Sugar Honey Iced Tea

the take

I haven't listened to Big Latto in quite a while. I kinda grew off her after she released her "777" album, which I felt was disappointing at the time of release. It's crazy because Latto's music defined my toxic-era during 2020. That said, I decided to give "Sugar Honey Iced Tea" a listen after hearing "Brokey" on social media. Truth be told, I expected to be really disappointed in this, but this is actually not that bad. One thing that kept my interest is how Latto is singing on here more than in years past; it makes her seem kind of multidimensional. Granted, those R&B-laden tracks with Latto's vocals may be hit or miss and may not always be for me, but I appreciate the effort to expand on other ideas more. In a way, it showcases her maturity not only in life, but in the rap game as well. I'm still more a fan of her aggressive cocky hip-hop that made me fall in love with her music to begin with. That said, I'm much more critical of this style which Latto's known for. Half the time, the trap beats sound like what you'd expect from Atlanta artists: typical enough to get by, but nothing all too exciting for me. Standout tracks include the aforementioned "Brokey", "H&M", and "Shrimp & Grits" with Young Nudy. And speaking of features, I liked the choices Latto picked for her songs because they actually complimented their respective tracks really nicely. Latto's "Sugar Honey Iced Tea" may have some mid scattered throughout, but there are glimpses of quality material on here that makes this album as a whole just good enough for me.