In the mid-2000s, the city of Atlanta, Georgia, rose to notable status in hip-hop culture following the groundwork laid by artists like T.I., Gucci Mane, and Jeezy, who helped define the genre with their raw energy and unique production. A decade later, rappers like Future and Young Thug pushed trap music into new stylistic territories, putting Atlanta at the forefront of hip-hop. Playboi Carti’s latest album, MUSIC, pays homage to Lil Wayne and the Atlanta OGs, while Future, Young Thug, and Atlanta DJ Swamp Izzo join Playboi Carti in this lengthy project.
Anticipation for MUSIC
MUSIC is the third studio album and first album released by Carti since 2020’s rage project Whole Lotta Red. The 2020 album was first met with plenty of criticism due to its gritty, experimental beats and weird vocals. Over time, his project received critical acclaim, creating hype around for his next album.
Mysterious Instagram posts and snippets about “an album” kept fans on the edge of their seat since the once-rumored and now cancelled ‘NARCISSIST’ in 2021. The ‘Antagonist Tour,’ which was announced in July 2023, was canceled last March. Playboi Carti also promised fans he would play his new unreleased project at 2024’s Rolling Loud Miami in December. This did not happen and rumors continued to circulate over MUSIC’s release date.
On March 9th, Carti unexpectedly announced MUSIC via Instagram, set for release five days later. The lengthy 30-track album finally dropped, and 11 days later, a deluxe album titled MUSIC – SORRY 4 DA WAIT unveiled four new songs.
A Mixed Opening
‘POP OUT’ serves as the first and certainly the most energetic track on the album. The track incorporates harsher elements into its sound while being more aggressive and off-kilter compared to other tracks on MUSIC. Playboi Carti brings a noisy, punk-infused vibe that was seen almost exclusively on Whole Lotta Red. Carti’s mania stops there, as the next few tracks are not reminiscent of the industrial hip-hop found in this track.
After a grimy first track, the transition into ‘CRUSH’ is shockingly mediocre after an experimental start to the album. The chorus is quite accessible, but it is repetitive lyrically to the point where it is mind-numbingly boring. It’s perfect for a frat party, but other than that, it isn’t notable, especially Travis Scott’s feature.
‘MOJO JOJO’ with Kendrick Lamar has the most out-of-place feature on this project. Kendrick’s fun performance is similar to his latest project GNX but certainly a step down in every aspect. It is fun at its very best, but the ad-libs are cringeworthy, and Playboi Carti’s delivery is rather average.
‘RATHER LIE’ with The Weeknd is once again another disappointing track. While this track is bound to be one of the most popular on MUSIC due to its appealing and accessible Weeknd feature, there is nothing special about it. The atmospheric production, along with The Weeknd’s average melodies, proves how jumbled this album is.
There isn’t much to enjoy on the first 10 tracks on MUSIC other than a few songs, but the next cluster of songs certainly turn it up a notch.
MUSIC’s More Promising Continuation
Track 11 features UK grime rapper Skepta, who also appeared on 2018’s Die Lit on the song ‘Lean 4 Real.’ Skepta once again holds his own on this track, coming off with sheer confidence in his verse. Balancing on Carti’s absolute ear-worm of a hook and Skepta’s straightforward lyricism, this track is near perfect. ‘TOXIC’ also highlights Carti’s distinct voice range, which is uniquely distinct in the hip-hop genre.
‘CRANK’ serves as another notable track due to its sheer creativity. Carti gives a nod to the underground hip-hop scene by sampling the beat of ‘F*ck Taylor Gang’ by rapper SpaceGhostPurrp. It also features many of Swamp Izzo’s tags, which fill in gaps where energy is a bit lackluster from Carti. Nonetheless, this song is a part of one of the incredible but rare peaks this album has.
‘GOOD CREDIT’ is the 15th track and second feature from Kendrick Lamar on MUSIC. The chemistry between the two sounds much better than it did previously on ‘MOJO JOJO’. Carti effortlessly glides over the beat in his verse while his chorus builds up the anticipation into Kendrick’s intricate verse.
‘TRIM’ with Future sounds straight off DS2 (minus Playboi Carti’s part) and ‘TWIN TRIM’ with Lil Uzi Vert is a certain throwback to 2016’s signature purple-haired Uzi. A nod to Carti’s Atlanta contemporaries.
The Finale & MUSIC – SORRY 4 DA WAIT
‘LIKE WEEZY’ is an ode to legendary rapper Lil Wayne, who he drew inspiration from for the album. The cover, titled ‘I AM MUSIC,’ is also the name for Lil Wayne’s 2023 album. Carti manipulates his voice in a style that was similarly popularized by Lil Wayne and evolved by Young Thug, especially on this track and throughout the album. The beat samples the vocals of “Bend Over” by Rich Kidz, another influential Atlanta hip-group in the late 2000s. The pitched-up sample brings out the sheer energy of this song, and Carti’s bragadocious delivery makes it so much more of an earworm.
‘SOUTH ATLANTA BABY’ highlights Carti’s upbringing in Atlanta, Georgia, delving into his experiences and the environment that shaped his artistry, touching on themes of violence, drug exposure, and a reckless lifestyle. The track allows for minimalist production to focus on Carti’s lyricism and pair it with Swamp Izzo’s few tags. This is one of the most mellow songs on the album, perfectly placed at MUSIC‘s tail-end.
‘FOMDJ’ is one of four songs on the SORRY 4 DA WAIT deluxe album. The track is gritty like ‘POP OUT’ and as captivating as any other peak on this album. Like many songs produced by F1LTHY on this album, dense, buzzing synths make it impossible not to jam to.
A mix of highs and lows from Playboi Carti’s MUSIC inevitably leaves one critique, which is that this project should have been cut down to at least 20 songs. Inconsistencies plague the album, but the majority of tracks that consisted of F1LTHY’s production or DJ Swamp Izzo’s tags made up for lackluster energy at times, and while MUSIC did not live up to the expectations, it is definitely still worth noting in Carti’s catalogue.
