With a behemoth 30 song track list typical of the modern day streaming error, MUSIC suffers from a lack of quality control and cohesion. This can be seen on similar sounding tracks such as “OVERLY” and “DIS 1 GOT IT”. The song “TOXIC” sounds like a cheap rehash of the previous single “BACKROOMS”. For an album that has been in the works for so long, MUSIC surprisingly has lackluster mixing. It shows with things like the bizarre extended intro sequence that sounds like it could’ve been ripped off of YouTube video outro on what’s currently the album’s most popular track “EVIL J0RDAN”.

Additionally, outside of a few guest appearances, most of the features on the record are middling or drag down the project at times. An A-list artist such as Playboi Carti should be capable of producing a more diverse and creative set of collaborations than three Travis Scott features, two Lil Uzi Vert features, three Kendrick Lamar features, two Future features and a repetitive feature from The Weeknd. Even though Carti is not known for being a profound lyricist, MUSIC lacks those sparing moments of introspection that added more depth to his previous projects.

Despite being a very flawed project, MUSIC has some highlights when it focuses on expanding the sounds of Whole Lotta Red. “POP OUT” is raw, sonically unhinged, and one of the most explosive and thrilling tracks to open an album. The songs “CRANK” and “COCAINE NOSE” feel like the evolved final form of the punk-rap sound. Kendrick Lamar makes an unexpectedly fun appearance as a hypeman on “MOJO JOJO”. However, another Kendrick Lamar collab “GOOD CREDIT” pales in comparison to his collaborations with Baby Keem and is slightly underwhelming due to a dull production choice and Carti’s lethargic vocal delivery.

Out of all the various genre forays on the album, Playboi Carti is at his best when tapping into electronic and sample based sounds. The spacey production on “OLYMPIAN” and “I SEEEEEE YOU BABY BOI” is hypnotic and serves as a perfect medium for his raspy melodies. Playboi Carti delivers his finest performance on “OPM BABI” by using an eclectic vocal delivery and surrounding himself with thrilling, unrelenting gunshot effects and hype producer tags courtesy of Atlanta legend DJ Swamp Izzo. Another stellar performance on the album comes over a fun creative sample of the Rich Kidz song “Bend Over” on “LIKE WEEZY”. These sounds suit Playboi Carti well and one can only hope he continues to explore these lanes on future projects instead of rehashing cheap thrills that have already run their course in mainstream music.

Official Maurice Crawford Score: 6.8/10

The post Playboi Carti May Not Be the “MUSIC” appeared first on KRUI Radio.

On 2093, Yeat throws this previous formula out the window, and decides to show the world his distinct vision of hip-hop’s future. That vision is centered around techno, with trance and industrial influences. While this vision sounds incredible on paper, Yeat doesn’t quite maximize the potential of this sound.

2093 consists of futuristic synths and many other sounds that are associated with genres far out from what has traditionally been seen considered rap. The pulsating base on tracks like “Breathe” and “Riot & Set it off” could have seamlessly fit in on Mandy, Indiana’s I’ve Seen a Way. “1093” has a beautiful melody that wouldn’t sound foreign on a Nine Inch Nails project. Even though “Bought The Earth” is a decent piece of psychedelic hip-hop, but it sounds like a Travis Scott throwaway. Additionally, the 30-second cinematic intros and outros on various tracks across the album reek of musical pseudo-intellectualism. It just comes across as clichéd.

Despite the many creative peaks on the record, proper curation is once again the Yeat’s Achilles heel. In the streaming era, many artists have put out longer projects to boost sales numbers and algorithm interaction. This has dragged down the quality and potential of many projects like Whole Lotta Red or Certified Lover Boy.

Unfortunately, 2093 is the newest member of an exclusive list of “could’ve been” classics. The length of this 22-track behemoth tends to bring down the special qualities of this album and make it drag along. For some reason, this has been a recurring theme in his discography, and it has been quite frustrating to witness. Perhaps he should have taken notes from Ken Carson’s A Great Chaos. If this album could have been cut down to at least 18 tracks, much more of the project’s full potential could have been realized.  

The length of the project is just one amongst various elements that weighed this project down. An aspect worth noting is Yeat’s lethargic delivery throughout the vast majority of this project. One of the most interesting aspects of his music has been his unorthodox and experimental vocals. On Aftërlyfe, it felt like you could never expect what was coming next. That unpredictability resulted in memorable vocal takes such as those on “Heavyweight” and “Split” that are ingrained in my mind to this day. Those unconventional deliveries were strongly needed and would have made 2093 worth its length.

Even though there are some truly incredible moments on this record, the romanticized idea of what this album could have been is much more enthralling than the project we received. Perhaps younger generations may consider the album as a classic, and a blueprint of what’s to come, while I end up on the wrong side of history. In the meantime, until Yeat is able to grasp the depth of his untapped potential over the length of a full project, I am going to have to settle for only adding a select few of his songs to my playlists. 

Official Maurice Crawford Score: 6.4/10

The post Yeat and Flawed Innovation in “2093” appeared first on KRUI Radio.