Swervo is the 6th full-length project from Chicago drill rapper G Herbo. This is a collaboration with producer Southside, a man who Herbo is so close with he compares their friendship to Tupac and Dr. Dre's. G Herbo was named a XXL Freshman in 2016 but hasn't really gained too much mainstream success since them. Regardless of how successful he is, I think Herbo is a very interesting artist and was looking forward to this project.
Positives
I'm very glad that Herbo is keeping the drill scene alive. While Chief Keef's music is still enjoyable (I reviewed his latest pretty favorably), it makes me sad that he abandoned drill. Also, Montana of 300, one of my favorite Chiraq drill rappers, can't put out a consistent project to save his life, so I'm glad that Herbo is there to fill that gap. The production, while a bit flawed, is very good and Southside clearly knows Herbo's sound best. I also think Herbo is a very good rapper from a lyrical perspective. He's a great storyteller and his hard-hitting, aggressive delivery is what makes him stand out.
Negatives
I can appreciate consistency but this project is just TOO consistent. The subject matter is the same and the songs sound the same. This isn't too much of an issue since this album isn't too long but I would love it if Herbo branched out every once in a while. While his music is certainly enjoyable and listenable, G Herbo isn't a versatile rapper. He uses the same flows throughout this album. The fact that he doesn't even switch things up during each song is what brings the quality of the album down. Also, this is a bit of a nitpick but I hate Southside's drums. It sounds like they struggle to stay on the beat.
Features
1) 21 Savage (That's How I Grew Up) - Savage's cold, numb delivery is my favorite aspect of his music and this song is no exception. He delivers a great flow and a nice verse overall.
2) Chief Keef (Catch Up) - He delivered his signature Keef sound. His verses sounded good but were a little hard to understand sometimes. I loved that he went back and forth with Herbo throughout this track and thought his contribution was pretty solid.
3) Young Thug (100 Sticks) - His contribution to that song was a bit of a rollercoaster for me, meaning that there were parts of his feature that I loved and parts that I hated. I thought his hook was solid, but it's brought down by his screeched ad-libs and devolves into complete nonsense at the end of it. What was also mind-boggling was that he shouted out Lil Uzi Vert in the intro but he isn't on the track. His verse was okay but was also brought down by screechy ad-libs. He also flubbed quite a few rhymes but I'll let it slide since Free Verse is a form of poetry.
4) Juice WRLD (Honestly) - This collaboration is very puzzling, to say the least. However, this wasn't too bad. Juice's hook is nice but also sounds a bit whiny. I liked his verse a lot better. He was definitely the highlight of this track.
Singles
1) Swervo - This might be my favorite overall track on the project. TM88 and Southside provide some heat on production, the hook is just the right amount of repetitive, and Herbo's delivery and storytelling make this track.
2) That's How I Grew Up (feat. 21 Savage) - This is another example of where Herbo's delivery shines. The emotion he puts into telling us about his tough past is incredible. We also get some great production and a solid 21 Savage verse.
3) Focused - This was one of the better tracks on here. Herbo's aggressive rapping makes a nice contrast to the mellow production.
4) Who Run It (Remix) - This is a remix of Three 6 Mafia's "Who Run It." The remix featured Lil Uzi Vert, who I felt was the best part of the track. However, he was left off, which made me a little sad. When G Herbo initially remixed this song, it shook the hip-hop world. All of a sudden, every rapper and their mother was spitting verses on this beat including Lil Yachty & Trippie Redd, Juicy J (again), A$AP Rocky, 21 Savage, Dave East, Wiz Khalifa, and so many more. Herbo does the beat justice and spits a couple of hard verses. My only gripe with this song is Southside adding his drums to the beat. I didn't think that was necessary.
Best Tracks
1) Catch Up (feat. Chief Keef) - This song is a banger with Chief Keef and Herbo going back and forth. They have great chemistry.
2) Huh - Another banger where Herbo is in his element. He continues to provide his hard delivery and sounds very confident on this track.
3) 100 Sticks (feat. Young Thug) - I liked the piano usage in this beat. Thugger's contribution was a bit inconsistent but was okay overall. Herbo's verse was pretty good too. This was a solid song overall.
4) Honestly (feat. Juice WRLD) - I thought Herbo's verse wasn't great, but the rest of this track is pretty good. This song is more mellow than the rest of the tracklist, which was a nice change of pace. I thought Juice WRLD's hook was a little whiny but his verse was pretty good. I thought Juice was the highlight of this track.
Worst Track
Tweakin (Head) - The hook on this song is pretty weak. This was the song that I felt was the most boring and redundant.
Conclusion
This album was okay but also very one-dimensional. There are certainly some standouts but a good portion of this project doesn't feel replayable.
Score: 5/10
I liked Humble Beast better.
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