I’m conflicted.
On one end I love when Gangsta Rappers make romance albums. When they take the energy they use to rap about murder to rap about intimacy, something special usually happens.
On the other end Kodak Black is like a gremlin; he runs trains on IG Live and goes to jail for various dumb shit. I never feel comfortable supporting him. Unless he’s in jail.
Some artists are easier to support when they aren’t around the regular population, like Chris Brown.
So when Heartbreak Kodak dropped, I had to make sure he’s in jail before I could listen. To be honest I’m still not sure but I had already pressed play so here we are.
Kodak Black is confusing, cuz on one end he can be real trash, like traaaash, but on the other end his fan base is out of control. His talent isn’t easy to pin down until you hear someone else tap into it. Case In point, Cardi B’s Bodak Yellow is inspired by Kodak Black‘s flow. Without Kodak Black hood Spanish chicks wouldn’t have an anthem and white girl bloggers wouldn’t be able to feel fierce during Spin Class.
Kodak Black is like Haitian Chief Keef, he’s full of talent but he won’t stop doing the dumb shit that stops him from getting to the next level.
But I digress, Heartbreak Kodak is a really interesting tape. Kodak tries really hard to tap into his vulnerability. Rap is usually based in hyper masculinity; rappers don’t feel emotions unless a friend dies or a chain is too icy. However Kodak tells stories of the women he lost, the women he aspires to be better for, and the women who keep him sane. It’s not terrible.
Kodak comes off like a dude who’s smarter than his vocabulary will allow him to be. He’s the kind of person who would say the word “Disenfranchised” out loud but would write “this in France eyed” on paper.
Kodak understands his complex emotions but he doesn’t know exactly how to capture them in a nice way. In one song he says “she just sucked my dick that’s it I’m sorry” instead of saying “this woman’s relationship with me is nothing in comparison to what me and you share” He reminds me of Fry from Futurama, he’s dumb but he really knows himself, even if he doesn’t know how to express it.
Heartbreak Kodak is good for dudes in high school going through their first breakup and hipster guys who have a fascination with the Hood even though black people scare them. Besides that I’m not sure who else this is for. Haitians maybe? I know those niggas love Kodak.
Overall this album isn’t great, but it’s effort is significant. Rap has grown beyond Sex Money Murder, rappers can feel Remorse, Regret and Real Love. I give HeartBreak Kodak 5 plea deals out of 9.