Review Summary: Suga, coreean rapper, part of the undoubtedly most famous k-pop group in the world right now, BTS, being a third of the group's rap line, came out with this mix-tape in 2016.
Yoongi is an excellent rapper and all who listen to BTS or know anything about k-pop acknowledge that. His flow, his delivery, the speed at which he raps put him above many other artists in the genre and also from the western world. This album not only displays that, his rapping skills, the way he can fit so many words in a pocket, but also his story-telling skills (on the fifth, sixth and seventh tracks) and also his braggadocious side ("Give it to me", the intro).
The beats that he chooses also compliment his style, they go from classic beats that you would hear on Kanye albums from the early 2000's (chopped up samples) which Suga can flow very well over, really showcasing his ability in speed but also in writing catchy choruses, the title track is a good exemple, to slower, vibier beats like the one on "so far away".
The album starts strong, punchy, almost trying to wake you up, Yoongi wanting to show us that he isn't here to play around, he is serious and ready to show us how good at rapping and creating songs is. The next song, "Give it to me" is another banger with a trap beat, you can see why this had been chosen to be the lead single cause it's extremely catchy but very impactful and full of content, unlike most pop rap bangers you see nowadays..
The skits are a way to transition the listener from a section of the album to the other, the first section is the fast rapping, banger section, which lasts for the first three songs, followed by the story songs, in which Suga explains what his upbringing was and how he got in the rap and then in the K-pop industry, and them the last section, reflecting on the present, which is present in the last three songs. All these make the album feel fresh and diverse, being rich in ideas and feeling inspired, Yoongi seems hungry in most of these songs, very aggressive on the first two sections, but introspective at the same time, the soft songs make this album feel complete and not for a moment stale.
The only criticisms that I have are that some tracks are too short ("140503") while the outro, the real epic of the album ("so far away") overstays it's welcome, and also the lyrics can come off as kind of childish sometimes or too edgy for a man that is 23 years of age ( "Yeah *** the system I say good bye bye" from "Tony Montana"). Other than that, this project is a pretty strong pop rap album that, even though it doesn't really create new sounds or make Suga a rap visionary, it has got its influences on its sleeves but it wears them well, only at 28 minutes of music, this mixtape is trong and I strongly recommend it.
Best tracks:
-Agust D
-치리사일사팔 (724148)
-So Far Away
-Give It To Me
-140503 새벽에 (140503 At Dawn)
