More than anything, Barter 6 feels like a 50-minute performance of what rap, as a form, can do: rap that need not transcend itself, towards High Art on one hand or commercial art on the other, in order to succeed in 2015.
Barter 6 is the definitive mainstream strip club album of the modern era. This album may take clear mechanical cues from Weezy F Baby but the spirit is more Mystical’s Let’s Get Ready or Ying Yang Twinz’s United State of Atlanta.
Regardless of the form, Barter 6 offers a fantastic explication of the capabilities Thug has been honing — the capabilities of liminality.
Thug’s entire approach to his music has never sounded so polished and potent as it sounds on Barter 6.
On Barter 6, a rapper frequently dismissed as a druggie dance trapper inverts himself, yielding a passionate and personal record that's as insular as Earl's latest, but with charisma and color.
The Atlanta rapper's latest release plays the heartfelt off the ridiculous. He broke through with catchy singles Stoner, Danny Glover and Lifestyle, but Barter 6 eschews obvious hits for what feels like an attempt at crafting a cohesive work.
Barter 6 feels like a step in the right direction rather than a destination, proof that Thugger can put together a complete package even if it’s less than adventurous.
#2 | / | Tiny Mix Tapes |
#12 | / | Crack Magazine |
#12 | / | Dazed |
#14 | / | Pitchfork |
#15 | / | Gorilla vs. Bear |
#15 | / | Pigeons & Planes |
#17 | / | Slant Magazine |
#23 | / | Stashed |
#27 | / | Noisey |
#40 | / | Pretty Much Amazing |