Orlando, Florida rapper Ski Mask the Slump God returning for a sophomore LP. Coming up as the co-founder of Members Only alongside the late XXXTENTACION, he then dropped a couple EPs & a great mixtape called Drown in Designer in 2016 before signing to Republic Records the following year with his 2nd tape called YouWillRegret being his first outing on a major label. This was followed up with Beware the Book of Eli, the full-length debut Stokeley in 2018 & Sin City about 3 years later. Fast forward another 3 years, Ski’s returning to take us to the 11th Dimension almost 5 months since Moose became a 3-time TNA World Champion at Hard to Kill V.
“DragonTooth” opens up the LP with rage beats from Trgc only needing 1 shot whereas “Monsters Inc.” featuring Future named after the classic Pixar film works in a bassy trap instrumental from ATL Jacob putting their gang over everything else referencing the National Geographic subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. “By Myself” talks about moving in stealth with Synthetic of Internet Money Records returning to the hypertrap sound just before “Earwax” works in a vocal sample, a rubbery bass-line & hi-hats provided by Swaggyono of Working on Dying feelin’ like he’s going to lose control.
Things take the chaotic trap route for “Full Moon” likening himself to a werewolf when the clock strikes midnight leading into “Part the Sea” talks about dying in a mosh pit over a monstrous rage beat from BEAUTIFULMVN. After “Jah’s Interlude” reusing X’s verse from the “Hope” freestyle off the ? deluxe, “WDYM” picks up from there calmly asking his romantic interest to stay for a bit longer while “Tuk-Tuk” produced by DJ Scheme is this fun braggadocious banger.
“Wake Up!” featuring the late Juice WRLD demonstrates speedier flows from both of them accompanied by minimal trap production talking about being mutants, but then “Hulk” ends the first half of 11th Dimension with ilykimchi & Oogie Mane of Working on Dying going for a hypertrap direction once more drawing comparisons to the iconic Marvel hero. “Headrush” is this skull-smashing trap metal banger to start the 2nd leg of the album to talk about being up prior to the rubbery albeit cloudy “Frozen One” talking about being chosen.
Meanwhile on “Killstreak”, we have Ski boasting that he’s hard to find over a quirky trap instrumental with bells while “From Yard” featuring Skillibeng comes through with a decently blaring anthem paying homage to his Jamaican background. “Him Jung Un” mixes the sounds of pots & pans with hi-hats so he can pop tags while “Let It Breathe” psychedelically talks about being cerebral.
“Mandalorian” takes it back to his roots thanks to Ronny J going huntin’ on the mic while the cacophonous “Jump” feels like a modern homage to “Pass the Courvoisier Part II” by Busta Rhymes & Puff Daddy, which as good of a song is bad timing since P. Diddy & later Diddy has gone down quicker than TKO Group Holdings co-founder Vince McMahon. Especially after the security footage of him assaulting Cassie premiered on national television & subsequently got arrested. The penultimate track “Shibuya” is this rage/pop rap hybrid showing his appreciation for the titular city in Japan & finally, “Go!” featuring Corbin ends 11th Dimension awkwardly singing over synthesizers.
I’ll still maintain that I was unsure of where Ski was gonna take it after Sin City when you think about the hardships he’s faced in the last 6 years, but 11th Dimension officially marks his return in the form of his most ambitious project to date. It revolves around a loose concept centering multiple characters that he created himself representing the man in each dimension & the production ranging from rage to even alternative rock.
Score: 3/5
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