Babystaydown – “Art of War” review

Athens, Georgia up-&-comer Babystaydown dropping off his sophomore effort 5 months since his full-length studio debut. Somebody who already has 15 EPs under his belt including Intrusion, PL Top Recruits, 1,350, Drugz Sex & Money and it’s sequel, 17, Genesis, his Cegular Records/Sony Music debut Hate da Way Um Livin, Pain Before Pleasure, Chief 13, Aimai, I.L.M.F. (I Love My Friends), ##Kool ##Kat & the Lost Files duology. However, his inaugural LP Born Anew this spring maintained the same level as all 3 of his extended plays on Cegular in terms of propelling his status in the underground & Art of War following his Red Flags & Roses appearance had me intrigued.

“Shoota” produced by Rafmade & SOULJASPIRITS opens by talking about pulling up to the spot with a bunch of gunmen surrounding him whereas “After All” pulls inspiration from Lil Uzi Vert & Lil Wayne suggesting to everyone around his premises to move the fuck out the way before he goes on a full rampage. “Switched My Tool” talks about having to swapping out the dot attached to his Glock because the firearm got too hot & spraying shit up without bluffin’ while “Cash Flow” promotes violence & money.

Whyceg jumps behind the boards for “Dead Wrong” cutting bitches off like fades leading “All Bad” talking about being rich as fuck along with quitting green lean to consume the purpler stuff over a cloudy Hariroc beat. “Don’t Fuck with T194” featuring Pradabagshawty finds the 2 labelmates teaming up so they can talk about not partaking in using acetaminophen or oxycodone hydrochloride leading into self-awareness settling in on “Luv Raging” knowing this bitch lying when she says she loves him.

“Goofy AF” featuring byarmyy joins forces over a Traiqo instrumental shrugging off all the lames who really ain’t be saying much of anything while “D.P.W.D. (Don’t Play Wit Dat)” talks about running up checks in his sleep & all of his hoes being freaks. “Babii Babii” embraces a pluggier vibe speaking of his life going brazy ever since he finally made it out of the pavement while “Lie” talks about saying whatever you want regarding him even if he & everyone else knows it’s false.

The song “Blumagic 15” begins Art of War’s final act with Babystaydown hopping over a plugg beat recalling being so high the night earlier to the point that he couldn’t see a thing & after “Same Faces” warns that if any of his friends wind up dead if they cross the line of betrayals, “Oh My Baby” finishes with an 112 second outro that mxrt4lity laced apologizing to a woman he’s no longer involved with romantically because him breaking her heart although he claims intention of doing so.

Hate da Way Um Livin marked a huge turning point in Babystaydown’s career as it seemed like the beginning of an artistic evolution further explored on Pain Before Pleasure, Chief 13, Aimai, I.L.M.F. (I Love My Friends), ##Kool ##Kat, both entries of the Lost Files series & Born Anew. Art of War brings that growth full circle joining B What You B & Home Invasions in becoming the most essential listening experiences in the Cegular Records catalog only a few months away from the 2 year anniversary of the plugg label’s founding.

Score: 4/5

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Babystaydown – “Chief 13” review

Here is the 10th EP from Athens, Georgia rapper Babystaydown. Somebody who’s spent the last couple years on SoundCloud with all 9 of his previous EPs under his belt already including PL Top Recruits, 1,350, Drugz Sex & Money and it’s sequel, 17, Genesis, his Cegular Records/Sony Music debut Hate da Way Um Livin, Saint & Pain Before Pleasure. Exactly a week after Pradabagshawty’s brand new EP B What You B, the Cegular crew isn’t wasting any time to drop Chief 13.

“Flyest & Highest” begins by flexing that he’s the dopest & the most stoned out of everyone in his vicinity over a cloudy trap instrumental whereas the pluggier “Perfect Timing” produced by Whyceg & SOULJASPIRITS talks about sending muhfuckas to the sky. “You Don’t Relate” cloudily asks how the fuck someone gonna push down since leaving’s forbidden while “Green Like Neon” featuring Pradabagshawty proves why we need a collab project from them.

Starting the 2nd half of Chief 13, we have Babystaydown going off the top for 2 & a half minutes during the synth-woven “Sun Up” talking about balling in a party with a Glock on him while “It’s Alright” suggests that one better keep their fight instead of going out sad. “Dirt Work” talks about being unconfident even after taking all the drugs he’s been on & “Need You Around” closes with him telling a woman how badly he desires to have her by his side.

Ever since Babystaydown signed to Cegular Records last fall, Whyceg has really done an outstanding job elevating him & Pradabagshawty because they’re already climbing the ranks in terms of becoming one of the most interesting plugg labels out currently. Things in the production department having been progressively strengthening for the Athens artist these past 5 months, which Chief 13 further exemplifies & the hungry gangsta lyrics.

Score: 4/5

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Babystaydown – “Pain Before Pleasure” review

Athens, Georgia recording artist Babystaydown back with his 8th EP & Cegular Records sophomore effort. Introducing himself off his debut EP PL Top Recruits as well as 1,350 and Drugz Sex & Money, the latter of which spawned a sequel of it’s own this spring succeeding 17 & preceding his final independent release Genesis later in the summer. Signing to Whyceg’s newly formed Sony Music imprint not too long ago, he’s coming off his debut for the label Hate da Way Um Livin’ a few months earlier by breaking down the Pain Before Pleasure.

“Real Rich” opens with a cloudy trap instrumental talking about getting to the money has become a daily routine for him whereas “Handstand” goes for a pluggier vibe to the beat feelin’ like Marilyn Manson for fuckin’ a female rockstar. “How I Feel” produced by mxrt4lity atmospherically lets the world in as to what’s been on his mind lately while the pluggy “No Choice” assures that anyone around him can leave if they really wanted to & that they’re not being held against their will.

Jripey appears for “Taylor Port” starting the 2nd half of the EP by teaming up over a plugg instrumental from Hariroc talking about being too bad for good women leading into my favorite track “Block List” finding himself getting blocked on the Meta Platforms-owned Instagram by a baddie who was topless the night prior with an Ayelavish! & SOULJASPIRITS beat backing him. “Birthday” flexes that this fine bitch has been tryna get with what he does & “Ignoto” finishes by talking about so high that he can’t even see the bottle.

There’s only a small handful of songs I could’ve done without, but Babystaydown nonetheless comes back a week succeeding Pradabagshawty’s last EP Forever & After to drop off another short collection of plugg/trap songs that almost reach the same pedestal as it’s predecessor a couple months earlier. Now that both of Cegular’s inaugural signings have both dropped more than 1 project since getting their respective deals, I’m fairly confident 2025 could push themselves further in the plugg subgenre of trap than they’ve already reached.

Score: 3.5/5

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Babystaydown – “Hate da Way Um Livin’” review

This is the 7th EP albeit Cegular Records debut from Athens, Georgia recording artist Babystaydown. Introducing himself off his debut EP PL Top Recruits as well as 1,350 and Drugz Sex & Money, the latter of which spawned a sequel of it’s own this spring succeeding 17 & preceding his final independent release Genesis later in the summer. Signing to Whyceg’s newly formed Sony Music imprint not too long ago, he’s ready to artistically take himself to the next level on Hate da Way Um Livin’.

We get a bubbly plugg instrumental on the intro “Over It” promising his hoe that they’re gonna smash once he returns from the road whereas “FaceTime” brings a cloudier trap vibe to the beat talking about there being no cap in his raps unlike all these other clowns. “Hijack” gets geeked up for 134 seconds taking the plugg route instrumentally & after “Mink Coat” talks about his preference in freaky women, “M.I.A.” produced by Ayelavish! alongside SOULJASPIRITS & Whyceg ends the first half explaining that he’s living better.

“Deceiving” starts the backend of Hate da Way Um Livin’ with a minimally atmospheric beat talking about a woman that he feels like having mileage whilst being self-aware of the swindling advantage looks can have while “Creole” embraces a pluggnb direction talking about wearing ア・ベイシング・エイプ shirt & Ksubi jeans. “Doomed” yearns to give a bitch shrooms & take her to the room so he can smash her leading into the title track finishing with confidence that he’ll be ok.

All that hustling Babystaydown has done on SoundCloud these past 16 months have finally paid off not simply based off the fact that he’s signed now, but also because Hate da Way Um Livin’ surpasses every single one of his earlier extended plays as the greatest one of them all musically. The plugg production has elevated significantly since the Athens artist began & his gangsta-themed lyrics have gotten sharper.

Score: 4/5

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