Over the past few weeks, music content production has been decent. I would not say that there is a dearth of activity in the community, but I do not have a ton to react to. One album that I had really looked forward to was Spilligion and Will did an awesome job taking my place last week, so a big thank you to him. Besides Spilligion, a few albums I am going to listen to are REASON’s New Beginnings and Westside Gunn’s WHO MADE THE SUNSHINE. That will probably be for next week, but this edition is going to focus on the highly anticipated Savage Mode II by 21 Savage and Metro Boomin. Will and I are going to deliver our takes on a few key songs from the project. As for some recent singles, the two notable ones were “FRANCHISE” by Travis Scott featuring Young Thug and MIA and “FRANCHISE (REMIX)” by the same crew with an additional Future portion. There were a lot of complaints about the original song due to MIA’s contribution to the song sounding monotonous and frankly annoying. Travis must have heard the overwhelming feedback where everyone was calling the song “mid” and criticized MIA’s feature, and therefore generated the remix. He reduced MIA’s parts and added a new verse for himself and Future. I definitely enjoy the remix, but still do not think the song is anything too special. I sincerely hope Travis Scott is not falling off, but his recent sellout tendencies definitely do scare me.
When it comes to 21 Savage, I am indifferent. I do not get excited to listen to him specifically, but because he has some of the best connections in rap, I enjoy listening to his projects. His second most recent project, i am > i was, was pretty cool due to the hidden features sprinkled throughout the album and because of Metro Boomin’s illustrious history as a producer, I was looking forward to Savage Mode II. Some of my favorite songs from the project are listed and described below, and my co-music fanatic Will Chace has contributed some comments regarding these songs as well. As always I am open to suggestions or discussion on any music, please reach out at halperi_davi@bentley.edu. Feel free to reach out to Will as well at chace_alan@bentley.edu.
“Many Men”
My take: I think this is my favorite song on the album. A very upbeat instrumental provided by Metro Boomin here as 21 Savage floats pretty nicely; he flosses about having money, his gang related past, and most importantly that he is sought after similar to how 50 Cent was when he had a song with the same title. It was awesome for them to add that idea in the chorus of the song and a piece of the 50 Cent song at the end. All in all, a fantastic trap banger with a nice homage to one of the all time legends.
Will’s take: 21 Savage and Metro Boomin showcase their historical rap knowledge, channeling their inner 50 Cent in both sampling the classic track of the same name and referencing guns and violence. 21 Savage and 50 Cent share more similarities than just their name structure; both have seen extreme violence and have gone through near-death experiences. 21 Savage was shot six times on his 21st birthday, and 50 Cent was shot nine times at close range, but both fortunately survived. I particularly love the song’s second verse, with 21’s go-to rapid-fire flow referencing fellow musical artists Stevie Wonder, Rihanna, and Jeezy. And who doesn’t love some Morgan Freeman to cap it all off?
“RIP Luv”
My take: I will be honest, I never really thought 21 Savage had the ability to make a song with this much valuable substance. I truly feel him pouring his heart on this song as it is a great story-telling track regarding a breakup he experienced over a decade ago (referenced by the date he mentions in the beginning). The song progresses from her cheating on him and picking up those signs, to him reminiscing on better times with her and eventually bashing her new boyfriend by treating her poorly. When everyone thinks of 21 Savage, they imagine a true Atlanta gangster who has no feelings except hatred for his opposition and love for his close friends who have been with him since before the fame. It was nice to know that he, like many others, has had his heart broken and was severely affected by it. I believe Metro was able to provide him with a somber beat to complement the lyrics as well. Add this one to your sad boy playlist, it is an instant knock in my opinion.
Will’s take: After many listens of this album in the car, gym, and at home, I find myself pressing play on “RIP Luv” more times than I would like to admit. Falling towards the end of the project, this track samples 70s R&B group Fantastic Four’s “Mixed Up Moods and Attitudes,” a realization I only came to from recognizing the same sample used by Nas on “Take It In Blood.” It’s strange to hear such a cold-blooded gangster like 21 Savage take such a turn for the romantic, to the point where you wonder if it’s really genuine, but I believe he does a great job overall. 21 casually mixes crooning over his past relationship with an unnamed woman which ended abruptly (breakup? death?) with his classic “On God” and “21” ad-libs. If any songs off this tape could be remixed for a possible deluxe version, I would love to see a “RIP LUV (REMIX) feat. Lil Uzi Vert,” a pairing that has already produced the hit joint “Yessirskiii” earlier this year.
“Rich N**** Sh*t”
My take: This song is practically the opposite of “Many Men” when I think about the energy created by the track. Unlike “Many Men”, it is super laid back and sounds like a freestyle cypher beat from the early 2000s. I would imagine this song being played on a relaxing car drive as you just sit back and listen to 21 and Thug name every high-end brand that comes to their mind. This is one of the few tracks where 21 Savage talks very little about gang violence and focuses much more on the lavish lifestyle that he was able to create for himself. Young Thug also partakes in the self-appreciation.
Will’s take: With the exception of the highly creative, unusual beat from Metro Boomin, I did not find much to like about this song. I commend 21 Savage for attempting to leave his comfort zone, which usually would entail heavy-hitting 808s and murky, criminal overtones, but he fell short of the mark. Young Thug was a welcoming break from the sometimes monotonous voice of 21 Savage, but again, I felt like he failed to deliver over this amazing beat. Young Thug is a very seasoned rapper (his first project released in 2011), and with his newfound fame from his hit album So Much Fun, I feel he is pressed into a box by hip-hop fans who expect him to have that melodic, floating voice. Young Thug is capable of much more (see: Mayday by Chase B) and it’s a shame, in my eyes, that 21 Savage chose to have such a versatile artist accompany him on this particular song on the album.
Comments