Album Review-Luv is Rage 2

Gary Martin
Aug 25, 2017 · 2 min read

For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out what made Uzi special. To be quite honest, I’m still not sure what has caused such excitement surrounding his brand. Uzi has an image fitting of rap’s modern moment, and he has the hits for on-demand streaming and radio, but more casual listeners, like myself, haven’t fully jumped on board.

Uzi’s material didn’t truly resonate with me until I found myself singing “XO TOUR Llif3” with a bunch of 7th graders on a field trip. o All my homies are alive (Shot outs to Craig and Mel!) but I couldn’t escape the contagious tune. All it takes is one listen before you’re singing to the world about the death of all your friends. There is no question that Uzi has a gift for melody, there’s a catchiness to his work that’s hard to resist. He’s rapper with a punk rock aura who could translate that style and energy and released a SoundCloud song that turned into a Billboard hit.

For me, journalism is an obsessive art form. Rap music is my sanctuary because hip-hop is all I inhaled for almost the last 20 years. Historically, I give albums/mixtapes/projects one listen before I write a review. The rules are the same: no skipping, no fast-forwarding, no rewinding, and no stopping. Each song will receive my initial reaction from start to finish.

Hailed as the album that would define a generation before it hit the streets, Luv Is Rage 2 is anything but the collection of genre-defining songs that are here to save the day. I personally wasn’t that impressed and found myself becoming bored. I mean, it’s not a bad effort. “Neon Guts” shines bright with the assistance of Pharrell Williams. UnFazed featuring The Weeknd should be a certified banger as well. In hindsight, Luv Is Rage 2 is a fair album that does very little to move the needle forward. The beats and the hooks tell the real story here and often dictate the pace. “The Way Life Goes” will be the fourth quarter hit that stops the bleeding on the perception that the album under-delivered on its promise. I’m a tad bit disappointed, However, I hope rap culture continues to embrace Lil Uzi Vert’s instinct and keep inspiring him to take a chance and do something a little something different. The culture needs it!

Grade: C+

Best Song: XO Tour Lif3

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