this is a huge step back... no chemistry with esdeekid, no flow state, nothing locks in like it did on rebel.
it just sounds like a watered mix of Chief Keef and Night Lovell-type youtube beats, straight up repetitive without being hypnotic. weirdly, even the solo rico ace tracks hit harder than the ones with esdeekid.
even “character” can’t save this tracklist. forgettable.
3/10
it blends nigerian afrobeats grooves with jazz textures into something atmospheric but undecided
-> experimental in form, but rarely committing to a clear idea or pushing it forward.
still, the execution lands: the ambient pockets created through that fusion hit hard, even if the vision feels unresolved.
highlights:
heyjah obialo
straight rawhhhhhhhhh
o die gbere
6.5/10
most tracks sit in short cyclic progressions with minimal variation, so even when the sound design shifts, the emotional trajectory barely moves. there seems to be a sense of hyperpop’s aesthetic language, but less interest in pushing its compositional boundaries, it recreates the sound without evolving the form.
highlight$:
DANCE...
UNKNOWN LOVERZ
OLD FLING$
WHAT IS IT LIKE, TO BE LIKED?
6/10
there’s a clear understanding of negative space and mix clarity here, but the harmonic language never quite evolves past its initial palette. without stronger voice-leading or tonal tension, the emotional arc kinda plateaus. aesthetically refined, structurally limited.
highlights:
SAME LA
COPY CAT
BREAKUP
AMERICAN GIRL
6/10