Starting out with a heartfelt message from his mother to her son, 21 Savage, about raising her son to be a winner, and the sacrifices she made for him, this album starts like no other 21 Savage album. An experimental take on rap music meets R&B aspects with soulful samples and well-put-together beats. Many songs credit Metro Boomin’ as the producer and the beats live up to the legendary producer’s name. Features from Summer Walker, Brent Faiyaz, and Burna Boy in the second half of the album, along with a slower feel to the songs turn the album to more of an R&B style compared to the first half with known trap artists, Young Thug, Travis Scott, and Lil Durk. A comparison to Drake’s album, “Scorpion” can be made here as it follows a similar format. After working with Drake on several projects prior, it is not unlikely for 21 Savage to take inspiration from the international superstar.
Taking a look at my top 5 personal favorite tracks on the album, number five on the list comes track number 8, “dangerous” featuring Lil Durk and Metro Boomin. One of the fastest-paced songs on the album, Metro Boomin cooks a beat to fit the song and artists perfectly. Using vocals in the background on a loop creates and enhances the soulful atmosphere of the album while allowing for the drums to provide a fast-paced beat made for faster rapping. Overall the beat, while not super interesting, was very fitting and the simplicity worked very well. 21 Savage provides a very catchy hook, and both verses have a great flow and cadence. Lil Durks verse was also very good, while longer than most, it was very interesting and the flow and rhymes fit very well with the verses from Savage. Overall themes about respecting friends who have died, and always having their backs are very prominent, and it is easy to see where these rappers’ loyalties lie.
Next on the list, in the number four spot, track #2, “redrum.” Starting the song with a sampled intro from a Spanish song gives the song a mysterious, movie-like feel that is later reinforced by the lyrics. In the song, the chorus is repeatedly chanting the word “redrum.” This chant is a reference to the movie “The Shining” (1980) when redrum is written on a door, and later discovered to be “murder” spelled backwards. Later in the song, 21 Savage references legendary Western actor, John Wayne. All of the references to movies, and the gun loading and firing noises in the background, along with some lyrics, tell a story of a murder that you have to pick apart through clues in the song, just like a movie. Ending with a famous sample from “The Shining” the song is one of the most detailed and interesting songs on the album.
Third on the list, is track number 14, “red sky” featuring Mikky Ekko, and Tommy Newport. The features create an amazing hook that serves as a mediation between the 2 verses that Savage composes with multiple clever and creative bars. The flow of the song is very fluid and makes it super easy to follow along and understand the lyrics while creating a fast, fun song. However my favorite part of the song is some of the lines 21 Savage comes up with, for example, in the first verse when referring to a drive-by shooting, he says, “Draco brown, like a Hershey – hang out the window and blow ‘em a kiss.” Draco is referring to a gun, and during the shooting, he blows them a hershey’s kiss, or says goodbye. Plays on words like these are abundant in this song, and that, along with the catchy nature of the hook from the feature makes this a great song.
The runner-up for best song on the album, second place, track #2, “all of me.” Yet again 21 Savage transitions from a soulful sampled intro into a faster-paced rap song, 2 things that would seem to repel each other somehow are made to work in unison in to form a biographical poem about the struggles and hardships of 21 Savage’s life. He speaks on staying away from disloyal friends, and staying around people who genuinely care about you and will always stand up for you in any adversity. While there are semi-violent undertones of growing up in the hood portrayed in the song, Savage shows his willingness to recognize where he came from and stays true to himself even with the fame and money he has acquired. “all of me” is a deep cut on the album and shows the idea of the “american dream.” Not only does the song portray deeper messages through advanced and catchy lyricism, but the production and the way the song flows and works together make this song an amazing one.
Coming in the number 1 spot is track #9, “née-nah” featuring Travis Scott. Continuing the theme of using soul samples, the production of this song is simple, yet interesting. Compared to the other songs on the album, the intro is part of a verse, and there is no clear chorus. Travis Scott jumps into the song instantly and builds up with the beat until it drops. The instant flow switch shows skillful songwriting and a masterclass in flow. One selling point of the song is the unorthodox stylistic choice to skip over a hook, or repeated chorus. The focus on the verses and the impressive transition from Travis to 21 make this song amazing and unique. The sound and fast-paced nature of the song make it a very fun song that I can listen to over and over again.
And finally, I give this album a rating of 8/10. While these highlights were amazing, you also have to look at the weaker points in the album, like some of the more disappointing features, and a few forgettable songs. I believe that famous music reviewer, Anthony Fantano, was heavily underestimating the album by giving it a “light 6.” Overall this album is great, and it seems to be one of 21 Savage’s most meaningful and thought-out albums.