[junkie-dropcap]W[/junkie-dropcap]hat’s going on, everybody? My name’s Julian or the TeaSippingRapCritic as I’m known on my socials. I’ve been a music reviewer for a couple years now and I’m really happy to be a new addition to this team. Hope you guys enjoy my content! Let’s begin.
Since he made it big with his hit single “ISpy” KYLE has been a figure in hip-hop I’ve enjoyed having around. He never had too much mainstream presence past that song unfortunately. But he continued to put out quality music with his 2018 album “Light Of Mine”. An album that showed KYLE had talent beyond his surface. He could cover topics like mental struggles and failing relationships with the youthful optimism that made him stand out.
After a relatively quiet 2 years since, he’s returned with his newest album “See You When I Am Famous!!!”. With each addition to KYLE’s discography adding a layer of maturity to his craft, I was very curious where this record was gonna go. I’m sad to say it feels like a gigantic step backwards. To a degree, that was the point. KYLE’s intention was to go back to his roots and find a piece of himself he abandoned long ago. But the music didn’t have to be as rudimentary as one’s first material tends to be. I think the goal was to make what was old new again. But instead, this album is just…dated. Not musically, per se. I actually think the production end of this album is quite consistent. But the song ideas and the lyrics within them are mostly insultingly elementary.
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But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me start with the intro track “Bounce”. A song that has more well-rounded versatility in its runtime than the rest of the album ever reaches. Hit-Boy bodied the production on this song. From the ear-grabbing dose of funk in the intro to the hard trap switch up, the song is captivating start to finish. KYLE spits little more than braggadocio, but it’s the presentation that sells it. He matches the song’s overall energy as exuberantly as I’d expect him to. I wish this wasn’t the first AND last time I could say that but it is.
From here, the album moves in 2 phases. The overly commercialized pop rap phase, and the overly commercialized “sad songs” phase. For an album that breezes by in a cool 30 minutes, it is not concise. The pop rap phase starts with “Money Now” which would be a fun song if the verses were as good as the chorus. But I don’t like KYLE’s delivery on his verse at all. It’s not radically different from how he would sound on any other song but it sticks out and not in a pleasant way. Tyga of all people was just a terrible feature placement. Nothing about his style fits this song and you know he’s not gonna change his style. He hasn’t changed in the slightest since 2014. Props to Johnny Yukon for delivering on the hook but the rest of the song doesn’t stack up.
The Beastie Boys revamp “GIRLS” has an admittedly knocking beat but none of the original song’s charm. I talk about the value of originality a lot but I actually love when an artist can make a classic song their own. Look at the R&B sample driven cuts on Pop Smoke’s posthumous album for a good recent example. But it takes personality to pull that off. Something I thought KYLE and especially Rico Nasty had in spades. But neither of them brings it to this track. The fact that Rico’s verse contrasts KYLE’s shows a minor effort in the writing at least. But a little doesn’t go a long way here.
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I feel similarly about “YES!” but even more strongly. “YES!” is far more overbearing with its bubbly pop elements and the features are lower effort and worse in every way. It wants to be a summer anthem very, very badly. But the heavy “corniness” factor of the entire thing and the lack of any memorable qualities give it the opposite effect.
“Forget” starts the aforementioned “sad songs” phase with a song that feels more suited to everyone else involved. KYLE is barely present on the song and what little he contributes feels out of place. The rest of the song’s elements blend together well enough. I rarely enjoy Trippie Redd, but I think his hook is good. His voice isn’t too overbearing, and the instrumental fits his tone. The Drums come through with an almost Bon Iver type presence that sounds fittingly ghostly. Iann Dior’s verse sounds a lot to me like Juice WRLD imitation but it’s at least more in line with the song and doesn’t shoot below average lyrically. The fatal flaw here is KYLE on his own album.
“Over It” is just “Forget” without the features to outshine KYLE. Unnecessary, put bluntly. His voice sounds good, but the song does nothing. “What It Is” is the song that finally gets it right. Lyrically, it blatantly contradicts the previous 2 tracks. But I’m willing to overlook that for how much better of a song it is. It’s a short song that shines in its simplicity. The hook is my favorite on the album and the verses follow the melody suit. It manages to create a mood by not trying so hard to make it happen. Like in real life, it’s just natural.
“The Sun” is a smooth way to take us out of that “love song” phase. But it’s most memorable quality is the rare appearance of Bryson Tiller. His verse isn’t spectacular, but it’s nice to hear him. I hope he’s working on new music of his own. Kyle’s singing is good too but Bryson is a far stronger presence. “Bye” is another musically simple cut that excels within the tracklist for being so. The lyrics are more reflective and nostalgic than anything else on the album. Songs that feel more personal are where KYLE shines brightest, and I wish there were more songs of that nature on this album.
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“Mr. Man and K.i.D.” is nostalgic in sound rather than its lyrics. It goes a traditional old-school hip-hop route and gives KYLE a chance to demonstrate some raw rapping ability. He’s pretty slick when he wants to be. I don’t feel the same way about Mr. Man. His verses feel unadored compared to KYLE’s. But the song as a whole at least manages to stand out. It closes the album by going back to KYLE’s roots.The bonus title track is another where KYLE feels out of place on his own song. I’m not buying what he’s trying to sell at all here. Props to him for getting Too $hort on a song though. The song is far more suited to him even if he’s not performing at his best either.
Overall, the common thread throughout this review is me being underwhelmed at almost every turn. This album bounces around a lot in just 30 minutes and it struggles to find anything that sticks. So much of the material here is bland and forgettable. Often it seems like KYLE’s trying way too hard for the commercial success he had before. He’s got a good ear for beats but it’s like the charm that radiated his previous work drained away. Maybe he can come back in another couple years with something a little more substantial? I guess I can only hope.
