Big Sean - Detroit
G.O.O.D. Music signee Big Sean has been praised in the rap community for his consistent progress. His humble beginnings in 2007 with Finally Famous: The Mixtape and 2009's UKNOWBIGSEAN both showed enormous potential but still, fans knew Big Sean hadn't hit his peak. When the Detroit native gave fans Finally Famous Vol. 3: B.I.G. in 2010, his popularity expanded, but his advancement didn't stop there.
His latest mixtape Detroit works both as a homage to his hometown and a showcase of some of the 24-year-old's best work, even surpassing some of the music on his debut album Finally Famous.
Fans who have followed Big Sean since 2007 will notice a newly found confidence of identity in the rapper's rhymes. Big Sean no longer mirrors his mentors in his raps; he has graduated from the arrogant raps of "Getcha Some" and hashtag raps of "Supa Dupa" into raw, hard-hitting wordplay.
Detroit opens strong with "Higher," a track where Big Sean steps on a figurative podium and proclaims himself the best, which he's strived to be all these years.
"Man, I made myself a boss and then I gave me a promotion/And I step into the booth and change the world like I be voting,"Sean raps.
Big Sean's content has also progressed past the typical women, cars and clothes on this mixtape. The rapper has become more socially aware in his lyrics, touching base on issues in Detroit as well as the election year.
On "100," a track featuring fellow Detroit native Royce Da 5'9" and California rapper Kendrick Lamar, the three rappers took time to reflect on 100 things to do before they die - a task they each fulfilled effortlessly. Big Sean and Royce each took their time to rap about the violence in their hometown, but it was Lamar's verse that was the most genuine.
"I gotta break ya f***in' heart/I gotta climb these f***in' charts/I gotta do something that's innovative/Creative just to create a legacy before death do us part," Lamar raps.
Big Sean did a phenomenal job handling the features on his mixtape, a deed most rappers either overdo or drown in. Sean dominates on standalone tracks such as "FFOE (Finally Famous Over Everything)" and "RWT (Roll Weed Time)." Fall Fest opener French Montana joined Big Sean on "Mula," an arrogant worship of hustling, for one of the most infectious songs on Detroit.
It's safe to say the years of hard work have paid off for Big Sean. Detroit has already hit a million downloads on DatPiff.com, the site that hosted the mixtape.
Lil Wayne - Dedication 4
Dedication 2 was arguably the best mixtape of the Dedication series. Lil Wayne's claim to being the best rapper alive never seemed more legitimate, as the release featured him at his most free-flowing, sharp, absurd and scathing.
These characteristics helped make Dedication 2 the sensation for one of the most galvanizing artists in rap. Wayne's charisma in the 25 tracks was strong enough to do that.
However, nothing other than the name inspires any confidence in Dedication 4.
Lil Wayne has slumped into a creative funk since his release from prison. His newfound focus on skating and his clothing brand, TrukFit, has come at the expense of making quality music. Other than "6 Foot 7 Foot," there has yet to be a solid release from the former phenom.
His last album, Tha Carter IV,was mediocre at best, his guest verses became easily forgettable and his summer single, "My Homies Still," was weak.
Then there's the ridiculous caricature of Lil Wayne holding a skateboard on Dedication 4's cover that took fans further aback. Plus, the inclusion of Young Money lackey Gudda Gudda doesn't exactly spell "classic" either.
It's safe to say D4 met expectations, which isn't too much of an accomplishment since they were pretty low.
There's nothing inventive in Wayne's latest work. The instant quotables of his better years are replaced by rants about fellatio, flavorless odes to drugs and shameless TrukFit plugs.
His female prot?(c)g?(c) Nicki Minaj may've trumped all of Wayne's verses with one line in "Mercy": "I'm a Republican voting for Mitt Romney/You lazy b***es is f*****g up the economy."
The most disappointing aspect of this album is how disconnected Lil Wayne sounds the whole time. The verses he laid over reused beats on Dedication 2 and Da Drought 3 made the instrumentals feel like mere additions to his grandeur of being the best rapper alive. On D4, Lil Wayne sounds like an ordinary rapper over mostly overplayed beats.
The mixtape's most ridiculous moment is when Lil Wayne declares "I'ma only spit a few bars 'cause I don't like this beat" after J. Cole's solid verse on "Green Ranger."
The number of Weezy fans is shrinking so much that one has to wonder if he really has the luxury to make such a decision.
Joey Bada$$ - Rejex
Joey Bada$$'s debut mixtape, 1999, was one of the summer's standouts. Rejex offers similar material, but sometimes more of the same isn't necessarily the best direction.
Rejex is composed of material that didn't make it to the 17-year-old sensation's debut. Bada$$ also threw in some tracks he made when he was 15 years old. There are some gems to be found here, but they don't really do much to prevent this from being a forgettable release.
Bada$$'s three released songs as a 15-year-old show more of a pop sensibility than the throwback feel of his recent tracks.
The Lord Finesse-produced "Indubitable" is the only one that stands beyond the surprise that someone at such a young age can put together such complete verses.
"Silent Night" and "Little Rachel" are poorly produced, and one has to wonder about the credibility of a teenager contemplating suicide over a lost love with lines like, "She left and broke my heart like twice."
The leftover material is almost the same caliber as 1999's, but Rejex'stracks favor more of a psychedelic feel thanthat of 1999's. They feature some of the same rhyming acrobatics the Flatbush native is known for as he spits over production from MF DOOM and Madlib. Rejex also features a rehashed version of Killuminati, which features the hilarious "Ya'll n****s soft spoken, down below token/The type to drop the soap when you soakin' in front of most men."
However, what makes this collection so forgettable is that it gives little to no insight on the prodigy. A majority of Rejex is just feats of wordplay, braggadocio and shallow critiques of the opposite sex.
It's already indisputable that Bada$$ is a talented artist, but the lack of lyrical depth is apparent in Rejex. It's time to hear about what exactly makes this young rapper so confident.
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
