Back in 2008 in an interview with allhiphop.com, now 21-year-old Grammy nominated Compton emcee
Tyga stated stated that he would be a “different” breed of artist because of the
time he was entering the hip-hop game, and that his method of analyzing “a lot
of these artists and the mistakes they have made as well as their
accomplishments” were his key to success. Back then, at the age of 19, Tyga
stated “Now I’m about to share what I’ve learned with the world,” speaking on
his debut album No Introduction, and
three years later, having released a ten set of mixtapes, he follows through
with the expression of his lessons in Black
Thoughts Vol. 2.
Jumping off of his previous mixtape Well Done (hit the jump for a review) that dropped toward the end of 2010, you sense a great
redirection in style, such as in tracks like “Storm feat. Stefano Moses,”
“Involved,” and “Reminded feat. Adele” that exhibit a great transition of
maturity that avoid the repetitious lag of thump records, while tracks like
“Real or Fake,” “Bad B*tches feat. Gudda Gudda,” and the single “Lap Dance”
keep strict to the Tyga Young Money gangster club mode (courtesy of some
instrumentals from Lex Luger), ultimately creating a well-dressed
conglomeration of disparate sounds that expand the panorama of Tyga as an
emcee.
The production throughout reaches peaks of variation that
include elements that break from the hip-hop norm that Tyga has attached
himself to, including classical guitar and keys, and atmospheric choruses, such as in the track “Never Be the Same” that further distribute
instances of his topical versatility as an emcee. While much of the content
lives under the satin embroidered roof of money rap, Tyga moves appropriately,
adapting himself throughout specific minutes, and adhering to the mood of a
track rather than stepping outside of the audible rules of each canon that they
fall under. Delivery and tone are the brushes used for detail, and Tyga’s
ability to walk along with the terms of the underlying sounds make the more
explorative tracks work in degrees amidst presumptions about his limitations as
an artist.
Though Tyga is lacking in terms of lyrical complexity, he
marks his brand as a hook-strong rapper, as seen in tracks like “Lap Dance” and
“We Up,” where the record is distinguished primarily by the bar breaks that reiterate
the titles badged to the songs. Lyrically, such as in the companion hook in
“Lap Dance,” the content sometimes refuses to hold any understanding, and while
you could spend time trying to figure out what Tyga is trying to say, the best
result comes from simply listening to what is being said in a musical context.
The greatest fault on Black Thoughts Vol.
2 comes from lyrical over-analysis, and should you choose to listen under
your terms of rationalization, you’ll find little to appreciate outside of the
instrumental sounds. However, should you take the tape for what it is and allow
Tyga to act as an instrument rather than a language machine, you’ll see that
what can be taken as faults can morph into strengths.
Moments of lyrical advancement appear spontaneously
throughout the bars, mostly in the form of simile and one-liners, and while the
lack hinders Tyga’s ability to find company in the more tongue-savvy emcees of
the genre, the continuity generated in his simplistic style of easy delivery
and minimalistic vocabulary establish a signature that can be commended
for its durability. Tyga is more a voice
rather than a lyricist, and accomplishes his ambitions through the exhibitions in
the various tracks where he speaks on the synopsis of a general tale and
self-expression rather than delving into highly personal narratives meant to
reveal a deeper sense of his inner-workings and emotional drive outside of
celebrity and material success as an emcee.
At his core, Tyga is a vocalist for the lavish street to
street-luxury tradition, and the discipline seen in Black Thoughts Vol. 2 verifies his status as a premier artist in
the label’s exclusive ranks. Outside of the majors such as Rick Ross, Weezy, and
Gucci Mane (you can argue that Weezy isn’t entirely a money rapper if you’d
like), strictly money rappers are a waning breed in comparison to the rising
underground, but Tyga’s youth expresses the aforementioned subset of hip-hop’s
ability to endure and exist in wealth during the transition of eras. While
simple, Black Thoughts is ultimately
a mixtape of unintentional explanation, expressing the verity that careers born
under the star of gangster rap can find a means to carry their roots while
exploring the myriad offshoots of hip-hop existing outside of the familiar realm. Head here to listen to the full mixtape for free, and hit the jump to download.
Sumology: Tyga fans
will find some surprises throughout the tape, and lack-luster listeners may
refute previous assumptions on the barriers surrounding Tyga’s abilities.
Follow JT Langley on Twitter: JTL_ologyMusic
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