Gucci Mane – “D.O.G. (Delusions Of Grandeur)” review

Gucci Mane is a legendary rapper from Atlanta, Georgia known for being one of the 3 trap pioneers shaping the subgenre to what it is today. However, it wasn’t until 2016 when he finished serving his last prison sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon that he would improve both musically & personally. The dude is known for dropping a couple projects a year & now just 6 months after Evil Genius (which was his only effort last year shockingly), he’s delivering his 14th full-length album.

The album kicks off with “Bussdown”, where Wop talks about not wanting to squash beef over a generically moody beat. The next song “Backwards” with Meek Mill see the 2 getting braggadocious over a lavish Zaytoven beat while the track “Special” with Anuel AA talks about their glow up over a bassy Murda Beatz instrumental with some twinkling piano keys. The song “ICE” sounds like a leftover from Gunna & Lil Baby’s collab tape Drip Harder while the track “Love Thru the Computer” is a painfully corny romance tune.

The song “Proud of You” is a celebration of his new self over a Kenny Beats instrumental with a prominent violin while the track “Bottom” talks about how fine this chick is over a haunting Tay Keith beat. The song “Hands Off” is another sappy love tune while the track “Blind” with A Boogie wit da Hoodie sees the 2 flexing & I really love how Zaytoven samples the classic Nelly cut “Dilemma”. The song “Superstar” is a horrifically delivered celeb anthem with a mellow beat while the track “Upgrade” is a bouncy tribute to his wife.

The song “Lame” with Rick Ross & Wiz Khalifa dissing the titular types of people over a monstrous Southside] beat while the track “Potential” with Lil Uzi Vert & Young Dolph see the 3 sounds like a bland leftover from 1017 vs. the World. The track “Human Chandelier” gets cocky over a nocturnal beat while the song “Us” continues to flaunt over a bass-heavy instrumental.

The song “Look at Me Now” talks yet again about his new life since 2016 over a flute-inflicted Tay Keith beat while the penultimate track “Making a Murderer” gets bloodthirsty over a druggy Murda Beatz instrumental. The outro is a bit of a surprise as well, especially since Wop reunites with PeeWee Longway over a hard hitting Honorable C.N.O.T.E. instrumental.

Yeah, this is yet another decent album from Gucci. There are some catchy bangers, but the buttery cuts like the ones with Justin Bieber & Jeremih weigh it down. Nothing wrong with romance songs but in Gucci’s case, it sounds forced.

Score: 3/5

Offset – “FATHER OF 4” review

Offset is a 27 year old rapper who came up at the beginning of the decade as 1/3 of the Migos. He released a fantastic collab album with 21 Savage & Metro Boomin’ on Halloween 2017 called Without Warning but now just a few months after his cousins Quavo & Takeoff made their solo debuts with QUAVO HUNCHO & The Last Rocket respectively, Offset is the final Migo at bat.

The album kicks off with the title track, which is a heartwarming dedication to his children over a somber beat from Metro. The next track “How Did I Get Here?” with J. Cole sees the 2 talking about fame over an atmospheric beat while the song “Lick” talks about his rags to riches over a bland woodwind-infused beat with some rubbery bass. The track “Tats on My Face” gets boastful over a nocturnal trap beat from the So Icey Boyz while the song “Made Men” talks about how he’s made referencing WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzenegger over a grimy trap beat from Southside. The track “Wild Wild West” with Gunna gets back on the boastful tip over an eerie Metro beat while the song “North Star” talks about the stresses of fame over a beautifully stripped back beat.

The track “After Dark” is pays tribute to Paris Brown over a luscious trap beat while the song “Don’t Lose Me” addresses his split-up with Cardi B over a spacious beat. The track “Underrated” talks about how he feels just that over another nocturnal trap beat from the So Icey Boyz while the song “Legacy” with Travis Scott & 21 Savage talks about their success over a dreary beat. The track “Clout” with Cardi B attack people who‘ll do anything to be famous over a keyboard-inflicted trap beat while the song “On Fleek” with Quavo is a sex tune with an moody beat. The track “Quarter Milli” with Gucci Mane sees the 2 bragging about their wealth over a bass-heavy from Metro & Pyrex Whippa while the song “Red Room” talks about how crazy his life has been over a pretty trap beat. The album then finishes with “Came a Long Way”, where Offset pulls a pretty heart wrenching performance over a gloomy trap beat.

We all know the Migos’ material since C U L T U R E II has been very lackluster, but this is easily the best of the 3 solo debuts & it actually gives me hope for C U L T U R E III. The lyrics are a lot more personal surprisingly, it’s more well-produced & it seems like they actually focused more on quality over quantity.

Score: 3.5/5

Gucci Mane – “Evil Genius” review

Gucci Mane is a legendary rapper from Atlanta, Georgia known for being one of the 3 trap pioneers shaping the subgenre to what it is today. However, it wasn’t until 2016 when he released from prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon that he would improve both musically & personally. The dude is known for dropping a couple projects a year & as we approach the final month of 2018, he’s delivering his 13th full-length album.

The album kicks off with “Off the Boat”, where Woo recalls his drug dealing days over a nocturnal beat. The track “By Myself” is essentially trap’s answer to KiD CuDi’s “Solo Dolo” while the song “Bipolar” with Quavo sees the 2 talking about how they act with their paychecks over a spacious trap beat from OG Parker. The track “Just Like It” with 21 Savage sees the 2 talking about the drug game over an ominous beat from Honorable C.N.O.T.E. while the song “Cold Shoulder” with YoungBoy Never Broke Again sees the 2 brushing off their haters over a nondescript instrumental.

The track “On God” gets boastful over an apocalyptic beat from Southside while the song “Father’s Day” pretty much acknowledges his status as a trap pioneer over a dark instrumental from Metro Boomin’. The track “Outta Proportion” references WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin backed with prominent hi-hats & faint keyboards. The track “Lost Y’all Minds” with Quavo is a needless sequel to “Bipolar” while the song “I’m Not Goin’” with Kevin Gates sees the 2 going at those who pray on their downfall over a bass-heavy trap beat from Murda Beatz.

The track “Wake Up in the Sky” with Kodak Black is a celebratory anthem with a laidback instrumental from 808 Mafia members DY, Tarentino & Tre Pounds while the song “Solitaire” is a solid introduction to the Glacier Boyz with a video-gamey instrumental. The track “This the Night” charismatically boasts about his wife Keyshia Davis over an atmospheric Southside beat while the song “Mad Russian” with Lil Skies sees the 2 getting flirtatious over a moody Murda Beatz instrumental.

The track “Hard Feelings” addresses all of Wop’s exes over a bland beat while the song “Lord” gives thanks to the higher power over a vibrant beat. The penultimate track “Money Callin'” pretty much speaks for itself over a syrupy yet spacey beat & then the closer “Kept Back” with Lil Pump sees the 2 talking about wanting a boss bitch over a trap beat with some classy keys.

It’s been almost a year since Gucci dropped his last album El Gato: The Human Glacier & now that we finally got the finished product after teasing it since then, the end results are slightly mixed. He still sounds great, but almost half of these cuts sound either unfinished or very plain.

Score: 3/5

Takeoff – “The Last Rocket” review

Takeoff is a 24 year old rapper from Atlanta, Georgia who rose to prominence in 2013 as 1/3 of the Migos with his nephew quavo & his cousin Offset. The first of whom Quavo is arguably the most notable member & he actually happened to drop his solo debut QUAVO HUNCHO just 3 weeks prior. Now if that wasn’t enough for you, Takeoff here is now next at bat.

The album kicks off with “Martian”, where Takeoff talks about his success throughout the years over some prominent hi-hats from DJ Durel. The next track “She Gon’ Wink” by Unc & Phew sees the 2 getting boastful over a spacey trap instrumental while the song “None to Me” introspectively talks about the famous life over a gloomy beat from 808 Mafia members DY, Gezin & TM88. The track “Vacation” pretty much speaks for itself over a trap beat from Murda Beatz & Cubeatz with some faint keyboards while the song “Last Memory” is a painfully bland braggadocious tune. The track “I Remember” vividly recalls drug dealing days over an eerie Murda Beatz instrumental while the song “Lead the Wave” talks about being a leader over a vibrant trap beat from DJ Durel.

The track “Casper” talks about him & his girl cruising down in a wraith over a somber Nonstop da Hitman instrumental while the song “Insomnia” is a boring freestyle over the beat from the latest Juicy J & Travis Scott song “Neighbor”. The track “Infatuation” is an awkwardly buttery love story while the song “Soul Plane” marks a returns to the braggadocious lyrics over a bass-heavy trap beat. The album then ends with “Bruce Wayne”, where Takeoff tells the audience to picture him rolling over an atmospheric beat from Cassius Jay & Wheezy.

This was better than I had anticipated, but it’s still decent. I can appreciate Takeoff for handling a good chunk of it on his own, but it really weighs it down because it tends to get monotonous after a while.

Score: 2.5/5

Quavo – “QUAVO HUNCHO” review

Quavo is a 27 year old rapper, singer/songwriter & producer from Atlanta, Georgia who rose to prominence in 2013 as 1/3 of the Migos with his nephew Takeoff & his cousin Offset. He also formed the duo Huncho Jack in late 2016 with one of the most creative minds in hip hop today: Travis Scott, dropping their debut album Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho at the very end of last year. He then got back with Takeoff & Offset at the beginning of THIS year to drop the Migos’ 3rd full length album C U L T U R E II, which is easily one of the most disappointing hip hop albums of 2018. However, they aren’t stopping there as Quavo is now the very 1st member of the trio to put out a full-length solo effort.

The album kicks off triumphantly with “BIGGEST ALLEY OOP”, where Quavo talks about his place in hip hop over a 30 Roc instrumental with a chilling flute & some female background vocals. The next track “PASS OUT” with 21 Savage sees the 2 getting boastful over a druggy instrumental, but the post-chorus where Quavo repeats his “skrr” ad-lib constantly is very tedious. The song “HUNCHO DREAMS” is a pretty solid response to “Barbie Dreams” off of Nicki Minaj’s latest album Queen backed with an atmospheric Murda Beatz instrumental while the track “FLIP THE SWITCH” with Drake sees the 2 talking about a bad bitch over a vibrant trap beat from Wheezy. The song “GIVE IT TO ‘EM” gets cold blooded over an eerie piano lead while the track “SHINE” is a club anthem with a spacey Tay Keith instrumental.

The song “WORKIN’ ME” talks about his relationship with his girlfriend Saweetie over an airy instrumental from Murda Beatz while the track “HOW ‘BOUT THAT?” talks about how the Migos are running the trap scene over a nondescript OG Parker instrumental. The song “CHAMPAGNE ROSÉ” with Cardi B is an alcohol anthem over a relaxing woodwind instrumental from Murda Beatz & the Madonna hook was a nice surprise as well. The track “KEEP THAT SHIT” by Unc & Phew is about how they’re rich & your broke over a murky Dun Deal instrumental while the song “FUCK 12” with Offset disses corrupt cops over a gloomy instrumental.

The track “LOSE IT” with Lil Baby is a mediocre tune about how hot this woman is & the song “RERUN” is an obvious & unfortunately structureless Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho leftover with a beautifully spacious WondaGurl instrumental. The track “GO ALL THE WAY” is very repetitive lyrically, but the electronic instrumental that Pharrell brings to the table kinda reminds me of some of the better cuts that he & his Neptunes cohort Chad Hugo produced together on Common’s Universal Mind Control a decade prior. The song “LAMB TALK” is of course Quavo bragging about his lifestyle over an airy beat while the track “BIG BRO” is a more mature cut as he talks about taking this person under his wing over a cloudy beat. However, that one line at the very beginning about Lil Peep was in horribly bad taste. The song “SWING” is an awkward attempt at going dancehall while the penultimate track “BUBBLE GUM” talks about how this chick has it over a generic instrumental. The album ends with “LOST”, where Quavo & KiD CuDi talk about rising above over a settle beat.

I’ve been waiting on a Quavo solo album & overall, it’s pretty solid. There are a small handful of boring & run of the mill joints but outside of that, the production is more consistent than C U L T U R E II‘s & Quavo himself sounds a lot more focused than he did on that album with his charisma shining brighter even on his own.

Score: 3.5/5

Lil Yachty – “Lil Boat 2” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper Lil Yachty commemorates the 2 year anniversary of his breakout mixtape Lil Boat by releasing a sequel. The opener “Self Made” talks about his success over a spacey, booming trap beat while next song “Boom!” with Ugly God sees the 2 talking to their haters over a bouncy beat, but the hook is annoying as fuck. The track Oops with 2 Chainz gets braggadocious over some bass while “Talk to Me Nice” with Quavo is yet another humble brag over an airy beat.

The track “Get Money Bros.” with Tee Grizzley pretty much speaks for itself over an eerie beat while the song “Count Me In” gets charismatic over a banging instrumental from Pi’erre Bourne. The song “She Ready” gets sexual & the beat is pretty playful, but the PnB Rock feature doesn’t do much for me. The track “Love Me Forever” is pretty much the same thing except with a more moody instrumental & the song “Das Cap” gets in your face over a haunting Southside beat.

The track “Pop Out” is another redundant bragging tune with a weird, electro-trap beat from Digital Nas & a terrible verse from JBan$ while the song “NBAYOUNGBOAT” is basically a showcase of decent chemistry between Yachty & YoungBoy Never Broke Again.

The track “Mickey” is an eerie tune about snitches, but the Offset feature at the beginning is the only highlight about it for me. The song “FWM” might have over a bass-heavy beat, but Yachty’s monotonous delivery will doesn’t get me excited at all. The track “Flex” is another in your face braggadocious banger with annoying ass delivery while the song “Whole Lotta Guap” talks about what he has now & over another bouncy beat from Pi’erre.

“Baby Daddy” with Lil Pump & Offset basically tells this woman that his man is a sucka choke-slamming them like former SMW Tag Team Champion, 3-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 12-time WWE tag team champion & WWE Hardcore Champion Kane over an eerie beat I’m pretty sure I similarly heard while the closer “66” talks about how he’s allegedly gonna flex until he’s old over an atmospheric DY beat with a decent Trippie Redd feature.

Personally, this thing did not live up to the hype that was set out for it. While I‘ve never been a fan of Lil Yachty’s music to begin with, at least I can commend the first Lil Boat for having a blissful vibe to it. This however, is filled with a bunch of club bangers in a shorter & feature heavy way than Teenage Emotions was

Score: 1.5/5

Migos – “C U L T U R E II” review

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Atlanta, Georgia trap trio Migos celebrates the 1 year anniversary of their sophomore album C U L T U R E a day early by putting out the long-awaited sequel. The album starts off pretty well with “Higher We Go”, which sees the trio talking about their staying power over a wavy trap beat from Metro Boomin’. The next song The next song “Supastars” talks about their lives now over a futuristic trap beat from Honorable C.N.O.T.E. & while the track “Narcos” does reflect on their drug dealing days, the production is so mediocre. The song “B.B.O. (Bad Bitches Only)” pretty much speaks for itself & the jazzy horns on here were a pretty nice touch.

The track “Auto Pilot (Huncho on the Beat)” brags about the lavish life over a video gamey trap beat from the trio’s standout member Quavo & while the song “Walk It Talk It” with Drake sends a message to all of their haters, the hook is super lazy. The track “Emoji a Chain” talks about being all decked out over a decent Metro Boomin’ beat & while the song “CC” with Gucci Mane is a futuristic sex tune, it deadass sounds like an unreleased Travi$ Scott song down to Quavo’s auto-tuned delivery. The song “Stir Fry” touch down on about their success over an infectious funk/trap fused instrumental from Pharrell & despite “Too Much Jewelry” having a nice verse from Takeoff & the Zaytoven production is pretty atmospheric, it’s not structured all that well. We should’ve gotten verses from Offset & Quavo right after because when Takeoff’s sole verse ends, we’re then lead into the hook alongside a robotic bridge from Quavo that’s hilariously bad & then a short interlude before going back to the hook to end the track.

The song “Gang Gang” is an ode to themselves with a settle trap beat from Murda Beatz while the track “White Sand” with Big Sean & Ty$ talks about the celebrity life over a mediocre video gamey beat from Wheezy. The song “Crown the Kings” talks about how they’re living the dream, but the only distinct characteristics about the instrumental is the faint “ Get Up, Stand Up” sample that’s buried in the mix along with piano that comes in around the second half. The track “Flooded” sounds like a murkier, better structured version of “Too Much Jewelry” & the song “Beast” is pretty much a better version of “CC”.

The Cardo produced “Open It Up” is a sinister-sounding banger about their drug dealing past & despite “Motor Sport” being a pretty decent tune to cruise around to from all 3 members’ flows to the laidback beat from Murda Beatz & Cubeatz, the guest verses from Cardi B & Nicki Minaj ruin it for me. The track “Movin’ Too Fast” talks about their drug dealing lives over a gloomy Quavo instrumental isn’t too bad & the song “Work Hard” talks about their work ethics over a moody beat.

The track “Notice Me” talks about their new lives yet again over a laidback beat & the song “Too Playa” with 2 Chainz is a boastful look into the celebrity lifestyle over a somewhat jazzy trap beat. The song “Made Men” talks about their success over a mellow instrumental & the penultimate track “Top Down on da NAWF” reflects on their younger days in Northside Atlanta over an atmospheric beat. The album then closes with “Culture National Anthem”, which surprisingly gets conscious over a piano-trap beat.

To be quite honest, I’m pretty disappointed in this. There are definitely highlights on here but the final product here is so bloated, that the album becomes an inconsistent listen from start to finish. It’s definitely more listenable than the new Chris Brown album Heartbreak on a Full Moon or even the Control the Streets compilation that Quality Control Music (to which Migos are signed to) dropped last month but if they kept 12 tracks for the album & saved the other 12 in the vault, then I’d enjoy it a lot more than what we really got

Score: 2/5