Ever since Pusha-T, one half of the rap duo Clipse, announced that he was signing a deal with Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label, fans have been giddy with thoughts of what a solo project from the Virginia-born MC would sound like.
If Fear Of God is any indication, Pusha won't let them down. The mixtape features him spitting fiery lyrical barbs and larger-than-life boasts while telling his usual stories of cocaine profits, hot cars and even hotter women. While that might not sound out of the ordinary for a gangsta rapper, what sets Pusha aside is his lyrical grace.
He's at his best on "My God" where he declares, fittingly for the occasion, "There'll be no waiting, I have no patience, this is the end for all my unrecognized greatness."
Pusha gives his take on Drake and Bun-B's "Put It Down" on "Cook it Down" a track boasting about his cocaine culinary talents that might be better than the real version.
His "Blow Funk Flex Freestyle" is another standout, with clever lines like "A bird's eye view got me channeling my vision, turn one to two now the kilo's got a sibling."
While the Kanye West collaboration, "Touch It" is a solid track, it's not as good as you would expect given West's involvement. Its fatal flaw is the hook, which gets a little cheesy after a few listens.
"Can you just touch it, touch it, or just kiss it kiss, girl do somethin'. Do somethin'," Kanye says annoyingly. "Raid," featuring 50 Cent and Pharell, is another track with star-studded collaborators but underwhelming results.
The mixtape also suffers from a few missteps in terms of beat selection. For example, Pusha borrows the instrumental from "Money on My Mind," a 2006 Lil Wayne song that has already been freestyled a million times by artists. Pusha also raps over Soulja Boy's "Speakers Going Hammer," which is just plain corny, even if the lyrics are on point.
Despite these flaws, Pusha saves every track with his trademark coldblooded yet insightful lyrics and bold bravado. That's why Fear Of God definitely warrants several listens.
AUDIO // Download Pusha-T's new mixtape on his website.
No comments:
Post a Comment