Atlanta rapper and one-time Grammy award winner 21 Savage, known for his gritty and monotonous style of rapping, released his third solo album “american dream” on Jan. 12. 21 Savage released a four-minute trailer for a movie of the same name, starring Childish Gambino and Caleb McLaughlin, prior to uploading the album’s release on Instagram two days later. Spanning a runtime of almost 50 minutes, the album boasts 15 tracks with nine featured artists.
Utilizing an autobiographical rapping style, 21 Savage begins the album with the interlude “american dream” as the narrator shares their struggles of immigrating from the United Kingdom to Atlanta. With subdued instrumentals and clandestine tempos, the track seamlessly transitions into the next track, “all of me,” giving fans an enhanced listening experience. Along with a soulful background, the trap artist delivers hard-hitting verses on getting involved with gangs and pursuing women from his neighborhood, thus establishing a “tough guy” persona to his audience.
21 Savage produces a more in-depth addition to his discography, providing a meaningful perspective on his past experiences. For example, he opens up about violence when living in the hood and public reception to his British American identity on the songs “dark days” and “n.h.i.e.” respectively. Tackling themes of loyalty, crime and joining the music industry, the rapper defends his integrity by depicting the stories that have shaped him into the artist he is today.
Starting strong with an intriguing interlude, “american dream” quickly picks up its pace with the track “redrum.” With a Spanish-inspired violin sample surprising listeners, 21 Savage wastes no time to fortify his presence with electrifying verses. As the song itself is the word murder cleverly written backward, 21 Savage taps into his violent nature while making references to being a quick shot and executing clean kills. Using a clean and dynamic tone paired with bolstering bass, the rapper invites fans to an invigorating listening experience. Still, 21 Savage shows artistic maturity in the later track “letter to my brudda,” by opening up about his experiences with the betrayal and loyalty that come with street life. Utilizing a somber and hushed timbre, 21 Savage reflects on his sins and dealing with his hardships but concludes that following the rules of gang life doesn’t define him. Such versatility suits the rapper well as fans can gain more insight on his rise to stardom.
Furthermore, the inclusion of famous artists such as Doja Cat, Travis Scott and Lil Durk elevate the project. Each of the features’ articulate reflections tie into “american dream”’s themes of resilience appropriately. While 21 Savage delivers an eloquent verse on establishing dominance in a gang on “n.h.i.e.,” Doja Cat’s confident articulation on maintaining assertiveness blends effortlessly into the track’s subdued synths. Rappers Travis Scott and Lil Durk stand out on their respective songs “née-nah” and “dangerous,” matching 21 Savage’s choppy demeanor with convincing and refreshing raps and straying away from their regular use of autotune.
Besides sticking to his robust style of sharp and candid verses, the rapper tries to be more experimental on other tracks by including verses from R&B artists like Summer Walker and Brent Faiyaz. Although the singers’ passionate voices complement the rapper, with four of the last five tracks on the album containing a feature from an R&B artist, their tracks feel repetitive and formulaic. On each of the final songs of the project, the respective featured artists trade mellow verses with 21 Savage’s jagged raps. 21 Savage seems unsure of how to incorporate R&B artists outside a generic back-and-forth pattern.
Although the Atlanta rapper deviates from his traditional style of pairing intense raps with characteristic trap synths, some of 21 Savage’s raps feel mundane and overdone, especially on the fifth track “sneaky.” Furthermore, the rapper fails to deliver on taking a creative leap in “see the real” as he attempts to sing but instead bores listeners with his autotune. The project also bears some cringeworthy lines, such as a lyric about poop on “pop ur sh*t” and repeating lines from the nursery rhyme “Three Little Pigs” on “redrum,” giving listeners second-hand embarrassment.
Overall, “american dream” may not supply audiences with quick hits, but the hip-hop artist demonstrates artistic growth with his intimate reflection on the project. Even if the album promo for “american dream” felt underwhelming and unexpected, 21 Savage delivers tracks with high replay value. The Atlanta rapper’s exposure of his narratives pays off as he entertains listeners while enlightening them with heartfelt musings.
3.5/5
