Review Summary: Rolling Papers follows the tradition of modern day stoner rap such as Whiz Khalifa but with 10 times the effort.
Domo Genesis is the member in Odd Future who you don't really notice. He's not as outright violent as Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler The Creator, nor is he as excitingly weird as Hodgy Beats or Mike G. Domo Genesis really only has one gimmick going for him, and that's his love of weed. Domo really has a love for the green herb, so he chooses to rap about it. Sure there's plenty other subject matter on Rolling Papers, but weed is the central topic. He follows in the footsteps of Whiz Khalifa and Smoke DZA but raps about 10 times better. If you were to compare Odd Future to Wu-Tang, then Domo would be the Inspectah Deck of the group; he always comes hard, but isn't as noticed or innovative as the other members. Rolling Papers really is Domo's show, despite the various guest spots, and his skills really come into the light here
Mr. Genesis has a stretched drawl and mid-paced flow similar to that of many modern rappers. Unlike those other rappers, his words are clear and concise and his lyrics are clever. He shows lyrical skills throughout with interesting punchlines and weed-obsessed lyrics. On "
Domier" he raps about how "high as the sky" he is when he lights up a blunt over a synth beat that sounds like it was played through a telephone. Another track where his lyrics shine is "
Super Market" where he goes into a back-and-forth rap battle with Tyler The Creator and destroys him with lines like "Nigga i'm a samurai, cut your skinny ass in half/look up the aftermath/blow some hash and laugh". Domo gets creative with his wordplay throughout, bringing up hipsters, tacos, blunts, ninjas, Asian whores, and more throughout. Mr. Genesis really comes off as someone who knows what he's talking about, unlike other rappers that claim they smoke weed(looking at you Kottonmouth Kings).
Rolling Papers isn't just great lyrically, the beats are pushing the boundaries of hip-hop. Lots of electronic-based, synth-laced beats are peppered in with haunting piano playing courtesy of Wolf Haley(Tyler). There's a reggae-tinged number, cuts with epic Pete Rock-style horns, and wacky electronica beats splattered on as background music for a laid-back album. The music is very relaxing and stoner-friendly, as the beats are like an audio version of being high; it's a weird and hallucinatory collection of tracks to rap over. Wolf Haley really knows how to compliment Domo's stoner-friendly lyrics with equally stoner-friendly music. I'd say this has the best beats out of any Odd Future release.
As good as this album is, it's still going to be slept on by the masses who think Whiz Khalifa is better than this. They're two similar artists sure, but Domo puts more work and effort into his craft than Whiz ever will. Rolling Papers is really amazing, whether high or sober. Overall, Domo creates one of the best, if most slept on, release in the Odd Future camp's ever growing collection of music.
