![]() “Shottas (Lala)” thankfully gets back to the menacing piano keys and one of his most distinct and memorable flows on a still criminally short runtime, before a checked-out Future jumps on board for what is essentially a watered-down and wobbly version of a current hit single, as “Hard for The Next” interpolates the same track as Pop Smoke’s “What You Know Bout Love.” Over the timeless piano of Ashanti’s “Foolish,” Yo’s love letter to his cup of lean feels like a low-effort besmirching of a legacy that doesn’t fit the strengths of his naturally aggressive timbre. ![]() “Wockesha,” on the other hand, is the first track displaying Yo’s penchant for slowing things down a bit with some R&B samples and mumbling his way through sung sections. And there are multiple tracks here that are even shorter. “GO!” is a grim and energetic banger where Yo’s gritty vocals serve him well and a feature from BIG30 provides some nice contrast, but at barely over two minutes it feels like an interlude – a short burst of energy that leaves before you can really get into it. The subsequent tracks “GO!” and “Wockesha,” on the other hand, respectively introduce the two bigger issues with the lengthy project as a whole. One of the strongest tracks here, Yo glides casually over a frenetic high-pitched piano loop and offers some of his most personality-driven bars by punctuating things with some hilariously smug and dismissive ad-libs. For the other three-quarters of material, it’s hard to pin much of a distinct personality or artistic voice onto these tracks that couldn’t have believably come from one of his contemporaries.Īfter a cinematic introduction featuring eerie vocals from Kaash Paige and a sound collage of gunshots, sirens and news reports of crime that sets the scene, Moneybagg Yo descends into the first track “Just Say Det” with the relaxed but deadly confident cadence of an artist who has been grinding for years and is well qualified to address the violent street life he depicts on multiple tracks here. Over 22 tracks, many of which seemingly end before they can begin, there are certainly your standard hard-hitting highlights, surprisingly confessional moments and ear-grabbing beats. The Memphis rapper’s raspy cadence certainly gives his music a bit of an edge, almost as if one of the distinctive voices making drill music right now were assigned instead to more of the perennially trendy trap sound, but there’s not much else that makes Moneybagg Yo stand out from the pack. Long seen as a mixtape-heavy “street rapper,” one of those figures who is much more well-known to his community than chart positions and sales numbers would suggest, Moneybagg Yo’s 4 th studio album has finally seen him ascend to the top in the latter respect as well as he tracks for a #1 debut with A Gangsta’s Pain.
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