Chief Keef often is the youngest legend in hip-hop historical past. After his first mixtape at 14 and turning into a Chicago famous person by 16, the breadth and weight of his affect and affect turned instantly clear by the point Almighty So dropped in 2013. Few rappers can declare this achievement in such a brief period of time, and with lots of authorized controversy and hassle alongside the way in which, this pioneer spirit solely turned extra obvious over time. Whereas this run did not end result within the strongest string of tasks resulting from its prolific nature, it saved Keef’s identification on the forefront, birthed traditional full-lengths, and impressed realms past simply drill, entice, and rage. Now that he is as reflective on his legacy as he’s dedicated to additional planting it, this distinctive and youthful place made a diamond out of the tough.
Furthermore, Almighty So 2‘s been within the works for years, and with delay after delay, many followers held it within the legendary regard of a Complete Lotta Purple or ASTROWORLD. Fortuitously, it was so well worth the wait. That is Chief Keef’s most upfront, speedy, and immediately gratifying album in a very long time, and revamps the unique installment’s typically woozy and genre-fusing formulation with a extra direct, boisterous, and constant method. Regardless of that, reflections on loyalty, partnership, household, and self-worth do not take the chunk out of its relentless runtime and nonetheless match nicely. General, it appears like we’re proper again in 2012 with right now’s information, even earlier than the primary Almighty So, and we are saying that in one of the simplest ways attainable.
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Almighty So 2‘s Manufacturing
Essentially the most obvious manner wherein Chief Keef achieves this throwback reimagining is thru the aggressive, layered, well-structured, and expansive beats on Almighty So 2. Snares and kicks do not simply hit; they drill… pardon the pun. On the opening tracks alone, “Almighty (Intro)” and “Neph Nem” with Ballout and G Herbo, their triplet sequencing beats the instrumentals into the bottom, paired with dramatic and grandiose samples like “O Fortuna.” Fairly than sticking to a specific model of drill or entice, he mixes them collectively and focuses on growing pattern utilization to its fullest potential for max enjoyment. For instance, a number of parts of Nancy Wilson’s “Streetrunner” on “Runner” present an anticipatory intro, a catchy chorus, and orchestral instrumentation all through the reduce.
Nonetheless, some moments right here take extra of a breather, such because the breezy “Drifting Away” with a West Coast/Midwest-inspired bounce, and the piano worship with an analogous rhythmic remedy on “Prince Charming.” The sheer aggression all through a lot of the tracklist does not lose its luster due to how uncompromised but managed it comes throughout. 16 tracks add as much as an hour of runtime because of Chief Keef’s laborious work at giving songs correct transitions, actions, and third verses, and the vividness of the punchy manufacturing retains you engaged all all through. There are even some slight dips into rage on “By no means Fly Right here” with Quavo and mixes between guitar-backed calmness and operatic moshpits on “Jesus” with Lil Gnar, which means that the unstable peaks all the time have earned and fulfilling build-up. Above all, it will hook you essentially the most with Almighty So 2 on the primary hear.
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Chief Keef Controls The Chaos
But when the manufacturing hooks you, Chief Keef is the rationale you stick round. In a rap world stuffed with hedonistic writing, flexing, and evocative phrasing, Sosa is ready to make one of the best out of his manufacturing with traces which might be equally in-your-face whereas nonetheless feeling grounded. He calls himself a wolf howling on the moon on “Grape Timber,” flaunts “blue cheese” and a “thousand islands” on “Tony Montana Stream,” and is ready to completely combine the glamorous with the gritty (and even the mundane) by way of his bars. “600 for the sneakers that is on high of my bunions, n***a / Yellow truck, it is Funyuns, n***a, it simply scent like onions, n***a,” the Chicago icon raps on “Banded Up.” The lyricism is commonly confrontational, nearly all the time humorous, generally intelligent, however most significantly, by no means boring.
Whereas the flows lock you in, Chief Keef can be capable of present lots of selection by way of his deliveries on equally combative instrumentals. In different phrases, even when a tune goes laborious, there are various deliberate selections to both scream alongside it or stability it out with a calmer tone, similar to most of “Too Trim.” However there may be additionally some topical stability right here, even when it principally seems in direction of the top of Almighty So 2. The monitor “Deal with Myself,” for instance, is all concerning the Glo Gang boss’ self-worth, and the way he evades roads to self-deprecation by desirous to push himself to his fullest potential. “Have a look up within the mirror, I simply wanna squeeze myself / I executed been by way of a lot smoke to the place I could not even see myself / I will by no means want a b***h, however I’ma all the time want mysеlf.”
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AS2 Has No Brakes
Elsewhere, Chief Keef equally displays on the laborious occasions it took for him to get right here and remarks on his present success and what’s subsequent for him. “Consider” has a killer and nostalgic pattern flip, honors his late grandmother, processes the horrible exposures and actions that he skilled and perpetrated as a younger man resulting from his circumstances, and even guarantees himself to be a greater father to his daughter. Whereas a lot of Almighty So 2 delivers these themes as a staunch retort towards these evils, there’s loads of levity and blunt honesty all through, irrespective of the way it’s delivered. The truth that every tune is comparatively lengthy makes the rollercoaster trip far more pleasing from monitor to trace than most “one-note” albums. It is as much as you to dwell within the second after which look again on what deeper truths the album holds.
What’s extra, is that Chief Keef does most of this solo. He handles nearly each tune’s manufacturing besides one; extra manufacturing assistants embrace Mike WiLL Made-It, Younger Malcolm, SantanaStar Beats, and extra. Then again, options from Sexyy Purple, Tierra Whack, and the like match Sosa’s power like a glove, whether or not for his or her unbridled bravado, fiery performances, or unflinching confidence. But they do not overwhelm him at any level, and their inclusions do not bloat Almighty So 2. Different inclusions like Michael Blackson on the “Jesus Skit” present lots of life and character to the album, whereas extra conventional cuts like “1,2,3” proceed the distinguished horn picks and general larger-than-life persona that this document paints. There’s simply sufficient novelty sprinkled between what we love Chief essentially the most for, and few full-lengths in his catalog obtain that stability in addition to this.
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How Is Sosa Not Even 30 But?
That push-and-pull is maybe greatest exemplified on the closing monitor, “I am Tryna Sleep.” Tender pianos and vocal samples, a combative supply, hard-hitting percussion, and themes of partnership and fearless road confrontation are a microcosm of what Chief Keef was capable of obtain on Almighty So 2. It is a traditional all the way in which for Sosa followers with its dramatic and magnanimous presentation. He faucets into what he influenced in up to date hip-hop and comprises the maturely easy and hedonistically loyal reflections of a person who didn’t appear to alter in any respect with the celebrity. The prolific catalog will show that in a technique, however it’s solely by way of assembly Keef on his personal phrases along with his writing that you will see this God-fearing, genuine, and unstoppable drive for your self.
The 28-year-old’s been off the lean for a few months now, and there is undoubtedly a readability to the manufacturing, songwriting, and rapping efficiency right here that might reinforce that private achievement. However extra importantly, it speaks to his self-consciousness and evolution as an artist: how he sees his legacy, his skills, and the authenticity of his perspective. It is not about loving being excessive, hating being sober, or the opposite manner round. Like many wonderful MCs earlier than and after him, Chief Keef recaptured what made him so particular earlier than the primary Almighty So with all of the expertise and classes that he is collected since. Almighty So 2 is a real return to type in that regard and one that you just may not like for those who did not like Sosa to start with. However he is a Chicago champion who’s caught to his weapons and continues to evolve and affect the sport; why would not you?
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