Julian Balboa/Staff Writer
I don’t want to say that the wait is finally over, but it really is Pusha-T’s homecoming. All the teasing, the waiting, the loosies, even the Prelude, and what we’re given is a rock-solid seven-track album that clocks in at over 21 minutes. It’s a refreshing take on the idea of what an album should be, especially in an era where artists are releasing bloated albums that come close to 27 tracks long.
The motto seems to be “quantity over quality” in the name of streaming, but the G.O.O.D. Music president picks the best tracks of seemingly endless recording sessions to deliver the highest grade work he can offer.
Working exclusively with Kanye West behind the boards, “DAYTONA” arrives to fans, but not without controversy. The cover of the album was a mystery to even Push when West decided to change it mere hours before its unveiling.
When the curtain fell, the light shed to one of the more controversial album covers of recent memory: a photo of Whitney Houston’s bathroom where she would frequently use cocaine before her death. The photo couldn’t be any more fitting for a former cocaine trafficker turned rapper, but now the fall for this decision passes onto the man whose album bears his name.
So, what about the music?
“DAYTONA”, as of publication, is one of the best albums I’ve heard so far this year. It’s also Pusha-T’s best album to date. It’s precise, its production as gritty as its emcee, and its performances live up to the talent that follows all seven tracks.
The production is charismatic, brooding and sample-heavy. In other words, it contains the essence of Kanye’s current output as a producer. I would describe it as a very even blend of the experimental inclination he had on “Yeezus” and “The Life of Pablo” with the chop shop sampling found all over “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” and his first three projects, while also channeling the darkness of the production he handled on “My Name is My Name.”
“If You Know You Know” begins with snares that sound like the ignition of a stove before the spark ignites the flames, which is exactly what happens when Push’s bars coincide with the beat dropping.
The baseline on “Come Back Baby” is the perfect pairing to Push’s expressive rapping style, and the soulful sample that plays after every verse is classic Kanye.
The crackling guitar notes on “The Games We Play” give the song a sepia-toned western tinge to one of the more fun tracks. The guitars continue but with a higher pitched guitar notes that fill the air keep the momentum going on “Santeria,” but the beat switch on the last bit of the song is a standout moment on the album.
Finally, the sample on “Infrared” chants over the snares like it’s killing season and closes the album with a brutal Drake diss and some of the darkest production on its runtime.
The album is very fine-tuned, with some critics calling the album “airtight,” but even with a brief tracklisting can an album be faulted. For example, because the album is kept to the brightest moments, some just don’t shine as bright as others.
The production on “Hard Piano” doesn’t stick out like other tracks do, especially the two before it. The Rick Ross verse is just okay and the singing from The Famous Tony Williams is grandiose and make for the best moments of the song, but it isn’t enough to save it from paling in comparison.
The only other moment I can think of that falls short is Kanye’s verse on “What Would Meek Do?,” which felt pointless. I could have done without it. At times, it felt witty, but for the most part, his verse is awkward.
There really isn’t much to say about Pusha-T’s penmanship other than it’s at its peak here. The performances are intense, with his rough and poignant voice coming through. While the album carrying some of his most cutthroat and honest raps in his solo career, it’s also Push at his technical best as well.
For example, on the song “The Games We Play”, “This ain’t a wave or a phase/cause all that s**t fades/This lifestyle’s forever when you made.” Elsewhere on “Come Back Baby”, he raps “They don’t miss you ‘till you’re gone with the wind/And they tired of dancing like a Ying Yang Twin/You can’t have the Yin without the Yang, my friend/Real n***as bring balance to the game I’m in.”
“DAYTONA” is a very enjoyable album. A rapper’s rapper; a model emcee. The kind of rapper your average emcee looks up to. He pushes himself to be to the best of his ability. Not because he feels he has to, but because he feels he needs to. This drive makes “DAYTONA” a thrilling ride start to finish.
8.5/10
Featured photo was taken from Flickr.
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