Avoiding the pitfalls of a sophomore decline, all to common in Hip Hop, Cordae returns armed with emotive beats and hardened attitude to deliver his message. After an endearing debut, our young rapper matures with a flash of braggadocio and seriousness as he sheds some youthful innocence previously heard. Renewed topicality lands closer to street violence and status affirming rhymes, taking aim at critics between stories and expressions that rock off moody instrumentals.
Excellent production by Kid Culture and collaborators bring soulful touches to easy tempos driven by subdued drum grooves. Driven by bold, powerful baselines, low key Jazz influences linger under its calm stature, carving a smooth atmosphere to enrich Cordae's rhymes. At intervals these instrumentals pivot to trendy Trap sounds, notably the popular tracks. They break a smooth flow of complimenting aesthetics.
Cordae teams up with Lil Wayne and Hit-Boy on a brilliant number where he affirms the heights of his successes and intentions to stick around for years to come. The chorus lands so well. Stevie Wonder also crops up among some other big names but It is mostly Cordae himself who continues to charm as a story teller, wrapping one in his narratives, holding a firm grip over this listener. A tricky task after decades of Rap.
Rating: 7/10