Machine Gun Kelly - Binge

I’ve been told that to truly love yourself you have to be comfortable with people hating you. How can you be honest if you’re always worried about impressing someone?

Machine Gun Kelly is unlikable, awkward and arrogant. But he doesn’t lie. I guess that’s why I’m drawn to his music. Everything he says comes from an honest place, if he said he blacked out and woke up in Paris, then he definitely blacked out and woke up in Paris. And if he said Eminem tried to blackball him well...You already know what I’m gonna say. However, I don’t want to go on and on about EMINEM and get LOST in discussing their rap beef.

Let’s get into Binge!

This is chaotic white boy rap.

Remember that Dave Chappelle joke about how every group of thugs has a white dude who’s crazier than all of them? MGK is that guy’s younger brother. MGK raps about being a crazy drug addict but I never feel like I’m in danger. This the kind of music you hear at a party where everyone’s on Coke but they’re all offering you drinks because they’re too coked up to care about alcohol.

If you poured a Henny and Coke into a Camo Doc Marten and put that boot up to your ear you’d hear MGK screaming.

This music makes me feel like the douchebag in every movie who dates the girl the main character is in love with. This is some shit Darryl would listen to before he talked shit about Akeem. If I ever got a neck tattoo I’d want Machine Gun Kelly playing in the background to distract me from the bad decision I’m making.

Lyrically this isn’t amazing as much as it’s surprising. At one point Kelly says “I just fucked two bitches that look like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler” and I do not know why you’d ever brag about that. Not because Tina Fey and Amy Poehler aren’t attractive but, they aren’t rap brags. This is a head scratcher of an EP.

Overall I give Machine Gun Kelly props for dropping a whole EP while on tour to capitalize on his recent media attention. I enjoyed this tape, it sounds like what Jared Leto thought his portrayal of the Joker would be. It’s hectic, out of control and pointless; that’s Dope.

I give Binge 6 dirty leather jackets out of 9

Young Dolph - Role Model

ITS DOLPH. 

Young Dolph is extremely consistent. He’s never gonna be the greatest rapper in the world but god dammit is he one of the most entertaining. He’s hilarious, motivational, and really lives what he raps about. People have tried to kill him multiple times and he comes back every time talking more shit and rapping louder like the shit never happened. 

Young Dolph is like the Kenny Powers of trap music because he’s a loud, obnoxious asshole but you want to root for him. Even though he told you he fucked your sister and your baby’s moms, you still want him to shit on the niggas that tried to shoot him. 

So with that said, lets get into Role Model. 

As I said before, Dolph has reached the peak of his rapping ability. He’s never going to impress the lyrical miracle crowd but he knows how to get his point across. Young Dolph is gonna ball, he’s gonna flex, and he’s never gonna forget where he came from. If you’re expecting to hear anything else, you’re in for a disappointment. However if you need to hear something that’ll motivate you into buying Yeezys at 2 AM because you’ve always wanted to stunt on the (imaginary) niggas who don’t want you to win, listen to Dolph. 

When I started listening to Role Model I had a cold, when I finished listening to Role Model I could breathe freely, true story. This is that music you listen to when you wanna fight Seasonal Depression without going to a therapist. I’m like 80 percent sure Young Dolph talks in his sleep or has unresolved anxiety but he never stops moving forward. I honestly believe that Gucci Mane doesn’t rap with the same intensity he used to because he sees Dolph as the future.

My only beef with Role Model is that it’s kind of cemented in my mind that Dolph will never become the household name I want him to be. Young Dolph is never going to perform on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon or make a cameo in a summer blockbuster. It’s selfish but I really want the world to know and love Dolph. Some people might think of commercial success as “Selling Out” but I see it as “word the world gets to enjoy what I enjoy”. Role Model shows that Dolph is truly content with being the most known unknown (word to Three 6 Mafia). 

Overall Role Model is really fun, it won’t make you into a Dolph fan but it will make you forget that Young Dolph’s real name is Adolph. I give Role Model 7 Louis Vutton Duffle Bags out of 9.

Freddie Gibbbs- Freddie

Everytime I hear Freddie Gibbs I ask myself why I don’t listen to more Freddie Gibbs.

Freddie Gibbs is one of the most underrated rappers in the game. He’s always consistent, he’s funny in interviews and he’s gangsta as FUCK. Freddie Gibbs was the first person to make me realize Gary, Indiana was no joke. No lie, I thought Indiana was all Reggie Miller fans and Michael Jackson brothers but luckily Gangsta Gibbs paints a vivid ass picture.

I could go on and on about how dope Freddie Gibbs is but this is an album review so, let’s get into his new EP “Freddie”.

Freddie Gibbs makes music that makes you want to commit crimes. Not every crazy shit, I listened to this and started Jaywalking and googling how to lie on my Taxes. Seriously, the effort he puts into his flows and aggression is incredible. He takes the time to add the little details that make me believe this shit really happened. Anyone calls turning a Bando into a Traphouse “renovating” is a genius. (Gives me hope in getting my “this old traphouse” sketch made)

Freddie Gibbs is like the James Harden of Gangsta Rap, he makes this shit look so easy yet so intimidating at the same time. With that Harden analogy out there, he’s also been close to true greatness but falls a bit short.

Freddie Gibbs is real deal talented but he’s never had that single to get him mainstream success. Maybe it’s me but Freddie does not have a underground flow. Anytime I picture a Freddie Gibbs concert I picture mad white dudes in Team Jordan’s trying not to say nigga. Gibbs should have access to a bigger audience, he’s better than shitty fan who’s dad might’ve voted for Trump but his Uncle DEFINITELY did.

The issue is that Freddie isn’t great with Hooks, rapping is so essential but a good Hook makes a good song. So instead of picking up a casual fan the only people who really Freddie REALLY enjoy Freddie Gibbs. Which is good to sustain off of but not enough to make it to the next level.

Overall I liked Freddie a lot, it served its purpose as an EP because now I’m really excited to see what his album looks like. Shoutout to all the white Bros who listen to Gibbs before they play Fortnite. I give Freddie 7 bags of Backwood guts out of 10.

RIP BIG HOMIE WATTS

Rae Sremmurd - SR3MM

Everytime I try to say Rae Sremmurd i feel the spirit of every homeroom teacher trying to say my name for the first time. It’s confusing yet so simple, and no they don’t have a nickname. Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi do not compromise.

Name aside, Rae Sremmurd is one of the most talented duos in music today. They have a natural ability to make hit after hit after hit. If they were wrestlers they’d be Edge and Christian. They just make this shit look so fun and easy even though they’re secretly intense. The Edge and Christian comparison also lies in the fact that everyone sees one as the star of the group, even though both are fantastic.

This outside pressure caused the group to take on a true creative challenge: a triple Album. Yes 3 separate albums unified by one name, Sr3mm.

So let’s get into it.

Sr3mm is broken down into 3 distinct parts, a Swae Lee solo project (Swaecation), a Slim Jxmmi solo project (Jxmtro) and a unified Rae Sremmurd album (Sr3mm). Over all it’s 27 songs and a little under 2 hours. Which seems intimidating until you remember Chris Brown dropped a 47 song coke fueled Stockholm Syndrome ass album last year so this isn’t as daunting.

First let’s discuss Swaecation:

Swaecation is some shit you play while you’re having a carefree day with your side chick. But since I don’t live that life it didn’t really connect with me. For me I guess this is the album I’d listen to when I’m enjoying an improv show or using an android phone. Swae dropped anthems for ignoring someone’s “what are we” texts and liking their IG pictures instead. If you need a album to listen to while you put your student loans on Deferment, play this.

Now let’s get into Jxmtro.

If people say Jxmmi is the less talented brother they owe him an apology. Jxmtro goes HARD. It becomes clear that the only reason people think Swae is the better half is because Swae can kind of sing. Plus Swae isn’t as blunt as Jxmmi. Every song on Jxmtro is “I get money, I fuck bitches, and you won’t stop me from doing either” It’s dope. This is what you listen to when you answer a “what are we” text with “we fucking, thats what”. What makes it exceptionally great is that Jxmmi finds the time to get really introspective and think about his position in life. This is the type of album you play at your graduation after 5 long years of college.

And finally let’s get to the Unified Effort Sr3mm.

Jxmmi is more turnt than Swae, and Swae is way smoother than Jxmmi but at the end of the day they’re a duo that’s stronger together than apart. Sr3mm is turnt and smooth at the same time like velvet track pants. This is the album Jay Gatsby plays to keep the party going while he tries to seduce Daisy Buchanan. If you wanted to have a text argument with your spouse while you sit in a strip club, definitely listen to Sr3mm. Sr3mm makes you forget that people like to compare the brothers to each other as they compliment each other so well. This shit meshes two distinct flavors perfectly like a Reece’s cup.

Overall it was fun to listen to the three albums of Rae Sremmurd. It took me a while to fully appreciate each one but I’m glad I took the time out to do so. There’s a lot of depth here, I felt like I just ate a Chicago deep dish pizza and then drank a Long Island iced tea. I give the Sr3mm trilogy 27 tiramisu cakes sprinkled with Molly out of 30.