This is the 30th studio LP from Houston, Texas emcee & singer/songwriter Z-Ro. A member of the Screwed Up Click collective, he’s been holding it down for 3 decades already whether it be the Rap-A-Lot Records debut & my personal favorite in his discography The Life of Joseph W. McVey or his output as part of the Guerilla Maab & later the duo ABN. He dropped both The Ghetto Gospel & Call Me Rother in 2024, coming off Unappreciated & the poorly received Never Love a Bitch Again proclaiming that he’s Forever King.
The title track luxuriously kicks things off with an R&B hook talking about being a real one when his background already certifies it whereas “High Than a Bitch” featuring Kook finds the pair uniting for an ode to smoking the finest weed over a trap instrumental. He later airs out his grievances towards a “Weak Ass Bitch”, suggesting she better be grateful for what she has just before “Fucc’d Up” talks about feeling betrayed at finding out some doubted him.
“Not Right Now” continues from there cautioning now isn’t exactly the best time for him to fall apart despite knowing bitches are fraudulent leading into “Another Drank” featuring That Mexican O.T. linking up so they can talk about consuming alcohol over some hi-hats & synthesizers. “Capricorn” hits the midway point of Forever King representing his zodiac sign & saying “Fuck ya” instead of “Love ya” while “The Way It’s Gone Go” talks about not getting down with his people no more.
As for “Hold Up 2”, we have Ro hitting us with a sequel to a joint he did 2 decades earlier advising not to press one’s luck unless they wanna get dropped while “They Crazy” talks about the haters trashing him really hard when Never Love a Bitch Again really wasn’t all that great. “The Town” discusses being the realest in the 713 & probably being the one stealing everyone’s hoes while “What About Me” speaks of having the ability to tell who really cares for him & who doesn’t.
“Go Nowhere” winds down the last leg of Forever King talking about people wanting to see you fail instead of catching Ws & shining while “God Rap” hops over a bell-work beat to issue a warning of him packing sticks regardless of his godly aura, assuring they’ll remember him. “You Know” spends the album’s concluding 3 & a half minutes talking about never knowing which way a hoe sliding down a pole with a ton of cash across the floor will go.
Making up for the lackluster reception Never Love a Bitch Again got 8 months ago, Z-Ro gives us the same no nonsense he’s been making from the jump except there’s a heavier R&B twist to it & that’s exactly why Forever King would be the strongest choice of the 2 albums he’s put out this year. His versatility as a rapper & as a singer has always been a huge reason why he’s become a local icon & I think people will appreciate that more than the bitter heartbreak of it’s predecessor.
Score: 3.5/5
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