1. Not sure how I feel about this patois talk-led “Intro.” It seems like an attempt to capture that opening-moments-of-“Mercy” magic. BUT 28 SECONDS PASS AND THEN WE’RE IN BANGER-LAND. Pusha beasts this intro, per usual. We get 60 seconds of great bars, a Marlo Stanfield sample from The Wire, and then we’re knee-deep in Caine.
2. “Millions” is a good choice to serve as this mixtape’s single. The beat is basic by comparison to say, the Neptunes gold Pusha rapped over with Clipse, but it’s a respectable street track. Rick Ross is along for the ride as his gleefully exaggerated self, and you know what’s wrong with that? NOTHING. P gives his rhymebook a workout on this one.
3. I like French Montana, largely for “Pop That” and a smattering of his (many) mixtape tracks. But why does he keep fucking SINGING HOOKS, as he does on “Doesn’t Matter?” While not at Ja fucking Rule levels of awfulness, it’s pretty bad. (See “Stay Schemin” for another example of this.) And yet I find French’s warbling bizarrely endearing, much like Future. By the way, the song overall is good.
4. Chief Keef is barely short of a serial killer in terms of sociopathy, and his lyrics suck. However, I thank him for introducing Young Chop beats to the world, and Chop’s production for “Blocka” doesn’t disappoint. It’s a mellower but still hard take on Lex Luger trap shit. Pusha’s verses are good, not great. There have yet to be any ridiculously awesome quotables on this tape.
5. “Road Runner” has another pretty dope beat – some symphonic and church organ shit over Dirty South drums. However. The lack of great lines is starting to nag me. (Even both Fear of God tapes had some truly classic shit, i.e. “Alone in Vegas.”)
6. “Revolution.” A NEPTUNES BEAT OH THANK THE GOOD LORD. Per usual, they bring out Pusha’s best rhymes. Just listen to that whole first verse – it’s sort of an oral history of the rise (and hiatus, NOT FALL, NOT YET PLEASE) of Clipse.
7. “Only You Can Tell It” features Wale, who is just nine kinds of awful since his commercial resurgence as part of Maybach Music Group. His verse here is fine because it has none of his gross-as-fuck, wicked lame sex talk. (Side note: I can listen through Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire’s blowjob skit on his Lost in Translation tape and laugh – this should prove how nasty I find Wale. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. I have the same problem with what Lil’ Wayne has become.) That chipmunked chorus is rad, though.
8. Oh look, “Trust You” is the slow ladies jam. It’s not good. Pusha is fine, but everything else is just kinda shit. Especially this Kevin Gates dude, who’s worse than Kirko Bangz. That says a LOT.
9. “Take My Life.” Now we’re back on track. Pusha excels when he gets somber and introspective (see Clipse’s “Nightmares,” “Alone in Vegas,” “Momma I’m So Sorry”), and this chill, reggae-ish track is a good setting for him to do that.
10. LIVA-DON. For the uninitiated, I’m referring to Ab-Liva, the most talented member of Clipse’s Re-up Gang clique, who lays some quality flows over a flipped version of the “I Still Wanna” beat for this track, “Liva Re-up Gang Motivation.” Then, Pusha…wait, what? The fuck?! Pusha’s not even on this song!
11. B!nk produces “I Am Forgiven,” and lays down a beat that’s sort of a sonic cousin to his work on Kanye’s “Devil in a New Dress.” This is a good thing. More Pusha introspection, halfway excoriating himself for his dope-boy past while reveling in his “forgiven” status. Decent closer, sure as shit ain’t no “Alone in Vegas.” (Have I mentioned how fucking great “Alone in Vegas?” is?)
Final thought – At first the sample of Marlo saying “My name IS my name!” was awesome. Then it showed up on every single song on this mixtape, including the slow jam song. I can definitely dig Wrath of Caine and feel like I’d listen to it on the semi-regular. But Pusha’s definitely capable of better, having proven so recently (“New God Flow” and his other appearances on Cruel Summer are excellent examples). So, for fuck’s sake, the actual album better be good.
Liam Green can be reached at lgreen@thoughtpollution.com.