Mixtape Review: Lil Pump
December 6, 2017
Written by James Totton
Lil’ Pump is a Soundcloud/Meme rapper from South Florida, a region that is home to other Soundcloud rappers like Denzel Curry, XXXTentacion, Smokepurpp, Ski Mask The Slump God. If one is an avid watcher of memes on social media then they are likely familiar with Lil’ Pump already. He first became known to the public via Soundcloud, an outlet that has since given rappers like XXXTentacion and Denzel Curry a full-time rap career and even become a XXL Freshman (XXXTentacion in 2017 and Denzel Curry in 2016).
This is probably going to be my most polarizing album review as of writing this because despite the repetition that occurs lyrically and content-wise off this mixtape, I wound up liking it a lot more than I initially thought prior to my first listen. Also, something tells me many others won’t feel the same way as I do about it because of the repetitive lyrics and content. They will likely write him off as “mumble rap” even though he doesn’t mumble which is a whole other conversation that I will save for another time.
What makes this different from his contemporaries is that the track length for most of the fifteen tracks only stretch to the two-minute mark which means that he doesn’t overstay his welcome on any them. In fact, the only tracks that lasts around the three-minute mark are tracks with a rap feature. Speaking of guests on the album, most of them fit into the mold and style that Lil’ Pump has in his music. Lil’ Pump’s right-hand man Smokepurpp is on three of the fifteen tracks. While I enjoyed him on What U Sayin’ and Smoke My Dope, his appearance on Pinky Ring was unnecessary. Lil’ Yachty and Lil’ Pump had some interesting chemistry on Back despite my indifference toward their verses. Chief Keef was a good fit on Whitney because I would argue that he is a heavy influence on Lil’ Pump. On Iced Out, 2 Chainz was only a tad amusing with his verse. But of all features, Rick Ross had the worst verse of them all sounding incredibly lazy. And Gucci Mane is like a father to Lil’ Pump in terms of him passing the torch to young rappers like him. His verse on Youngest Flexer wasn’t anything special but just the idea that Gucci Mane is figuratively a father to all rappers that sound like him is special. Oddly enough, instrumentally, ‘Youngest Flexer’ sounds a lot like O Let’s Do It by Waka Flocka, a rapper who pretty much looked up to Gucci Mane, musically. After all, they were “Ferrari Boyz” working together at one point.
What he doesn’t have in lyrics and content, he undoubtedly has in his choice of production, energy, and catchy choruses
Lil’s Pump’s content is nothing special that a lot of rap fans haven’t listened to already. What does it consist of? Selling and consuming drugs, wearing designer clothes and jewelry, riding in luxurious vehicles, taking another man’s girlfriend, and getting sexual favors from ladies.
This mixtape will lower your IQ points down 140 points. In terms of offering any thoughtful knowledge...
What he doesn’t have in lyrics and content, he undoubtedly has in his choice of production, energy, and catchy choruses. This a mixtape where no outside influence ruined or derailed what Lil Pump wanted to do. In other words, he didn’t sell out. There is no terrible singing (in fact, no singing at all) and no gratuitous autotune (not even from Lil’ Yachty surprisingly). Track after track is a trap banger full of rattling high hats, sub bass, and eerie or bubbly synth leads. Smoke My Dope and D Rose are two tracks with some of the heaviest sub bass I have ever heard on a track. At the Door has one of the most earworm hooks on the mixtape. Heck, most of the hooks on here are catchy, filled with energy, and easy to remember. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t tracks or hooks that pale in comparison to the good ones. Molly has a hook that is annoying to the ear while Foreign and Pinky Ring are easily the most forgettable tracks overall.
This mixtape will lower your IQ points down 140 points. In terms of offering any thoughtful knowledge, it has the mind of a jar of blue cheese, but that is the point so don’t listen to it if you’re looking to be woke. Leave your morals out the window with this project and go dumb. Rating: Strong 6 to Flat 7
