Bloom Los Angeles

I mean yeah, Gucci definitely dropped a decent album that was able to keep me entertained for all of 52 minutes, but I just don’t see myself revisiting it anytime soon. The album starts off strong with one of the best hip-hop album intros of 2016, No Sleep, but then takes a nosedive in terms of production pretty quickly. Out Do Ya, the album’s second track, is definitely a departure from the momentum that Gucci establishes on the aforementioned intro track, and sounds as if Gucci is getting a little too complacent with his sound. The album carries this burden of leveled mediocrity throughout, with the exception of the previously released singles that I mentioned. Even Kanye’s feature on Pussy Print doesn’t redeem what is ultimately just another average hip-hop song. Drake and Thugger’s features don’t do much for me either, considering I was never really a fan of either to begin with. I couldn’t help but feel as if while listening to this album that Gucci didn’t drop this album out of passion but just to show people that he could drop an album 2 months after being released from prison like it’s nothing (the alleged fact that this entire album was recorded in only 6 days further verifies this opinion). I have to be honest and say that while the album definitely slaps in some places, it ultimately feels like an EP for All My Children/1st Day Out Tha Feds along with a bunch of B-sides. What’s sad about all of this is that had Guwop taken his time, this album could have very well been one of the best of 2016. Gucci is lucky enough to have such a unique and defined presence on any song he’s on and if backed by the right production, could easily take over all of hip-hop. And while this album doesn’t display that potential fully realized, it definitely manifests it. Perhaps I’m going harsher on this because I actually expected a lot more from this album considering the singles leading up to it, but this project ultimately left me with a lukewarm feeling of slight disappointment.

All in all, Gucci’s album felt like a decent but underwhelming return to hip hop considering the hype he had built for himself over the past couple of months. But perhaps, maybe I’m just subconsciously being the bitchy dusthead I always used to be and still don’t know shit about modern hip-hop. Maybe this album will grow on me and I’ll come to appreciate it more in the future, but for now I’ll still be continuing my current routine of bumping Blank Face LP. Sorry Wop.