H1dd3n *

At this time, Pi’erre Bourne is an artist that does not have the same respect from audiences who like other producers such as: Metro Boomin, Murda Beatz, or The Scotts. Many people continue to praise Die Lit while fans of Bourne enjoyed Life 4, yet his production up until this point is often criticized for his sound seeming replicable, or even too simple. I think this album contains some of the boldest, and most infectious songs this man has ever made. Pi'erre 5 is very much going back to the Die Lit sound, but resurrected with crisp ideas, and accurate transitions. This is the right stuff; a box of bops. Bourne proves his hustle for this wave of trap; the euphoric sound is like candy shopping for drugs. Each transition puts a smile on my face, and makes the introductions raise my eyebrow. Bourne remained prominent throughout his verses, and provided the extra zest a lot of these beats needed. It is cool to see that Switching Lanes released, which contrasted the wild nature of Carti’s Whole Lotta Red. On the other hand, Uzi was not as engaging for me, unfortunately. I think he really needed to do something different for me to say that he killed it, but I find Sossboy 2 to be one of the weaker cuts anyway. I would consider Sharc’s feature better, but not by much. Drunk and Nasty is killer on Bourne's part however, so I can't complain. At the end of the day, it is his record, and he is definitely the shining star. The transitions are what really does it for me. Listening to the album from start to finish showcases the atmosphere due to each song flowing into one another. It's difficult to pinpoint key moments, because it's a constant groove. With that being said, there are some songs on this record that miss the mark on the hysterical aesthetic that was obviously captured here. Although this is not a perfect album, there are very few songs off this that I would say no to. Yes, the songs can seem to draw on a bit, but I think this is a respectable effort that emphasizes how precise Bourne is with his music. It pioneers his discography, and displays his growth as a solo artist. Listeners can expect infectiously confident simplicity, which will only help propel his career as a producer.

Back before Whole Lotta Red was quite possibly the most anticipated rap album along the likes of Drake and Travis Scott, Playboi Carti fans knew he was up to something. Early works from the studio began surfacing online confirming a new project was in the works. Studio sessions showcased how smooth Carti's voice is without him having to go to great lengths to alter it, and also showed improvements with his "baby voice". Hype for Carti was at an all-time high through 2019-2020, but the pandemic happened, and the album remained unavailable. Instead of releasing earlier expected songs, Carti went back to the studio. This release at its core differentiates with styles that range from songs with colorful atmosphere (that are reminiscent of Die Lit) to aggressive bangers with tons of vocal styles. Not to mention, Carti’s voice is more understandable than it’s ever been. This is quite literally a mixtape on crack. Kanye and Future sound completely out of control, and Cudi provided a much needed contrast. It's nothing but raw energy. You can even hear at times how at certain moments Carti's losing breathe and screaming during his performance. There are all sorts of background ad-libs consistently heard throughout, and the bizarre vocal inflections delivered cohesive emotion. During the song "M3tamorphosis", Carti throws out the lyric, "I done changed my swag", and delivers a verse that showcases how he's able to literally morph his voice as it lowers in pitch. The kick-in-the-face opener, "Rockstar Made", delivers a pulsing beat that is backed up by Carti's delivery that sounds like multiple people on the mic, but somehow is still able to ride the music despite his lack of uniformity. Other songs on the project such as: "Stop Breathing/JumpOutTheHouse/New Tank/Meh/Punk Monk"(and more), present how much Carti experimented with his voice during the recordings. Whereas other cuts such as: "Control/Beno!/Slay3r/Place/F33l Lik3 Dyin/and ILoveUIHateU", focus more on the smooth beats and catchy hooks that were already hinted at due to his previous work, and the Whole Lotta Red sessions being exposed in the past. There is a lot to take in from these tracks, and throwing them all together made a first listen very off-putting. The mix is unstable, and the vocals are way to high of volume at certain moments, which made songs like "JumpOutTheHouse" and "No Sl33p" sound uglier than they ever needed to. “Control” features a spoken word from Akademiks, which makes sense to be the intro for the project, but the song is fourteen down on the track-list, and feels out of place. I feel like it would have better suited the appeal to showcase the different styles of music on this project in another way, or sticking to one style, rather than it being a mosh of disjointed material. I like to interpret the experience as two records being morphed together. In closing, I salute Carti for being able to realize himself as an artist, and to conjure up a record that obliterated what listeners thought it would sound like. If I had to describe Whole Lotta Red in one word, I would say it's fascinating. Is it a great album? Well it’s not perfect, but the energy on this record is hard for me to ignore! I think that its classic, and charismatic atmosphere makes up for many of the short-comings it has. It's a toy field of sound, and a wild ride from start to finish. I remain optimistic for Carti’s career, and what a new collection of music from him will bring to the table.