Denzel Curry - TA13OO (album review ) (original) (raw)
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Release Date: 2018 | Tracklist Review Summary: Finish 'em Zel.For all of the plaudits that followed _Imperial_-- deserved as they were-- it was easy to forgive and forget that, only 2 years ago, Denzel Curry’s fame was almost entirely thanks to a meme. Not that “Ultimate” itself was hard to forget, what with its relentless and aggravated flow of boasts and nerdish allusions; rather that its real impact and applications were silly for the sake of it. Of course, Curry could flow unlike anyone else, and he could articulate and enunciate with such clarity that each word of every bar was felt rather than heard, but he couldn’t escape just how ambiguously satirical his big, breakout hit sounded. Nor could he make much of an argument that his style wasn’t entirely reliant on a single dimension of insults and pop culture references, fantastic as they were. That singular style was expounded upon and intensified with Imperial, to an extent that was as immediate as it was also agitated and difficult to throttle. Moreover, it was a showcase for Curry to rap more forcefully, with more and more addictive one-liners than his predecessors, whilst implying that his character was only capable of this type of angry, 'banging' music. If his music didn't seem all too bothered to encompass how he actually felt, than the impetus for Ta13oo appears to be Curry's need to speak about his internal struggles of mind and character. That is, were it not for the album essentially being another incredibly forceful, brutish, and braggadocious display of modern rap on his part.To be fair, Ta13oo appears in part to be an attempt at maturity. Unguarding itself with adult situations in the album’s first act, Curry deals extensively with his sexual shame as he experienced through child molestation. Ignoring the distracting features courtesy of GoldLink and Nyyjerya, and Denzel’s motif of innocence destroyed is glaringly ugly, comparing a childhood ended with Pennywise’s ominous balloons. It’s also less welcoming when you take into account that every other line references suicide, which, realistically, doesn’t lend itself well to hardened bangers. But then the act completes itself with “Sumo,” ostensibly a track meant for Ski Mask the Slump God’s pastiche, ersatz Busta Rhymes yammering, so that thematic intensity is relieved somewhat as the literal intensity is ramped up frantically. Consequently, the album’s second and third acts are fairly interchangeable, and are more or less Curry in his wheelhouse of aggro, swaggering non-sequiturs, divorced of any seriousness that might promise something broader in scope (save the melodramatic and maudlin "Clout Cobain"). Of course, because this is Denzel Curry, there’s not much to complain about, because the topics he distracts himself with-- politics on “Sirens,” modern rappers on “Percs”--are rapped about with such precise rigor and vigor that its pointless to bother complaining.Even as he begins to disregard his desperate pleas that thrusted _Ta13oo_’s need to exist, he’s still churning out hit after hit. Realistically, Ta13oo is extremely satisfying from a consumption standpoint. It’s everything I’d want from a rap album this year. And really, that’s great-- brilliant, even-- but I think we should be concerned if Denzel’s need to exorcise his own demons appears at least somewhat eclipsed by his need to keep making excellent albums. s | |
| AberfJuly 31st 20183988 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.0 | Sound OffThis sounds more diverse than his previous albums, a notable improvement imo.ConmaniacJuly 31st 2018
27701 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.5ooh will read, agree hard with the 4.2 score tho**triloJuly 31st 2018
6532 CommentsAlbum Rating: 3.5gud albumAlexKzillionJuly 31st 2018
17829 CommentsAlbum Rating: 3.5i do not fuck with the percs, i barely fuck with the earthRadicalEdJuly 31st 2018
9546 CommentsOnly heard Clout Cobain and that was awful and cringey as fuck. But I guess I'll check this out then. Solid Review.808muzikJuly 31st 2018
1153 CommentsAlbum Rating: 3.5clout cobain is fireRadicalEdJuly 31st 2018
9546 CommentsClout cobain is denzel setting fire to his reputationTrophycaseJuly 31st 2018
1931 CommentsAlbum Rating: 3.5Whatever it is, great songbotbJuly 31st 2018
18228 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.0>a rapper made a song I don’t like>he SET FIRE TO HIS REPPheromoneJuly 31st 2018
21596 CommentsAlbum Rating: 3.5Album is a madness, keeps getting better. SWITCH IT UPTO BE OR NOT TO BERadicalEdJuly 31st 2018
9546 CommentsBlack Balloons is hella tight.IlloomorphemeJuly 31st 2018
492 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.0Album is fantastic from start to finish. Amazing how Denzel can absolutely nail several so many different sounds within each third of the album, and do them so effortlessly.DadKungFu** Staff ReviewerJuly 31st 2018
5300 CommentsAlbum Rating: 3.0This doesn't read like a 4.2 review at all**anarchistfishJuly 31st 2018
30392 CommentsAlbum Rating: 3.5**"This sounds more diverse than his previous albums"I disagree. This sounds like his most commercial album. Still some good songs but lacks the true brilliance of Imperial and 32 zel/shrooms the latter of which was surely more diverse and experimental. I thought Imperial was gonna be his breakout album (was my aoty) but I guess it was a bit too heavy. Makes sense that this one would be marketed more. Imo Denzel truly shines on the heavy beats. botbJuly 31st 2018
18228 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.0I agree that up until this album Denzel shines on the more aggressive songs but I’d argue he really came into his form on the more melodic side on this one more than he ever has. DarkSideOfLuccaJuly 31st 2018
18520 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.0OooooOOOOoooooOOOoooo this looks interesting**Shredin0idJuly 31st 2018
25 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.5Listening to this now, I kinda want to 5 this. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this album (so far...)JayEnderJuly 31st 2018
20873 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.5Album bangs ahrdDarkSideOfLuccaJuly 31st 2018
18520 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.0Next up after I relisten to Automata straight through again (almost done with pt 1) - can't waitP0larisJuly 31st 2018
383 CommentsAlbum Rating: 4.5**This is easily gonna be one of the best hip hop albums of the year. Definitely the best trap album of the year, for sure. 1 2 3 4 5 ... 47 Next | |