Three rising stars of rap released their albums the night of Feb. 21, offering rap fans a variety of one-dimensional music. Gunna, Lil Pump and Offset all had albums that are landmarks of their career, however; all show that they heavily rely on their individual music styles.
Offset, who gained popularity as a member of the Atlanta-based group, Migos, dropped his first solo project “FATHER OF 4” which acknowledges many of his moral wrongdoings toward his family. He has been receiving flak for months after it was publicly revealed that he had been cheating on his wife, Cardi B, and his public attempts to win her back were seen as toxic.
“FATHER OF 4” seems to push the idea of toxicity more than remedy it. While he examines himself and his past, his triplet flows and the speed of his delivery makes it hard to find his self-reflection as genuine or looking for forgiveness.
“Inspiration for the dads it’s never too late,” Offset wrote on Twitter, and yet the idea of his attempts to be a better father hardly reached past the opening and title track of the album.
Gunna, a disciple of Young Thug’s YSL label, also utilizes a single music style and very rarely strays from it. Nearly every song features the same flow, and it can be easy to lose track of what song is playing because they all sound similar and the verses are just about interchangeable from song to song. This applies to the entirety of his discography and was expected of his album “Drip or Drown 2.”
The album could be considered a step forward for Gunna, as it is higher quality than his most recent collaboration with Lil Baby “Drip Harder” and arguably better than his last solo project “Drip Season 3.” His “drip” aesthetic refers to his fashionable and jewelry-filled outfits, which are heavily referenced throughout all his music.
The single “One Call” is not the best song on the album, but it sets the tone as a mediocre track on a basic, one-dimensional album.
Lil Pump delivered the high-energy ignorance that was expected on his album, “Harverd Dropout,” and he did it well. If someone expected substance from Lil Pump’s music, they may be as dumb as Lil Pump portrays himself (I personally think it’s an act for the sake of his fans and sensationalizing himself).
What Lil Pump lacks in lyricism and creativity, he makes up for with his energy in his delivery and the beats he raps over. A Lil Pump album is not made for sitting and pondering life, it is made for people who are under the influence and don’t need introspection, just some heavy-hitting trap beats and Lil Pump shouting nonsense over them.
None of these three albums are bad, in fact, they can all be argued to be some of their respective artists’ best work. That being said, all of these are relatively one-dimensional and lack any real experimentation. It is likely none of these artists will grow to be the best. However, all three artists create entertaining music and these albums represent their capabilities as great entertainers.
Mitchell Kret can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_arts on Twitter.
