Review Summary: On Pouya's latest effort, the self-proclaimed "Soundcloud rapper" improves by leaps and bounds in terms of maturity, lyricism, and confidence when approaching a beat. If you're a fan of contemporary aesthetics mixed with a 90s' hip-hop sort of execution,
Pouya is a hip-hop artist residing from Florida, the metropolis of rap music's most recent surge of lyricists and hit-makers. The rapper, who is renowned for his explicit rhymes and frequent collaborations with fellow Florida act $uicideboy$, sets himself apart from his contemporaries with an album that is to the point, and an excellent step forward for his sound. On Pouya's latest effort, the self-proclaimed Soundcloud rapper improves by leaps and bounds in terms of maturity, lyricism, and confidence when approaching a beat. If you're a fan of contemporary hip-hop aesthetics mixed with a 90s' hip-hop sort of execution, then Five Five will be a joy to listen to and will mostly likely have some staying power in your headphones.
The most immediately noticeable improvements on Five Five are Pouya's beat selection and ability to craft catchy and memorable choruses. While Underground Underdog (2016) was plagued with sloppy and inconsistent choruses and instrumentals, Five Five has a much more focused and refined take on both of those issues. Since my initial listening of this project I have been unable to remove from my head the hook from Void or the refrain of "one time for my bitches/ two times for my guys/ three times for my four-five, got to keep that on my side" on One time. The beats, produced almost entirely by Mikey the Magician, could most easily be described as a modern take on classic boom-bap hip-hop beats from the golden era of 90s' rap. Beyond just the instrumentals, Pouya's flow and lyricism is also influenced seemingly by older hip-hop acts, such as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Outkast, the latter being enforced by the Stankonia (2000) shirt Pouya wears on the cover.
For those that are die-hard fans of Pouya's signature lyrical themes and uncanny ability to turn nearly every track he touches into a banger, fret not, for all of the improvements he makes on this album are not replacements of his older qualities, but instead necessary developments of his overall sound. Handshakes is perhaps the clearest example of Pouya not abandoning his older style; and the closer, Suicidal Thoughts in the Back of the Cadilac Pt.2, is a direct continuation of one of his very first tracks. And if the title of the previously mentioned track is not enough to convince you, the hook from Back Off Me does not sound unlike something that may have been on Drop Out of School (2017) from the previous year.
"Bitch back off of me/
Mac on my hip
When I bust I'll turn you obsolete/
Don't bother me/
IPhone buzz if I don't get it once
What the *** you think/
I'm not the type to think before I act/
You can buss a 1000 rounds I'm still intact"
A short run time allows this project to never become a chore to finish. Finishing up at only 32 minutes, this project is very easy to give repeated listens. On the other hand, the short run time also does not leave you craving for more content. Pouya never outstays his welcome on a single song on this album. With only one feature (Night Lovell on Don't Bang My Line), you have a nearly uninterrupted experience of exactly what Pouya has to offer: bass-heavy beats with rapid fire rhymes and memorable choruses.
All in all, Pouya delivers a very fun, easy listening experience, that is short and to the point. From old fans familiar with Pouya's style to new listeners looking to give a chance to one of hip-hop's most enticing current artists, Five Five should not disappoint. Pouya, despite standing at only 5"5', packs a serious punch in a short amount of time, and leaves you anticipating whatever the young artist will come with next.
