B.I.L.L.Y

After over a decade of trap, it's not super often I find a rapper who really makes the style feel fresh. Mike Dimes proved in 2022 that he had something a little different and now 4 years later, he and I are still chasing that high. To start with what is weighing this down: the lyrics. Most of the songs here feature pretty generic lyrical content and have been beaten to death at this point. In order to keep trap feeling new, interesting lyrics are essential. Even more-so in this genre than others. As a big fan of EDM, lyrics mean little to nothing because the draw of the song is the vocal performance paired with the production. Trap features a more melded complexion that needs interesting lyrics to pull you in while paired with good production and catchy melodies. In a way the genre is maximalist. It may be "easy" to make, but ridiculously hard to master. That all said, some songs on here absolutely land the mark. "STILL A YOUNGBOY", "EYE LIED", and "LINDSEY" are delivered extremely well and are the reason I come back to his work. The production and use of octave dropping on his vocals on a few songs are done perfectly and not overdone. I'm glad that he uses this in specific moments rather than consistently throughout the whole project.