There are perhaps no two things in hip-hop more inextricably linked than Compton-based rapper YG and California. He once again proves this on his latest release, the eight-track mixtape, “Red Friday.”
YG’s particular brand of hip-hop is the direct heir of the G-Funk and gangster rap stylings of Dr. Dre and company in 1990s California, complete with hard-hitting beats, aggressive energy and no-frills lyrics filled with both outrageous arrogance and gritty realism. While YG sticks to the tried-and-true formula found on both his debut LP and his 2016 release “Still Brazy,” the relative lack of variation on “Red Friday” makes it nothing more than a solid collection of good, but not great, tracks.
Although YG is an effective rapper, he doesn’t carry enough technical skill to hold an entire album afloat. Luckily, “Red Friday” is filled with beats that are consistently excellent, and allows YG’s rhymes and flows to shine. Much of this can be attributed to a return to primary collaborator DJ Mustard, who holds production credits on album highlight “Get Out Yo Feelin’s.” This track finds YG gliding on top of aggressive bass hits and hand claps, countered by a glossy repeated synthesizer line. The production allows YG to emphasize his high-energy delivery, and is topped off by a solid feature from RJ and a catchy, although repetitive hook.
While the choruses on “Red Friday” are rarely complex and often repetitive, they benefit from YG’s keen ear for delivery. “I Be On,” another highlight, showcases this repetition, but also benefits from a stellar guest verse on behalf of 21 Savage. While Savage is notorious for the detached, monotonous delivery found in many of his own songs, his verse here seems to share YG’s constant energy. Savage sets the scene early — “I’m in a Bentley with a dirty K / Audemar cost a 100k” — and keeps the pace up throughout the verse. His chemistry with YG is visible and makes “I Be On” one of the best tracks on the album.
While YG is certainly a successor of Dr. Dre and 1990s California, “Red Friday” falls for the same habits that also detracted from their music — namely, a lack of lyrical variety. “Still Brazy,” YG’s previous album, showed himself capable of some reflection in spite of the lavish and occasionally gritty life he depicts. However, this introspection is not quite as easily seen on “Red Friday.” YG’s lyrical content on “Red Friday,” while tolerable for a short while, eventually becomes rather vapid and simply unoriginal.
A notable exception, however, comes on the last track “One Time Comin’,” where YG states, “Think our life don’t matter? ‘Cause our family’s scattered?” on his highly critical view of the police. While YG doesn’t always need to be political, his ability to reflect upon both the vices and virtues of his lifestyle make him a compelling artist, and “Red Friday” could benefit from some of these more thoughtful moments.
All in all, “Red Friday” is a solid, if unspectacular collection of tracks from YG. He’s managed to carve out his own personal style and benefits most from the people he surrounds himself with, namely producers and guests. Although it suffers from some lyrical monotony over its entirety, “Red Friday” showcases YG’s calling card — an ability to make an energetic and catchy West Coast hip-hop sound.
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