Review Summary: If you really like trap music, then some of this Jeezy/Gucci clone's album might interest you. If that's not the case, then skip this one.
Over the past decade, Yo Gotti released a constant stream of mixtapes and street albums, thus becoming a hometown hero in his native Memphis. Despite his style falling well within the confines of dirty south trap music, which became quite commercially viable during the early to mid-2000s, Gotti never got a chance at national exposure until the last couple years. The album’s two original lead singles, “5 Star” and “Women Lie, Men Lie” garnered moderate chart success in late 2009 and early 2010, but the album was delayed. To make matters worse the label his debut was supposed to be released on was shut down by parent company Sony.
After two years of push-backs and whatever buzz Yo Gotti did generate, it’s pretty easy to see why this album is being released with little promo in the release date no man’s land of January. Gotti isn’t a terrible rapper nor is his album awful by any means. However, why his official debut is being released in 2012 is quite puzzling. This is trap music, street-aimed, cocaine boasting, deep south trap music. Had Live From the Kitchen been released five or six years earlier Yo Gotti could have had his 15 minutes of fame as a second-tier player in the style popularized by the likes of T.I., Young Jeezy, and Gucci Mane. Considering that Gotti is capable of creating serviceable songs and stays well within the lines of the elements that gave those artists a loyal fan base, this will appeal to some. Yet in 2012 all of this is so dated and street rap is at an all-time low in popularity. And most importantly, Yo Gotti flat out does not have the charisma or personality to even come close to his more successful contemporaries. Gotti is so faceless that if you were playing this album for someone who was familiar with this style of rap, but not particularly and avid fan, they wouldn’t even blink if told that it’s the new Jeezy or Gucci.
This is not to say that some enjoyment can’t come out of this. The first four tracks all do their job as dirty south street bangers. Big beats, passionate delivery, and all the threats, boasts, and cocaine talk one could ask for. A listener should just know that this album couldn’t be more predictable. You can check off the aforementioned trunk rattlers that opened the album, a couple obligatory introspective tracks (Second Chance, Letter), some forced radio songs (Single, We Can Get It On, Go Girl), and a couple more certified street bangers in the album’s second and final thirds to round things out. Outside of the awkward attempts at singles, nothing can be considered ***, but at the same time decent is as good as it gets. So if you’re a trap music enthusiast and are over playing your collection of Jeezy, Gucci, and T.I., this can entertain you until one of them drops something new.
Rating - 4.0/10
