Tag: Rae Sremmurd

Swae Lee – “Same Difference” review

Swae Lee is a 32 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Tupelo, Missouri who began his career as part of Dem Outta St8 Boyz alongside Bobo Swae as well as Lil Pantz & Slim Jxmmi. The latter of whom would stick by him following the departure of the other 2 members & signed to Mike WiLL Made-It’s own label Ear Drummer Records in tandem with Interscope Records as the duo Rae Sremmurd not too long afterwards. His subsequently made his solo debut in 2018 dropping Swaecation to mixed reception, returning 8 years later for a sophomore effort.

Tomato/Tomáto” produced by 30 Roc wasn’t actually that bad of an intro referencing WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, the inaugural 6-time TNA World Champion, TNA X Division Champion & 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion Kurt Angle whereas “No Call No Show” featuring ΠΔV continues with this mediocre pop rap cut.

Ging jumps behind the boards on “Everyone Wants” addressing someone who has what the rest desires while “The Gospel” hops over a cloudy Turbo instrumental to talk about being on autopilot. “Mural” featuring Jhené Aiko comes together for an R&B duet singing of their awareness regarding bad bitches needing someone to treat properly leading into “Side Eye” telling a woman he took to Santa Monica that she can’t expect him to ask her hand in marriage.

“E Off Emotion” locks in with both Mike WiLL Made-It & Pluss for a trap soul ballad singing that he’ll blow all the racks with his romantic interest while “Suitcase” featuring French Montana felt like an underwhelming note to end the 1st half on, addressing the type they’d put away. “Don’t Even Call” featuring Rich the Kid doesn’t start the other leg of the album any better despite the reference to UFC CEO Dana White, but “Flammable” kicked off the whole rollout experimenting with rage & missing the landing.

The tropical vibes of “FAV / ANNA” are merely passable even if I can’t say the same for this story he tells regarding a chick who he assumes left a man in shambles & after singing about a female who’s “Sneakier” than most leaving the final verse completely open, “Raising Awareness” expressing his desire of dying with memories instead of dreams over London on da Track cooking up one of the finest instrumentals on the entire LP. 

“Working Remote” by Rae Sremmurd reunites over a Mike WiLL beat to talk about shining in the dark while “Violet” explains to female he seemingly loved to death that he had to walk away so he could focus on his mental health. “Take My Heart” featuring Post Malone ends Same Difference with this synthpop outro advising their partners to put their hearts somewhere safe, although I don’t think it’s as cute as “Sunflower” was.

Most including myself weren’t head over heels for Swaecation or Jxmtro when SR3MM dropped in 2018, preferring the main course rather than either Swae Lee or Slim Jxmmi’s attempt at making their own versions of Speakerboxxx / The Love Below. I’ve since been hoping Swae would follow up Swaecation & artistically surpass it, except it’s somehow worse. He’s always been the most melodic Rae Sremmurd member of the 2 & that doesn’t change as many would expect, although the production’s more uninteresting.

Score: 1.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Rae Sremmurd – “Sremm 4 Life” review

Rae Sremmurd are a trap duo from Atlanta, Georgia consisting of real life brothers Swae Lee & Slim Jxmmi. However, many forget that they came up as a quartet in 2009 alongside Bobo Swae & Lil Pantz under the name Dem Outta St8 Boyz & dropped their only mixtape 3 Stooges with Lil Pantz would departing the group prior due to legal issues & Bobo following suit after to focus on his studies in Florida. P-Nazty would go on to introduce Swae & Jxmmi to revered trap producer Mike WiLL Made-It, who took the Brown brothers under his wing by making them the first act to sign to his Interscope Records imprint Ear Drummer Records rechristened as the names they’re known by today. After beginning to turn heads with hits like “No Type” & “Throw $um Mo” featuring Young Thug, it was enough for Rae Sremmurd to properly introduce themselves on the full-length debut SremmLife a month after the final single & the sophomore effort SremmLife 2 the following summer finding them to artistically expand more. Especially considering that “Black Beatles” featuring Gucci Mane is unquestionably the duo’s biggest hit to date. Their previous album however SR3MMLIFE in the spring of 2018 had a pretty strong start as it contains some of their best songs like “T’d Up” or even “CLOSE” featuring Travis Scott, but each of the Brown brothers’ respective solo debuts that were attached to it Swaecation & Jxmtro were both underwhelming at best which is a shame because I really was intrigued by the whole Speakerboxxx / The Love Below concept/homage except it’s 3 discs instead of simply 2 & the first one actually has new music from the titular duo. But after 5 long years, Swae & Jxm are returning with their 4th full-length outing.

“Origami (Hotties)” is a synth-trap opener produced by none other than Mike WiLL Made-it as the Brown brothers asking if you can see the others that’re surrounding them & to fold the paper whereas “Royal Flush” works in some horns & hi-hats courtesy of Chopsquad DJ as Thugger tags along so the trio can talk about dropping cash on land along with making grandmaster plans that’re complex. “Mississippi Slide” has a more shimmery approach sonically thanks to Zaytoven so Rae Sremmurd can pay homage to the titular state leading into the piano/trap “Not So Bad (Lean’s Gone Cold)” interpolating “Thank You” by Dido on the hook talking about the racks stacking up too tall.

On the other hand, “Tanisha (Pump That)” feels like a Slim Jxmmi solo cut featuring Swae on the hook despite the electro undertones throughout the instrumental & the lyrics describing how no one can do it the way she does just before the Murda Beatz co-produced “Bend Ya Knees” brings back the keys & hi-hats so they can ask their lovers to forgive them for their rich tendencies. Future joins Rae Sremmurd for the cloudy “Activate” talking about not being normal anymore, but then “Flaunt It / Cheap” delivers a well sequenced 2-parter encouraging the the party girls to get if started & nearly spending a dozen.

“Sexy” is an irresistibly catchy pop trap jam that 30 Roc helped Mike lace describing how physically attractive they both are while “YMCA” weaves some synth horns & hi-hats talking about how the conduct will quickly become disorderly now that they in the place. “Something I’m Not” has more acoustic groove to it as Rae Sremmurd gets more introspective on the lyrical front while Sonny Digital gives the song “Torpedo” a more atmospheric vibe so the duo can take off the the cash. The penultimate track “Diamonds Dancing” reminds everyone they’re here to stay over a trap beat from DJ Sremm with a reversed loop & “ADHD Anthem (Too Many Emotions)” sends off the album with some rage beats from Ronny J & Dynox of Internet Money Records talking about being misunderstood.

Considering the 5-year gap between this & Rae Sremmurd’s last album, I was intrigued to hear where both these guys would take it with the comeback effort & I think fans will find Sremm 4 Life to be more salvageable than SR3MM was. I admire how the approach & content are both a little different than before, Mike WiLL & company bring some consistent trap production to the table, Swae & Jxmmi both sound more focused than they did on their respective solo debuts that were attached to the predecessor & they didn’t go overboard with the features.

Score: 3.5/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!