EXPERIMENTAL RAP

the take

First half is like a 6, second half is a 7–call it 6.5? I think this score might be higher if the album were shorter, not because the album runtime was too long, but because there are a few tracks that don’t add much of anything or are derivative of other tracks. I’m going to condense the album into a playlist of my 8 or so favorite tracks and see how I feel about it then. By peggy’s standards, it’s probably his least experimental album despite the title. I think where peggy thrives is in nuance, and his slower, more stripped-back tracks are often his most groovy and creative. But on this album it felt like he emphasized the bangers, but those bangers were maybe too aggressive, had little nuance, mostly the same triplet flow, and… dubstep? 6.5 is an enjoyable listen, it’s just a step down from the extremely high bar that his other albums have set, where they all range between ratings of 8 to 9 or above. We still have ILMLDFY to fall back on, released only a year ago and an absolutely incredible album. I wish peggy had maybe taken more time between projects to really hone a fresh sound and creative direction. I also think the heel character he is playing in the media lately is awesome, but it kinda falls flat when the album wasn’t mind-blowing and was a bit repetitive, and when most of the “response to the haters” and “I don’t give a fuck” tweets come off as a bit whiny and I-actually-do-give-a-fuck. Also not sure why the publicity stunt was necessary, even though it’s funny, given that he has… a ton of fans already. I’ll still anticipate the next project and I still like the album despite some critiques!