A Boogie wit da Hoodie has always been among the more talented trap artists for me. From his debut album Artist to his follow up The Bigger Artist and even his most commercial release Hoodie SZN Boogie has always thrived at creating cohesive work filled with bangers. His most recent project Artist 2.0 did not impress very much due to its bloated track-list and lack of originality but, the nine new songs he released may just change my mind.
A Boogie sounds a lot more focused on Artist 2.0’s Deluxe tracks. Lyrically, Artist steps up compared to his previous performances as he addresses his come up, family life, and trust issues in a more intriguing way than usual. A definite standout is the intro track, “It’s Crazy” featuring his daughter Melody as it is one of his most personal and sentimental cuts he’s ever made. Additionally, Boogie has a handful of lines with relatively strong wordplay and punchlines that I wasn’t expecting from him. Vocally, you can expect his typical melodic style, which is always pleasuring to listen to. Honestly, the only gripe I have with Boogie’s performance is his sometimes dense subject matter. Overall, A Boogie sounds like he put a lot more love and care into his vocal display on this one.
The production is undoubtedly where many of these tracks fall flat for me. Records such as “Secrets” and “Bleed” contain compelling instrumentals which appeal to the vibe Boogie’s trying to create. While those tracks complete there task, almost every other beat sounds super generic, with their typical placement of trap drums and chords patterns. Unfortunately, the production on Artist 2.0 (Deluxe) suffers from a lack of originality and versatility.
To summarize, A Boogie’s solid execution can only hold off the lackluster instrumentals of Artist 2.0 (Deluxe) so much. While I would say tracks such as “Memories” and “Talk About” contain some of his best performances in a while, they feel forgettable due to the generic production. The album is definitely listenable, but its safe sonic choices make it blend in with the rest of current trap music.
Rating: 4.2/10
