Vindicate definitely is some of BVB's best work, with genuinely great vocals, melodies and, as usual, incredible guitar work. I'd even go as far as to say some tracks on here are their absolute best (mainly Vindicate, Bleeders, and Cut), however, they can't seem to let go of those Woah's and Ooh's, dragging down most of the tracklist for me.
I can totally see what Joji was going for here, and it does work in his favor at times, highlighting incredible tracks with moody interludes that give off incredible vibes. But the album more than overstays its welcome at 21 (mostly meh) tracks, that dilute the experience way too much. Even as a day one fan, I can't really recommend it :(
I might be in the minority here but have always preferred this album over their debut. The melodies are more emotional and bombastic, the production is a little less weird but still feels original 20 years later, and (subjective but important) the lyrics hit hard more consistently.
There isn't much i can actually comment on, since i'm sorta new to hip-hop as a whole, but HOLY
Brokie's become my favorite rapper and a dream collab of mine, and this album certified it.
I'm very late to this, as I haven't been keeping up with Nate's music as of the last 4/5 years - but this is definitely not what i expected.