DaBaby released his third album in 13 months and appropriately titles since his first track Can't Stop. His new album is called Blame It On Baby. DaBaby has been working tirelessly to shed his "freshman rapper" title, pushing out countless songs in such a short amount of time. The age-old proverb "quality over quantity" seems fitting here though. Has DaBaby been working against himself in not taking his time to hone his craft? Let's get into it.
THE SOUND
It's with a heavy heart I deliver the news that DaBaby underwhelmed and disappointed with this album. The danger that comes with releasing upwards of 35 songs in only a year is creating the same song over and over. DaBaby has a unique and modern sound, heavy on adlibs, repetitive hooks and aggressive language that makes him a fan favorite. The problem, however, is when he relies too heavily on these elements he gets lost and forgets to make the actual lyrics the primary piece in the production of a song. This heavy reliance on, let's call it what it is, gimmicks, allows for every song to sound the same. This is especially evident in songs such as Can't Stop and Lightskin Sh*t where the lyrics are repetitive and the choruses are amateur. The sound earns a 4/10 from Intersect.
THE RAPPING
DaBaby is known for his vulgarity and in Rockstar, it's evident he's going for a "gangster" feel but he falls short and is just tasteless with the lyric "my daughter a G, she saw me kill a ni**a in front of her before the age of two." A lyric like that just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. DaBaby also struggles with "switching the flow" as he mentions in his hit song Bop. In Sad Sh*t, DaBaby croons and tries to appear sincere while singing about a former lover only to negate the entire message of the song by yelling "F**k that" and going back to rapping about his never-ending list of women he's slept with. This makes it seem like DaBaby doesn't put his heart into his music and is only in the industry for the money, which is heartbreaking to any and all fans of his. DaBaby seems lost throughout this project because he seems to play a game of "Follow the Leader" with all his features in that he nearly imitates their sounds and allows them to take the lead. DaBaby's rapping on Blame It On Baby is deserving of a 5/10.
THE ART BEHIND THE ALBUM
The production and debut of Blame It On Baby seem rushed as if the North Carolinian rapper's only aim was to make a profit off the isolation of the public and thus, increase in music sales during the coronavirus quarantine. This is indicated to me through the overall lack of care shown in the songs and really driven home to me by the album cover which shows Baby donning a diamond-covered face mask. This earns the art behind the album a 2/10.
MY TOP TRACKS ON THE ALBUM
Drop, Talk About It
APPLE MUSIC'S TOP TRACKS ON THE ALBUM Pick up, Lightskin sh*t, Rockstar, Jump
Overall, Blame It on Baby earns a 3.6/10. Listen to the album below.