Curren$y is arguably the greatest rapper in the game right now. When you talk about best by any measurements he could be deemed G.O.A.T. in that he fulfills parameters that are quantifiable. Wordplay, story telling, cadence, catalog, beat selection, holding ones own on guest appearances and, the most important, consistency. You name it and Curren$y does it and does it rather well yet, even the great ones have occasionally had bad moments.
With all the recent rumblings of The Hot Spitta’s signing to Warner Brothers — would it effect his style, would he change up — the release of Weekend At Burnie’s feels as if it has gone under the radar. The aptly titled Covert Coup, produced entirely by The Alchemist, felt a tad bit underwhelming and Return To The Winners Circle got stark reviews yet did not catch fire as some of his previous mix tapes had. Was the Jet Setter finally descending? Would this fourth album stack up against his already impressive catalog that featured the gloriousness that was Pilot Tolk 1 & 2 and This Aint No Mix Tape?
If you are not a fan of the Jets this CD may make you want to board the plane. Front to back nothing jumps out as close to weak/wack. That is not to say this is the safest of releases; Curren$y takes some chances on this one. On a track like “She Don’t Want A Man”, there is a different feel then when you may have heard him prior. What is a story of a women who has a man and his “relationship” with her is told superbly. Story telling in rap is a lost art and almost always comes off corny if not done properly. Hot Spitta has honed his craft and puts you through a bevy of emotions within a four minute twenty-two second time frame. It really is something epic. When a artist takes a risk and succeeds it is a win for his or herself and the audience that is privy to it.
There are no mind blowing collaborations with Lady Gaga on this record. Sticking close to home and only seeking guest appearances from Young Roddy, Trademark and Fiend. It makes this helping more intimate. No one outshines Spitta on his own tracks but the few songs do help change the pace and offer you different angles into the Fly Society co-founder. Seems as though everything comes together on this aforementioned album. It is said that if all you have ever consumed was Mcdonald’s you would not know the wonders of fine dine. How could you? That must be from where the hate for five star raps originated.
In truth there is nothing near exceedingly bad to say about this album. The rhymes are on point as are the beats. The only thing that could even be stated as a supposed negative is the length at which this album stands. From “#Jetsgo” to “Get Paid” ft Young Roddy & Trademark the album is less then forty-three minutes long and twelve tracks. Somewhat of a pet peeve though when albums drag on frivolously. This is just straight heat from “Money Machine” to “You See It” you hear a man who is going for the belt. Dare it be said it is medium and sweet and benefits because of that. Substance and rap? Who knew.
If hip-hop is dead the former 504 boy/Young Money signee did not get the memo. As per his usual this compact disk is chock full of deliciousness. KRS will enjoy this as will a casual hip hop fan with half a brain. This is more than “weed raps” and this is more than smoking weed without using a cigar wrap. This is what hip-hop is supposed to be in that it is intricately designed and crafted, meticulously thought out and executed flawlessly. The argument could be made that this CD is classic although such would be the case for all of his releases. No ears popping, no seat belt sign rising from the dead and no queasy feeling; the planes are not descending any time soon.
