This new carti album is...

What’s poppin y’all,

This is the first time I'm talking about the new Playboi Carti album, and I’m still not done listening to it yet. That said, I’ve got a song of the day, and honestly, the song of the week as well: Crush. That track is incredible—the background vocals, the beat selection—everything about it feels like magic. I even posted it on my story because I’ve just been replaying it nonstop.

Part of the reason I haven’t finished the full album yet is because I keep looping Crush, but I’m about 18-20 songs in now, with around 30 tracks total. So far, I can confidently say this is the most enjoyable Playboi Carti album experience I’ve had since Self Titled back in 2017—eight years ago. If you’ve been following me for a while, you already know I did not mess with Whole Lotta Red in 2020. I actually ranked it the worst album of the year. Or was it Die Lit? I can’t remember. I just know I didn’t like Die Lit at all, and I liked more songs on Whole Lotta Red than on Die Lit, so there’s that.

But this? This feels like Carti’s most complete project. He’s bringing elements from every era of hip-hop—the Swamp Izzo-style DJ shoutouts, Atlanta beats, early 2000s samples, and a range of vocal styles that go beyond his usual high-pitched delivery. You can hear the influence of artists he’s been inspired by—Young Thug, Chief Keef (who he was compared to a lot early in his career), and of course, Future. But instead of sounding like a patchwork of influences, it all blends into something that feels authentically him.

One thing I have to respect about Carti is the dedication he puts into his music. He could have easily taken countless sponsorship deals, done more performances, and chased the bag in a million different ways, but he’s limited all of that to focus on just the music. And that’s why he’s able to deliver something this polished.

I still have some tracks left to listen to, but so far, this is shaping up to be a standout project.

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