Review Summary: Dance...
The other day, on a music forum I read someone explaining that their favourite albums were different to the albums they considered the best – for example, they personally enjoyed 5 albums more than Kendrick Lamar’s
To Pimp A Butterfly but still ranked
TPAB in their 5 best due to “objective merit”. Sorry, but I think that’s the dumbest thing I’ve read all week.
If you enjoy one artist more than another, own it. If you like fun music, joke music, club music – more than so-called serious music – own it. Music should be an even playing field, and shaking your ass has just as much merit as poetry.
That’s where Joey Valence & Brae comes in – the American rap duo makes punchline-ridden, amped-up, sweaty music for the mosh pit. It’s no lyrical bible, nor are the rappers’ flows particularly technical, but their new album
HYPERYOUTH might end up being my hip-hop AOTY. Not just my favourite album, the best.
Firstly, the beats are crazy. Joey Valence has grown tremendously as a producer across 3 albums; “See U Dance” is a tribute to peak Timbaland, and Rebecca Black superbly glides across the instrumental like Nelly Furtado in her prime. You can see how the Skrillex-worship and Kanye-inspo has shaped JVB’s brash, pop-rap lens on bangers like “Hyperyouth” and “Have To Cry” – they’re innovative, inspired, and incredibly fun.
The bars are also incredibly memorable throughout, with Brae especially landing some laugh-out-loud moments, sometimes in spite of their sheer stupidity (the “I’m am-Asian” line in “Bust Down”). Importantly though, the boys balance this with some introspection, the best example being the crying-in-the-club banger “Live Right”, who’s themes of anxiety about growing up are something we’ve all been able to relate to.
In summary, if you like fun turned up to the max, bump this album.
HYPERYOUTH might not end up being for you, but if you do like it, I hope you shake your ass and own it proudly.
