Bladee is always a bit of a coin flip for me. I either completely click with his music or struggle to connect with it, and unfortunately this project falls into the latter. While there are aspects I appreciate, particularly the production, the performances rarely grabbed me enough to keep me engaged.

+ ➤
• The production is definitely the highlight. I love the pixelated, explosive, bright sound palette throughout much of the album. Even when the second half shifts toward darker ... read more

It’s honestly crazy that it’s been five years since his last album. For me, this is easily his best project so far, even though I still think he has way more potential and could reach an even higher peak creatively. This album feels more confident, more emotional, and more polished while still keeping the weirdness and personality that make him stand out.

+➤
• His performances are so expressive and cartoonish in the best way possible. He has such a distinct style that you ... read more

I honestly kind of wish he had released the two parts as separate albums, because the second half could’ve easily ended up being my favourite J. Cole project. Still, even as one package, this feels like a strong final album. I had a lot of fun listening to it, and there’s a clear sense of reflection and purpose throughout.

+➤
• Cole’s rapping is consistently strong. He sounds sharp on every track and feels completely comfortable over the beats. Everything flows ... read more

This is probably the most I’ve enjoyed a Drake project in a while, which honestly makes me wonder why he released those last two other albums the way he did. I feel like the reception to this would’ve been much stronger if he released this only, but I’ could be wrong. Either way, this project feels more focused and confident, especially when it comes to the rapping, even if it still falls into some of my Drake pet peeves.

+➤

• I think this is Drake’s best ... read more

I loved how heavily they incorporated South Asian music into the production, and it sounds amazing. As a South Asian person who grew up with that music in the house, it’s really cool to hear a group I’ve followed most of my life tackling that sound in such a beautiful way.

+ ➤
• The production across the entire album is incredible. There are no weak moments when it comes to production. Every song feels textured and intentional, with each sound chosen carefully to convey ... read more

Ritchie’s performance captures the emotions he wants to project perfectly, pairing really well with Parker’s super experimental, disjointed yet cohesive production. I wish I could love this more, but for my taste it can be too left field and not very accessible. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to what this duo cooks up in the future.

+ ➤
• As I mentioned, Ritchie’s rapping is great. He knows exactly how to showcase emotion through his performance alone, you ... read more

This album is a great collection of songs where he’s still the confident, charismatic rapper. There are some great tracks and some cool ones, but nothing below that.

+ ➤
• There are a few songs in the first half, like “Helicopter” and “Steal My Flow”. I love how he flaunts his wife, that was cute.

• A lot of the outros on this album were really nice, especially on tracks 4, 5, 6 and 15.

• I really liked the guest feature from BossMan. I thought ... read more