21 Savage is back in the rap game with his new album american dream. Throughout the album, Savage discusses his English origins and his 2019 Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest for an expired visa. 21 has had a unique niche as one of rap’s most compelling voices since joining the genre in 2015. He is known for smash hits such as “Bank Account” and “Savage Mode,” as well as his talent as a feature artist. 21 recently featured on Drake’s “Her Loss,” which earned the duo a No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
Production from Metro Boomin backs Savage’s signature mellow yet aggressive flow while maintaining his unique style. Most of the songs on the album use the common rap formula: a sample, then beat drop, and then verses. But Savage stands out by going deep musically while using this formula, creating some amazing tracks. This is most prominently seen by the lead single “redrum”, a catchy sample with a perfectly timed beat drop that leaves nothing to critique. The album’s features are as memorable as the production. “née-nah” ft. Travis Scott, another one of today’s biggest rappers, showcases 21’s chemistry and passion for rap.
Although this album has “hype” songs with extremely famous features, some of the most popular songs on the album are the ones with only 21 Savage. On these tracks, notably “letter to my brudda,” 21 Savage achieves lyrical perfection through the art of storytelling. This showcases his talents as a writer, touching on loyalty, loss, systematic inequality, and the quest for redemption.
21’s excellent writing features profanity that could be hard on older ears. As part of this album review, I asked an anonymous teacher to listen to the full album and report their thoughts. Some feedback that they had was, “There is an overuse of the p-word” and “Oh my gosh, is this what kids listen to today? This is SCANDALOUS!”
Lucas Hsia, a Belmont High School student, reports to the Register Forum from the bathroom mid-class. His thoughts on the album and the formulaic feel are as follows, “Some of the core aspects of songs that we consider, like perfect beat, flow, and lyrics, are all there in the songs.” Although it may feel formulaic, 21 Savage stays consistent, having a good beat, good flow, and very good lyrics. The album works in contrast to feature artist Travis Scott’s Utopia. Travis’s approach was far less formulaic, working in psychedelic interludes between club bangers like “FE!N” and “Meltdown”.
21 Savage sticks to his winning formula throughout american dream. His laid-back flow on this album hits over the clean beats of Metro Boomin, and his lyrics pull it all together. 21 uses well-crafted samples and beats while not chasing trends. This album is not trying to be explorational, sticking instead to consistent quality. While some songs feel a little repetitive, 21 Savage shows his dominance in the rap game with this 4/5 album.
This article also appears in our February 2024 print edition.
