Some Thoughts on I AM MUSIC

• I assumed Carti would lean into the Swamp Izzo mixtape vibe more because of the Lil Wayne homage he was doing in the rollout, but there’s still some songs that evoke the pastiche. “RADAR” is vintage 08 Weezy and the aptly titled “LIKE WEEZY” could’ve been lifted off a Dedication.

• Carti on his chameleon shit throughout I AM MUSIC, there’s new deep voice Carti, Future Carti, Travis Carti, Black Kray Carti, baby voice Carti, and even vintage Awful Carti. It’s kind of silly but very fun.

• This is the best rapping of his career by far. Maybe it’s cause he took so goddamn long, but he’s thoroughly locked in, with crazy flows, variances in cadence and rhythm, and the best lyrics he’s ever had. “PHILLY” in particular is a highlight, “In the car with two blickies and they both got titties” is both hilarious and some really inventive imagery.

• Carti…for the girls? Tracks like “RATHER LIE” and “BACKD00R” seem tailormade to soundtrack IG baddies’ captions and stories, with the Weeknd, Cash Cobain, and Jhene Aiko lending a rare tender side to Carti’s music. A little bit ironic considering his ordeal with Iggy Azalea and his absence in his kid’s life, but the songs still come off as geuninely romantic nonetheless.

• Tweeted about this already but it’s so funny that Carti will not collab with his opium posse. Personally I understand, I find Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely middling at best, but bro they’re on your own label! At least Kanye had the decency to give his G.O.O.D. Music signees an album, wtf have you done for them?

• Speaking of Kanye, he only has one track on here. Perhaps Carti midway through the making of this record decided it was not worth further involvement, lol. Honestly, the protracted wait for I AM MUSIC really makes me want a making-of documentary, I really can’t imagine how this shit actually got done given how capricious Carti seems to be.

• Travis Scott on 4 tracks…yuck. At least his contributions aren’t too egregious, but still, something I could live without. Carti must want to replicate the “FEIN!” success.

• Cool that Future here is very similar to his We Don’t Trust You mode, as if we’re actively watching him attach his style evolution to features as well. Also cool how uncanny Carti’s Future impression is, when he said “My new bitch a Blasian” I was like “bro Future you’re Blasian” and then saw it was actually Carti, which was bewildering. Maybe Future’s his new bitch?

• 16*29 is back! “JUMPIN” and “TWIN TRIM” are nowhere near “Shoota” or “wokeuplikethis” but it’s still a sight for sore eyes. Also “She can't suck my dick, I make this bitch just suck my nuts” made me laugh out loud when I first heard it, Lil Uzi is a meance.

• It’s so sick that Carti got Kendrick to be a vital part of this album. You could be cynical and say it’s because he’s supernova hot at the moment but it’s somehow a natural fit, as Kendrick cribs from DAMN, GNX and the Hillbillies to fit each of his features on I AM MUSIC. Absolutely spazzes out on “GOOD CREDIT” and his relegation to ad-lib duty on “MOJO JOJO” is both entertaining and a pretty inspired idea.

• Song with Young Thug is just alright, but god it’s nice that he’s back. My life for Jeffrey Williams.

• 30 songs sounds insane but it’s very impressive Carti makes it feel breezy. In a way, it’s a testament to how astute of a songwriter and musician he is. I AM MUSIC is deftly sequenced and the most sonically varied of his albums, which seems to reflect the amount of time taken making the record. Bro didn’t slack.

• First day reception has been far more positive than Whole Lotta Red, possibly because of the glut of A-list features. Remains to be seen which I like better but there’s something here for everyone, from the Billboard-ready hits to the tailormade vamp anthems.

• He did that shit.

Thanks for reading, if you like my work, consider dropping me some cash at my Ko-fi. Happy Carti day everyone.