Review Summary: It's plain other level, next level insane.
I thought a long time about how I could start this review. Because this is a full-on rap-record. And normally with rap, I would give some background on the personal struggle of the artist, what made him rap and what his place is in rap. But to tell the truth, there is nothing to talk about. Because Andrew Huang is an underground-artist first and foremost, but even in the underground, most people aren't even aware of him. Plus, I doubt underground rap-fans would take much of a liking to his music. This album is kind of an oddity, an anomaly in the history of rap. Almost completely ripped out of any context, Andrew Huang managed to craft his own eclectic style, without losing his edge or any of his talent.
Let's start with the least important thing first, the production. And amazingly, he brings forth some of the best production he ever put down. Audiophiles rejoice, here you find some of the most crisp and cleanly mastered beats you ever layed ears on. And on a musical side, this is one of the most eclectic rap-records I have ever heard, similar to Big Bois Vicious Lies. And while this hinders the album of having a coherent sound, Andrew at least goes all out with it. We have dubstep-flavored tracks like Muscle, oriental sounding jams like Sand Shifter, traditional boom-bap with February, little signs of punk in Twist & Shout, songs in 5/4 time with Dive, dreary and electronic beats like Vass Tunga, EDM-inspired songs like Suits and much, much more.
Thematically, he covers a lot of ground on this album. From bragging, his back-story, riding bicycles, depression, love, the music industry, his craft and dancing to outcasts and everything in between, this is a guessing game what he will be talking about in the next song, which gives the album an even more diverse attitude than before, and keeps the listener going, because there is at least one song for everyone on this project.
His delivery in these songs is amazing. He has incredible charisma in almost every single track, like he did nothing else in his life other than rap. His flows are high-quality to, from laid-back to frantic double-time, everything is on-beat and smooth. So smooth, that every featured guest on here pales in comparison. And considering his rhymes, he brings some very complex rhyming-schemes forward on here, which are so hard to explain, showing you excerpts wouldn't even begin to accurately describe his rhyming-abilities. Except for Vass Tunga, a song where he manages to create a fluid flow and complex rhymes while switching non-stop between five different languages. And punchline-wise, he delivers full-swing with references to almost anything you could imagine or wish for, with a healthy dosage of nostalgia.
But lets look at the worst songs on here, because on an album full of highlights, it is more logical to tell what to avoid. First of all, the second song, King Trash, is absolutely dreadful, with the most sub-par beat and the stupidest lyrics, although having an impressive flow. Shark makes a return on this album, and, although being objectively better than the former version, is still pretty bad. Do It and Twist & Shout also stick out because of their lackluster lyricism or, in case of the latter, being the worst possible cover ever made of a Beatles-song. Also, Brain, for featuring the worst guest-verse on the whole album, because Paul Chin just is too offbeat to defend, which is sad considering his clever wordplay.
In conclusion, this is one of the most singular rap-albums I ever encountered in my life. This album lives in its own little world of eclecticism and weirdness, all without sacrificing lyricism and depth or trying to be part of any scene. Definitely an essential listen to understand the whole spectrum of Andrews music and a great listen for rap-fans in general. Just the low points of this album are low enough to knock it down one rating.
