Harder Than Ever is the fourth full-length project from Lil Baby (5 if you count his collaborative mixtape with label-mate Marlo). Lil Baby has risen to stardom through the Atlanta-based record label Quality Control, a label that also has Migos and Lil Yachty. The unique part of Baby's come-up was that he had only started rapping a couple years ago, and has worked to improve his sound with every mixtape. He's made a name for himself through his breakout single, "My Dawg," which was followed up with a remix with Quavo, Moneybagg Yo, and Kodak Black on the Quality Control compilation Control the Streets Volume 1. Since then, he's collaborated with Drake and is one of many up-and-comers in the running for the 2018 XXL Freshman Class. I don't like or dislike Lil Baby or his music, but his recent buzz led me to check out this project.
Positives
The production is solid throughout Harder Than Ever. Lil Baby's sound is typically the trap sound, which includes melodic flows over aggressive beats with skittering hi-hats and simple booming bass patterns. Many decent producers have credits throughout the project. Quay Global, the guy whose tag is "CUT THAT SHIT UP QUAY," made most of the beats for this project, and knows Lil Baby's sound best. You will also hear a beat from Tay Keith, the go-to producer for up-and-comer BlocBoy JB, on the song "Exotic," which I believe is one of his best beats. However, my favorite beat on the entire project is the Drake-featured "Yes Indeed," which was produced by Wheezy. While Lil Baby's lane is melodic trap, you will sometimes hear different elements in the production, like the guitars on the song "Leaked." Content-wise, there isn't too much else about the project that I need to talk about since this is still a by-the-numbers trap project about life in the streets.
Negatives
One of my least favorite elements of Lil Baby's music, besides his stupid name, is his voice. While it's not nearly as annoying as listening to Kodak Black or KILLY, Lil Baby's voice is not pleasant enough to hear on 17 tracks. It's not nearly as much of a drag to hear as his samey flows. While he doesn't rely on the typical "ay flow" that's taken over hip-hop, it still sounds identical on a lot of tracks. His delivery is also very slurred, which can make some of his lyrics seem unintelligible. Now I'm not gonna put him in the "mumble rap" category like a Future or Young Thug, but he's pretty damn close to it. [I'd also like to note that I don't hate "mumble rap." If you have a slurred delivery, you can make up for it with a solid voice, energy, and flow, and Lil Baby lacks two of the three.]
So how were the features?
8 rising and established stars in trap music are featured on this project. They did a solid job overall and kept it interesting.
1) Starlito (Exotic) - This was one of two features I didn't like. His verse was very off-beat, which brings the track down. "Exotic" is among the best songs on this project because of Tay Keith's production, but Starlito keeps it from making my top 3.
Verdict: Disliked
2) Drake (Yes Indeed) - Drake's effortless flow is one of the biggest highlights of this song. While it seems very sleepy, Drake's flow is very fast-paced, which counters the delivery very well. This feature continues his winning streak in 2018.
Verdict: Liked
3) Moneybagg Yo (Bank) - I think he does a better job than Baby on this track, but he doesn't add anything of value. In short, it's an okay feature.
Verdict: Ehhhh
4) Gunna (Throwing Shade/Life Goes On) - Gunna was featured on two songs here. On "Throwing Shade," he doesn't add anything or bring the track down, so I thought his feature was just okay. His verse and outro on "Life Goes On," however, is much better. It's more energetic but also happens to be a bit short.
Verdict: Ehhhh on Throwing Shade, Liked on Life Goes On
5) Young Thug (Right Now) - This is on the weaker end of Thugger's guest appearances. The effects on his voice just made him sound grating.
Verdict: Disliked
6) Lil Uzi Vert (Life Goes On) - Uzi is definitely the highlight of this song. He brings a ton of energy and fast-paced flows and makes an already solid track even better. If I have one thing to complain about, it's that it should be longer.
Verdict: Liked
7) Offset (Transporter) - It's a standard Offset verse and hook which has the same high-energy flows we've heard from him. In other words, Offset does Offset things.
Verdict: Somewhere between Ehhhh and Liked
8) HoodRich Pablo Juan (Boss Bitch) - I didn't really care for this track, but I think Pablo Juan gives a solid hook and verse here.
Verdict: Liked
So how were the singles?
Lil Baby released 2 singles ahead of Harder Than Ever, both coming within a couple days of each other the week before release.
1) Southside - I had already reviewed this single in my Single Reviews post I made last week. I thought there wasn't anything special about this song. I had already forgotten what it sounds like.
Verdict: Ehhhh
2) Yes Indeed (feat. Drake) - This is definitely my favorite song from Lil Baby. Wheezy's beat is crisp and clean and Drake delivers another great verse. We also get one of the funniest lines in a hip-hop song this year, "wah, wah, wah/bitch I'm Lil Baby," which makes me wonder why he doesn't use this as like a catchphrase or something. It makes him stand out.
Verdict: Liked
Favorite Tracks
1) Throwing Shade (feat. Gunna) - I already said that Gunna doesn't add much to the track, but it doesn't change the fact that it's one of my favorites. I'm a sucker for trap beats that include orchestral instruments like flutes, so it didn't take too much for this track to sell me.
2) First Class - The production from Quay Global sounds like something I would hear on a pre-Culture Migos track. There wasn't much else to this track, but it certainly has one of the best beats on here.
3) Life Goes On (feat. Gunna x Lil Uzi Vert) - This is definitely the best non-single on this project. Lil Baby delivers his catchiest hook since "My Dawg" and the guests deliver short, high-energy verses. It's a solid track all around.
Least Favorite Track
Bank (feat. Moneybagg Yo) - I wasn't crazy about this one. I don't know if both songs used the same sample or something, but the beat is almost identical to "Wizard of Oz" from Logic's latest project. It's like Turbo didn't even try to differentiate his beat from 6ix's.
Conclusion
Like I said before, it's a by-the-numbers trap project. That doesn't make it bad, but that doesn't necessarily make it great either.
Score: 3/5
I think that his voice and samey flow bring this project down, but this wasn't terrible at all. I haven't listened to the rest of Lil Baby's mixtapes, so I can't rank this one just yet.
This concludes my fifth review. My next post will be what songs I've added to my playlist this week, which should be out by tomorrow.
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