Review Summary: Denzel Curry impresses with new album
With
Imperial, the rap world will hopefully comprehend the immense talent of the Carol City native, Denzel Curry. With all his releases thus far, there is mind-boggling improvement and expansion of his dark, hardcore aesthetic because just when you think Curry has outdone himself, he comes out with an album like this.
Lyrically, the rapper has the skill to create a full fledged picture of the harsh realties of his Florida community. With songs like “Narcotic” and “Sick and Tired,” the listener feels like he is right there on the street with the rapper, glimpsing problems of racial profiling or the endless cycle of violence and poverty that plagues underprivileged neighborhoods.
On his last album
32 Zel/Planet Shrooms, Curry made a clear distinction between his angry, militant rap persona and his more Outkastian, surreal experimentation.
Imperial though seems like a sonic gallery of his angrier identity on the majority of the tracks, sounding frenetic through the rattled the aggression. Yet this never makes the album too serious or heavy, mostly because these songs are extremely fun to hear. Curry effortlessly throws out references not only to 2Pac and Three 6 Mafia but also to popular anime like
Naruto.
In the music world of Denzel Curry, the vast knowledge of a hardcore hip-hop fan, the nostalgic fondness for Saturday cartoons and violent realism all sit next to each other equally.
And then there is his flow. Song after song he exhibits his phenomenal agility and skill to switch between his aggressive barks to a free flowing cadence over dark, cascading beats. His flow switch on songs like “Sick and Tired," “Pure Enough” and “This Life” is done to powerful and emotional effect.
Along with Denzel Curry's talent for writing hooks and his often vicious flow, the album is filled with impressive hard hitting beats. Ranging from ethereal, 808 filled bass kickers in the first half to the more smooth, mellow tracks on the second like album closer "If Tomorrow's Not Here," Curry proves his versatility. As a whole, this project is more consistent than
32 Zel/Planet Shrooms, making it more akin to
Nostalgic 64, with its dark atmosphere and mentality. With every hard-hitting soundscape there is always a hard-hitting message charging behind it.
While Rick Ross and Joey BadA$$ both lend excellent features, the album is impressively a solo act by the Florida emcee. As of right now, Denzel Curry is the brightest young rap star making his way into the rap circuit. For me, that is why
Imperial is truly exiting to hear because it's a witness to a young force fully realizing his potential.
This is real rap, raw and uncensored. Stay woke.
