Monday, August 13, 2018

REVIEW: Trippie Redd - Life's a Trip


Life's a Trip is Trippie Redd's third full-length project and debut studio album.  These past couple of years have had many ups and downs (mostly downs) for Trippie Redd featuring a few scandals and an appearance on the 2018 XXL Freshman List.  I listened to Trippie's A Love Letter to You series this past Thursday and thought that those projects had their fair share of good tracks, but were also incredibly inconsistent and messy.  To be quite honest, I wasn't really looking forward to this project, especially with the rumors and negative headlines that Trippie has been generating this year.

Well, Trippie's debut album is not as terrible as expected.  It was rumored that this album would be 26 tracks long and thank fucking Christ it isn't.  Instead, we have 14.  I am also glad that Trippie's talentless friends weren't involved either.  No more Chris King or FOREVER ANTi PoP or Cyndee With a C.  Just Trippie and a couple cameos from established artists like Young Thug and Travis Scott.  The production sounds very airy and fits the theme of the album's title and cover.  I'm also thankful that there isn't just one but TWO whole tracks of Trippie spitting his ass off.

Trippie Redd released too many singles for this album.  6 of the 14 tracks were released as singles.  If Trippie were to still release his 26 track album, releasing that many singles would be okay, but only getting 8 tracks of new material just feels empty.  His raspy high notes still sound very grating at times and I take it that he won't get better at singing any time soon.  I also find it very odd how Trippie doesn't focus on his lyrical side enough.  Not every track has to be a "Can You Rap Like Me?" but he should at least put more effort into the words he's belting.  If anything, he should at least stop referring to detractors as poop, turds, or literal shit.  It's bad enough that referencing fecal matter in your raps is never a good idea, but referring to people as such makes you seem pathetic.  Also, there are a few rock tracks and they're all dreary and boring.  It's more listenable than Speeding Bullet 2 Heaven or Rebirth but they still suck regardless.  When will artists learn that rap and rock don't mix?

The cover art looks really cool.  This album is supposed to represent a drug trip and I feel like the art reflects it very well.  It's up there with KOD with the most creative cover art of the year.  I feel like this album would have been so much better if he put these tracks on it:

  • TR666 with Swae Lee
  • I Kill People with Chief Keef and Tadoe
  • Me Likey (Outside of the poopy butt line it's a good song)
  • Ghost Busters with XXXTentacion, Quavo, and Ski Mask The Slump God
If Trippie put these tracks on streaming services instead of making them SoundCloud exclusives (aside from Me Likey), I think he'd be in much better shape in terms of music quality and streaming numbers.  Adding on to this, Trippie would be in much better shape in terms of his career if he didn't do stupid shit outside of the booth.  Here's a list of all the easily preventable stuff that Trippie Redd has done this year.
  • Beefing with 6ix9ine and looking like an idiot in the process because Tekashi is very good at trolling and making others look stupid.
  • Having sex with Bhad Bhabie (a 15-year-old rapper who got famous from her Dr. Phil appearance and shitty memes) after calling 6ix9ine a pedo.
  • Pistol whipping a woman the day we found out he made the 2018 XXL Freshman List.  I know it was in defense of his own girlfriend but there are much better ways to settle disputes.
  • Skipping the 2018 XXL Freshman Cyphers because "the beat was wack" and looking like an immature brat.
Trippie Redd is a classic example of how not to handle fame and waste opportunities.  He's on pace to fall off within a year and it's because he won't keep his fucking mouth shut and stay out of trouble.  It's a shame because I believe he's one of the most unique personalities in hip-hop right now and is pretty talented.

This album is no different from his earlier work.  There's a fair share of some good tracks that are mixed in with a bunch of other shit.  Trippie may be getting a little better at singing and other little things but it feels more and more like he's stagnating than anything.  His next project needs an incredible overhaul or I'm officially done with him.

Singles
Together [Boring rock song #1]
Taking a Walk [Actually pretty good]
Wish (Trippie Mix) - with Diplo [Blows the original version out of the water.  Who knew that adding vocal effects in the background would be a vast improvement?]
How You Feel [Boring rock song #2]
Dark Knight Dummo - feat. Travis Scott [The best Trippie Redd song.  Don't @ me.]
Uka Uka [Another really good song.]

Best Tracks
Missing My Idols
Bird Shit [Aside from Trippie calling people turds this song is heat.]
BANG!
Oomp's Revenge
Gore

Worst Tracks
How You Feel
Shake It Up
Underwater FlyZone [Boring rock song #3]

Score: 4/10

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