being as popular as he is & getting everything he’s dreamed of.
30 Roc brings in the horns during “Ain’t Goin’” demanding an explanation as to why people are getting up in his business just before “From the Back” instrumentally swaps out the brass in favor of pianos thanks to Hitmaka talking about being in love with this woman who he needs to be around when he’s drunk. “All My Partnas” featuring Rylo Rodriguez & Young Thug links up over a London on da Track beat airing out a hoe for fuckin’ their homies while “My Side” talks about puttin’ it down for his parts of the ATL.
“L.o.t.P. (Life of the Party)” made for an underwhelming kickoff to the 2nd half looking to turn up every day for a month straight while “Dead Fresh” talks about his upscale taste in fashion over a cloudy trap instrumental from Pharrell. “Your Fault” expresses hope of this chick seeing the changes he’s been trying to make interpolating “Blame U” by Odeal while “All of Us” runs it back with Wheezy to talk about him puttin’ on for everyone.
Rylo Rodriguez appears again for “In Your Head” explaining the reason their bitches are holding themselves back while “Like a Brat” talks about wanting to spoil his girl. “Televised” spends a couple minutes getting in his gangsta rap bag lyrically calling for the deaths of those who don’t want him going hard to be broadcasted & after “Rareform” talks about feeling great when the money comes, “Keep Goin’” ends the album advising not to stop over a synth-driven Metro Boomin’ beat.
Although I do believe Lil Baby made some improvements with Fresh & would place it above The Leak$, it’s not by a very wide margin. I appreciate him stepping things up within the production department considering nearly half of it was a considerable step up from both that grails tape he gave us 11 months ago & even It’s Only Me, but the choruses leave a lot to be desired & he doesn’t have that same hunger he did when he initially blew up.
Score: 2/5
Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!
