The dry-spoken, braggadocio rapper 21 Savage and hard-hitting Migos member, Offset, teamed up with premium trap producer Metro Boomin to deliver one of the rawest albums yet, “Without Warning.” The Atlanta trio worked on this album to bring back the simplicity of a good trap project: grand production with dark, clever bars.
Without Warning, as the album title and cover may suggest, is not a radio-friendly record because of explicit content that the album provides. The opening “Ghostface Killers” set the tone of the project perfectly. Offset, 21 Savage and Travis Scott, who jumps on this dark beat as a feature, explain their lifestyle of robberies, drug dealing and how they are “on top of the food chain.”
The 10-track collaboration tape features two solos from each 21 Savage and Offset at two apiece. This is noteworthy for Offset, who does not get solo limelight because he is a part of Migos. On “Ric Flair Drip” however, Offset makes sure his presence is felt. This, without a doubt, is his best performance to date. From the beat to the rhymes to the hook, Offset takes over. Lines like “Poppin’ but you really not ‘gone shoot / Ninety pointers down my diamonds look like hula hoops / Hopping in my Bentayga, and her seat is a masseuse / Balenciaga, check my posture, Valentino boots.” They really show that there is no lazy or generic writing with this stellar project.
21 Savage also evolves with his solo “My Choppa Hate N****s.” His stage name and persona represent that he does not follow a moral compass. His soft, but frighteningly genuine, raps illustrate his days of his gang-related activity by starting the song off with “I can show you how to fit a M in a duffel / Show you how to fit a hunnid bags in a duffel.”
Together, along with Metro’s crisp production, 21 and Offset complement each other greatly. 21 Savage has a flow of blunt, genuine, straight-to-the-point lines, while Offset keeps his inner Migos with electrifying rhymes through melodic ad-libs at the end of each line.
The duo excels in the song “Still Serving.” The beat sounds like it could have been in 21 Savage and Metro Boomin’s previous project Savage Mode, which was a darker and slower piece. 21 Savage uses his slow flow of clever lines and Offset takes the beat with a complementing faster flow. “Still Serving” is a prime example of how the two can be so perfect together.
Quavo, also a member of Migos, hops on the track “Rap Saved Me.” His contribution was nice, making the song sound more of a Migos joint than 21’s, but the song did not really stand out compared to the rest of the project. The beat was typical to other trap songs.
However, “Nightmare” was a better tune. The duo related itself to “Freddy Kruger” and how the streets are a nightmare. This piece has a bit more substance. In addition, this pokes fun at the fact that the project was released the day before Halloween.
Overall, this is one of the better-polished rap releases of 2017. From the clever writing to the polished production and features, “Without Warning” is a fantastic album for lovers of hard bars and great production, along with some darker elements.
cottintf14@bonaventure.edu
