I still struggle to internalize the idea that there is an actual, totally real version of Whole Lotta Red released under Playboi Carti. This album had been teased shortly after Carti’s legendary Die Lit and because of his very inconsistent social media appearances, the expectations for an actual release of this album diminished over time. There were a few moments prior to the release of this album where Carti would tweet something that genuinely made no sense, and his fans (including myself) ate it up and restored our faith in the album releasing. A particular time where the album felt imminent was when the single “@ Meh” was released in April; the album was not released until Christmas Day. Therefore, it is easy to see why the lack of trust in the album was so prevalent. “@ Meh'' was Carti’s first piece of music to be released under his own name since Die Lit. People were so curious to hear what his sound would be like, and many were very frustrated by his baby voice style. Personally, I believe this is what led to the delay in the release of Whole Lotta Red. Carti was not sure what his fans wanted out of him, but he knew that he needed to involve his sound, hence the vampire aesthetic he assumed. Although his new punkish style is very controversial in the hip hop community, I personally love the way that affected some of the songs on the album. I wish he had more of those kinds of songs on there, but I am not complaining with the compilation he produced. There were so many different styles on the project and I can tell I will be listening to it for a very long time. Will and I have given our takes on a few songs from an album that we both believe is entirely underappreciated. As always, feel free to reach out to either of us at awchacebentley@gmail.com or halperi_davi@bentley.edu for suggestions on what we should listen to and discuss next.
Slay3r
Will: In the most radio-friendly, bouncy tune of the album, Slay3r was Carti’s most Uzi-inspired song and marked a turn from the overall punk style he has been favoring recently. The lyrics contrast significantly from the happy vibes the track gives off; Carti mentions his April arrest on drug and gun charges, rapping “They tried to lock me in a kennel / I beat the case, it was simple.” The repetitive hook alludes to its future usage in concerts, where the live atmosphere and large mosh pits will benefit the track greatly. I love this song and believe it is one that even Whole Lotta Red haters will have trouble not enjoying guiltily.
David: There is so much to say about this track. It is undoubtedly one of my favorites on the record and is so strong in practically every aspect. Between the switching of the flows throughout the verses, the exciting and upbeat production and of course, the classic repetitious chorus that Carti tends to bring out, this song is about as flawless as any song I have heard from Carti. This kind of style he brings out is arguably the most elite and top tier of all of the sounds he utilizes on the record. “Slay3r”, “Sky”, “Beno!” and “Over” all fall into this confident and laid back sound. It is certainly one of my top two favorites of all of the styles utilized on the album.
Control
Will: Beginning with a 30-second skit of DJ Akademik’s live stream discussing information regarding the album and its release date, “Control’s” heavy synths carry most of the song. Playboi Carti dives headfirst into the crooning autotune that is slowly becoming trap’s latest attempt at incorporating R&B elements. The song appears to be a love letter to an unnamed woman (who we assume is his now-ex Iggy Azalea) and touches on a possible future engagement. Hip-hop heads may recognize one of the producers, Star Boy, who also co-produced Lil Uzi Vert’s “Futsal Shuffle 2020,” another heavily melodic instrumental. I personally believe this song would fit best as the intro to the tape, eliminating the awkward skit in the middle of the album and smoothly introducing the raw emotion Carti wishes to invoke in his listeners.
David: I am not sure what it is about this track that is so off-putting for me. I do not understand why this song has received such praise from people who are not even big fans of the album. Maybe it is the initial skit that keeps me from coming back, but when I think about this track, I do not understand how it fits into any of the sounds on the album. The beat is very intense and fast-paced, it kind of sounds like something an EDM artist would produce. I do not think anything Carti does stylistically with this track is impressive or even worth coming back to. I cannot get myself to like this track, and I feel it is worth mentioning that “Control” is by itself in that category.
Teen X (feat. Future)
Will: A highly controversial track off this album, Teen X has polarized the Playboi Carti fan base since its release and continues to be a major talking point. The song consists of mainly high-pitched, almost baby voice screeches that glorify the X (ecstasy) and codeine Future and Carti consume regularly. The track was initially Lil Yachty’s, but taken for use on this album, dropping Lil Yachty’s verse. Future tried desperately to fit in with Carti’s sound, making his part sound forced and unnatural. I believe Carti’s verses on this song were some of his weakest on Whole Lotta Red and declare this the only miss off the album.
David: Will is totally right when it comes to the polarizing feelings about this song because I absolutely love it. I have always been a baby/high-pitched voice advocate when it comes to Playboi Carti and I cannot lie, I hated the song when I first listened to it. I just thought the beat sounded like an ice cream truck that, based on the content of the song, was disguised as a forum to sell hardcore drugs. I also thought Future was trying too hard to emulate Carti here. But, over time the repetitious chorus and beautiful “Ooh” ad lib grew on me, as the verses followed suit. There are not too many baby voice tracks on the project, but if you love making fun of Carti’s baby voice, you can abuse this track and shove it in the face of Carti fans everywhere while asking the age old question, “How do you listen to this?” Just know that if you do it to me, I will have zero justification outside of the fact that I have grown to love it.
ILoveUIHateU
Will: Yes, finally! Pi’erre Bourne returns to Carti’s latest discography, a regular collaborator that Carti relied on heavily for his debut studio album Die Lit, producing many of the songs and appearing on two vocally. Pierre’s ethereal beat takes the cake, allowing Carti to flow easily and take advantage of his repetitive style. Curiously, the words “I love you, I hate you” or any similar variation do not appear throughout the entire track. This song is an underrated classic, and as the reputation of Whole Lotta Red will only continue to climb as the years pass, ILoveUIHateU will be looked back on as an underappreciated Pi’erre x Carti collab.
David: If you want to talk about songs that send you into another dimension while listening, this one is at the top of the list. A lot of people complain about the production not being quite as infectious on Whole Lotta Red as it was on Die Lit which is probably due to the fact that there are not nearly as many songs produced by P’ierre Bourne on Whole Lotta Red as there were on Die Lit. “ILoveUIHateU” was rumored to feature Travis Scott before the album released, and I cannot even imagine how much greater the song would be with a feature from him. I am not sure why he was taken off of the song, but maybe he will be featured on the deluxe (assuming that is still a thing) because Carti did tweet about receiving a verse from him. This song also falls into the category with “Slay3r” which I mentioned previously, another impeccable track.
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