"Do you when you rap, Yeezy taught me that." Texas based rhymer gQ Marley uttered those words on his track rightfully titled "Yeezy Taught Me That" and he used that very phrase to make his latest project, Dream II: Revenge of the Nerd.
While the title "Revenge of the Nerd" may lead people to believe that Marley is a goofy rhymer with a odd lyrics, when in actuality, he seems too be anything but. His style may be "nerd-like" but his presence on the mic is that of a confident, talented, and flashy rapper that has his sight locked in at the top.
All throughout this project, Marley displays his clever wordplay and above-par flow. His lyrical content on the album is all over the place. He doesn't spend too much time dabbling on the cliche' rap topics such as women, drugs, and partying, however, these subjects do appear on more than one occasion. Rapping about common "rap-themes" will make artists fall in between the cracks, though, Marley is sure to stand out with his versatility and dynamic rhyming style that transfers from the slower and deeper songs on the project, to the up-tempo jams that would normally be done by two separate artists. This shows that Marley has a high ceiling due to said flexibility.
It's also worth noting that Marley speaks on personal yet relatable subjects throughout Dream II. For Instance, on the track "Loosing Faith" he touches on how it is often difficult to live out a Christian lifestyle while dealing with the temptations of a young man. This presents Marley's vulnerability, which makes it easier for listeners to identify with him.
As stated previously, Marley has an array of talents and is quite versatile. However, his versatility may have hindered this album from being its absolute best, simply because the sounds aren't cohesive. That's not to say that the music isn't good, because it is. It's just that there is too much up-and-down in regards to subject matter, presented themes and moods, as well as energy from the beats. Rather than listening to one unified album, it sounds as if this were his soundcloud page. Again, this is not a knock on the quality of the music, rather the structure of the album.
That being said, it's time to dive into the ones and twos of the album (yes, I'm talking about the beats). Largely produced by Platinum PAT, this album's beats are as diverse as the lyrical matter. The beats range from sample-heavy to borderline techno-hop. The production on Dream II is mostly up-tempo and of high quality. The best beat can be found on the song "Fame" which samples the legendary track "Doo-Wop" by Lauryn Hill. There are minimal flaws with the production, but to reiterate, this album lacks cohesiveness, and the beats play a contributing role in that label.
To finalize the previous statements, gQ Marley is a talented artist with a high-motor and a large skill set. He has yet to zero in on a specific sound, which gives him a whole host of potential. His lyrics are all over the place, as is his tempo which makes the tracks on the album seem unconnected. The beats, in general, are pretty solid. They are as diverse as the vocals on the project, but all in all, Dream II: Revenge of the Nerd is good hip-hop that is without question worth your listening ear!
No comments:
Post a Comment