Review Summary: I told you bout talkin that crazy shit / now look at you pushin up daisies, bitch
KOTMS Vol. 2 has made landfall approximately 12 years after its first installment, a self-released mixtape by a then 16-year-old who was starving to make his mark with his underground tales of violence and excess. Perhaps more importantly, this tape’s lurid, maximalist sequel arrives in the wake of Denzel Curry’s most daring and expansive release, 2022’s
Melt My Eyez See Your Future.
Melt allowed listeners to draw back the curtain and take in a version of Denzel Curry that was somehow even rawer than his “Big Ultra” alter ego. It was a project with a mission statement of awareness, growth, and a resolve to confront the ills of his mentality head-on. Perhaps
KOTMS Vol. 2 was the only type of artistic offering that could follow such a documentation of discovery, a stylistic love letter to the ethos and art that not only required Denzel to melt himself down, but re-molded and re-invigorated his love for the game. From its opening seconds, Curry’s audience is treated to a smorgasbord of Southern rap stylings, larger-than-life production and collaborations, and more tales of Big Ultra’s escapades than many fans likely thought possible in 2024.
Curry opts for a shrewd and understated angle throughout the record’s lyrical content that I appreciated more and more as I continued to pore over his bars. Big Ultra has no problem taking complete hold of his persona and stealing the show on numerous occasions, but Curry’s lyricism indicates a looser relationship with the debauchery and mayhem on display, while also painting a portrait of a more integrated Denzel, a man capable of being vulnerable whom you should still not f
uck with under any circumstances. Lest we forget, Denzel is absolutely about that life (he was once roommates with noted philanthropist and honor roll student XXXTentacion), but as his palpable rage on “BLACK FLAG FREESTYLE” demonstrates, “y’all hoes must’ve forgot.” More than anything, the grandiosity of the record serves as a testament to the man’s own versatility, a middle finger to anyone who thought he betrayed his true musical self, and a reminder that he can still do this better than anyone. When the album is truly in its element, its monumental beats lift what could be meager money and murder raps in lesser hands, and transforms them into undeniable earworms. The aforementioned “BLACK FLAG FREESTYLE”, the hazy Soundcloud-inspired “ULTRA SHXT”, or the room-rattling “G’Z UP” were more than enough to get my Caucasian ass moving regrettably, while the irresistible “COLE PIMP” and “WISHLIST” showcase melodic leanings that will stick with you long after your time with them comes to a close.
While
KOTMS Vol. 2 could easily persuade its listeners that Denzel Curry is indeed the king of its nostalgic and spontaneous Southern style, its greatest weakness could be articulated as the king often wandering too far from his throne. It doesn’t quite measure up to
Melt or even some of the better cuts on
Imperial and
TA13OO, but Curry is still on such a heater for most of these tracks that I find myself growing more frustrated each time another guest verse crops up. Literally every track on this album contains a feature, with some undertakings branching into outright posse cuts. Features are an integral and expected part of any hip hop record, but such a glut presents the possibility of the star of the show being sidelined by inferior output from collaborators. This isn’t the case with every song on tap here, but I’d be lying if I said the features weren’t a mixed bag. Some are forgettable (Maxo Kream), some blend right in (Armani White), some are the exact ingredient needed to turn a good song into a great one (A$AP Ferg and
especially Ty Dolla $ign), and some are dead on arrival (TiaCorine, Ski Mask the Slump God, every appearance of Kingpin Skinny Pimp). This wildly varying quality can sometimes make listening to the album feel like spinning an oversized wheel at a carnival, fingers crossed that you win 5 dollars instead of a pie to the face. The feature issue may be symptomatic of a greater rot in the album’s overall flow, with superfluous interludes pockmarked throughout the tracklist, as well as suspect sequencing that places most of the melodic cuts towards the end while smashing faces into the curb for the album’s first two thirds.
Despite these visible flaws, I still recommend giving
KOTMS Vol. 2 a listen if you’re a fan of Denzel’s previous work, a hip hop fan in general, or just a person who is looking for a little bit more fun in their day. Even when certain songs weren’t quite working, I still found myself able to nod along and get lost in their rhythms. Even when another guest verse cropped up and it threatened to kill the album’s momentum, I found myself rewarded by another dynamite verse from Denzel thanks to the album’s breakneck pace. I guess that’s what I’m trying to get at; even if
KOTMS Vol. 2 doesn’t end up working for you as an entire creative project, it will have a precious moment or two that allows you to cut loose, turn off your mind, and enjoy the music.
