Tag: Big Mama

Latto – “Big Mama” review

Here we have the 4th studio LP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper Latto. Winning the very first season of The Rap Game & eventually turned down a deal with So So Def Recordings because it wasn’t enough money, she eventually broke through a few summers back after signing to RCA Records & putting out a decent full-length debut Queen of da Souf. The sophomore effort 777 in 2022 sure enough won me over & her previous album Sugar Honey Iced Tea a couple years earlier was alright, welcoming this era of her career as the Big Mama with open arms

“Business & Personal” produced by Coupe & Pooh Beatz begins talking about motherhood slowing nothing down but the horsepower but once “Get Money Girl” recalls people initially thinking she wasn’t serious regarding her music career until declining the So So Def contract, “G.O.M.F. (Get Out My Face)” featuring Glorilla samples “Yahhh by Soulja Boy & Arab for a crunk single individually addressing some rumors that’ve been made about them.

Former PWG World Champion, 2-time WWE world champion & the longest reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther retiring 17-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 5-time WWE United States Champion & 4-time WWE tag team champion John Cena by gets referenced on “Chrome Heart Diaper Bag” once again talking about becoming a mother just before “Okayyy” featuring Doja Cat unites for a passable pop rap single.

“Hostage” featuring the father of her child 21 Savage disses Washington Wizards point guard Trae Young for some reason sampling “For the Love of You” by The Isley Brothers prior to “Death Row” talking about real bitches staying 10 toes down. “Onnat” flips “Kryptonite (I’m On It)” by the Purple Ribbon All-Stars discussing the typa shit she’s on lately while “Gimme Dat” ends the 1st half of Big Mama taking a jab at Cardi B after their Twitter spat back in October.

We have “Fallin’” kicking off the 2nd leg of the album opening up more regarding her relationship with 21 while “Need Luv 2” featuring Sexyy Red finds the 2 talking about gangsta bitches needing love as much as the male Gs do. “Make Me” featuring Mariah the Scientist blends alternative R&B & pop rap for a duet where they’re telling their respective partners to make them shut up while “Naked” continues the lustful themes talking about wanting to see the real 21.

“Anxious” featuring Wizkid takes inspiration from Afrobeats asking their lovers if their hearts ever skip a beat when they’re with both artists while “4L” talks about 21 Savage helping her get out of her comfort zone. After the “Daddy’s Little Girl” interlude details her upbringings, “Mama” featuring Jelly Roll links up for an ode to Latto’s mother while “Somebody” concludes with an interpolation of “Are You That Somebody?” by the late Aaliyah over a sample of “Give It to Me Baby” by the late Rick James.

I truly couldn’t tell you if this will be the last we’ll ever heard from Latto musically especially since she later admitted that her retirement was fueled by post-partum depression, but she still hasn’t topped 777 & would consider Big Mama to be a mild note to end on if she’s really done. The production mostly handled by Coupe & Pooh Beatz was an improvement over Sugar Honey Ice Tea’s, although the subject matter from the main artist & the guests themselves are mostly average outside of some profound moments.

Score: 3/5

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Flying Lotus – “Big Mama” review

Flying Lotus is a 42 year old producer, DJ, rapper, songwriter & filmmaker from Los Angeles, California who made his debut 2 decades earlier with the positively received 1983. He would later sign to Warp Records, dropping a string of acclaimed follow-ups from Los Angeles & Cosmogramma to Until the Quiet Comes & You’re Dead! throughout the course of my adolescence. Of course I’d be remised to forget the underrated DU∆LITY mixtape he dropped under the Captain Murphy alias. Flamagra in the spring of 2019 was the last time we heard FlyLo secularly, coming off the Yasuke & Ash soundtracks to drop his 7th extended play through his own label Brainfeeder Records in tandem with Ninja Tune.

The title track begins with this 36 second intro that will likely be used during an [adult swim] bumper at some point within the near future whereas “Captain Kernel” goes for a glitchier vibe instrumentally working in some additional synthesizers. “Antelope Onigri” throws it back to the IDM sound that defined Los Angeles & Cosmogramma over a decade earlier leading into “In the Forest: Day” hooking up some psychedelic synth melodies that feel like an acid trip.

“Brobobasher” continues the final leg of Big Mama blending elements of drum & bass as well as glitch and house music for almost a couple minutes while “Horse Nuke” starts off by heading for an ambient direction for the opening minute or so until combining IDM, wonky & techno for the remaining 102 seconds. “Pink Dream” however sends off the EP by cooking up an animated beat that would remind some people of the 3rd generation of video games 4 decades earlier.

Considering that he’s signed a handful of artists I’ve liked in the past such as Kamasi Washington or Hiatus Kaiyote & Thundercat, it makes me happy to hear Flying Lotus making an independent return to his electronic roots over the course of Big Mama’s brief runtime & only a month away from Distracted. His production takes an experimentally maximalist approach to IDM, glitch hop, wonky, glitch, nu jazz, ambient, chiptune, drum & bass & techno almost like a machine malfunctioning right in front of our very eyes.

Score: 4/5

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