Review Summary: Robb Banks delivers a solid mixtape that has the sheer quality of album-oriented music that cements his position as one of the most quietly prolific figures in the South Florida rap scene.
South Florida rapper Robb Banks struck a chord with young adult (ages 17-25) audiences who embraced anime and loved a newer evolution of hip hop that emphasized booming bass, catchy hooks and infectious adlibs. Robb was untouchable with the impending advent of Tumblr style cloud rap with healthy hints of witty lyricism and the aesthetic of the upcoming Soundcloud renaissance. Times have changed however, and Robb has opted for a more mainstream trap style while adding on his touch of seamless flows, rowdy adlibs and his superb ear for beats. The record is a concise 41 minutes and wastes no time jumping into memorable performances and some of the sweetest beats he’s hopped on to this date. Molly World is Richard Burrell embracing his newer style, while also appealing to the base that propelled his rise in the underground hip hop scene.
This record absolutely showcases how easily Robb slides on these tracks and masterfully crafts songs that are sweet and swift ear candy. Molly World is a mixtape that’s best enjoyed while you’re bumping it in your car with the volume up or listening with a group of friends while partying or playing video games (as me and my friends do frequently). Robb seems at home when he is tackling the tracks in the first half of the mixtape because he rides these beats effortlessly and triumphantly spouts lines that're simple yet braggadocios. Standout tracks being “ILYSM”, “Griffith Did Nothing Wrong” and “225”. The beats are commanding and incorporate the vibrant trap music influence with his signature zany adlibs. Furthermore, he loves to add in tracks that are mellow and use his older dreamy cloud rap sound and approaches the songs as lowkey melodies which complement the tracks where Robb seems to be a savant in creating hard hitting tracks with a wavy flow. However, the mixtape does have its glaring weaknesses. Robb never veers from the same topics such as women and bragging about his wealth. Even more so, Robb seems to lazily put in filler tracks such as “Official”, “I’m That N****” and “Smoke”. The effort put into these tracks seems to be minimal, with subpar verses, lackluster features and mindless hooks. Robb needs to get rid of the habit of what I think is freestyling on tracks, using pointless autotune and should refine these songs or opt to cut them out entirely.
Robb seems to be comfortable with his position in the rap game and knows that his chance to appeal to mainstream audiences like his Florida companions XXXTentacion and Denzel Curry has passed for the time being. However, he knows what kind of tracks that longtime fans will adore and continues to expand upon his newfound skills in hopes of coming up on another opportunity where he can seize the limelight for himself and cement South Florida as a new and rich rap culture. At it's best the project plays to Robb's strengths but also displays some of his bad habits and weaknesses. All in all, Molly World is a solid project with some missteps that satiates longtime fans, while also attracting new fans that will find the mix of older cloud rap influence with lyrics that incorporate Robb’s interest in anime and other topics with his wavy flows on fantastic production.
