Kodak Black just returned to the music industry three months after releasing Bill Israel. But is he saying goodbye? His time in prison has given him a lot of time to think and reflect on his life, significant others, family, and career. But was he thinking about his new track? We’ll let you be the judge of that.
THE SOUND
The beat for “Last Day In” immediately identifies it as a Kodak Black song. Reminiscent of his past work, it’s comforting to see that some things haven't changed after the rapper was released from prison. A guitar-heavy trap beat sets the stage for Black, followed by a quick intro and suddenly listeners are thrown into the song. But was this beat wasted?
We have to say yes. The melody is just another semi-monotone line, similar to some of Black’s previous works. And as boring as monotone melodies get, it never ends. The three minute song features one melody, repeated with each line. No change, no interesting vocal movements, nothing. It seems as though Black was laying the groundwork for fantastic lyrics, but the melody suffocated us, forcing us to rate the sound a 5/10 on the Intersect 1-10 rating scale.
THE LYRICS Kodak Black has never shied away from autotune, and “Last Day In” is no different. His lyrics are masked by his iconic rapping voice and a thick layer of autotune, making every other word impossible to understand. What we can discern is that he wants to spend Easter in Miami. Not our cup of tea, but Miami is a wonderful place during the spring, so who can blame him?
Most lyrics stick to Black’s simplistic, and almost comedic flow, such as his bold statement, “I want sushi then some coochie.” But others are more timely, referencing his incarceration and leaving prison. Recognizing his commutation from President Trump, Black is not afraid to say that his favorite president isn’t the one who does favors but “is on the money.”
As easy as it is to highlight his more laughable lyrics, Black did do a little soul searching and we would be remiss to let that go unacknowledged. Worried about his mother’s safety and his speculated relationship with City Girls’ Caresha Brownlee, we see a new side of Black. He wishes he had more loyalty and respect in his life as his days in prison felt lonely, as he always kept his guard up. He even references a possible break from rapping, or perhaps the end of his career in general. Prison definitely gave Kodak Black something to rap about. Masked in some funny lyrics, his message remains poignant. The potential for “Last Day In” is stuck in these lyrics. Now, if only the sound could back it up… With such potential, we rate the lyrics an 8/10 on the Intersect 1-10 rating scale.
THE COMPOSITION While the sound leaves much to be desired from Kodak Black and his team, the composition of this track could have saved it. The lyrics featured a great juxtaposition between the Kodak Black fans know, and the one who just spent months in prison. That juxtaposition, unfortunately, was not given the proper platform to shine, therefore the message fell flat.
The glue of the track is his frequent mentions of holidays in Miami, from Christmas to Easter, but it seems like the glue has dried up. The song is just one long verse with some intro and outro commentary. In the extended verse, there is almost a stream of consciousness that jumps from his normal flow and lyrics, to life in prison, to finally his significant other. Jumping from point to point so quickly gives listeners no time to truly respect the growth Black experienced in prison nor the relationship fears he presents. Instead, we’re still laughing at his request for sushi in the beginning of the track.
Black’s “Last Day In” needed a bit more structure one way or another to give that lyrical punch he was serving. Punchless, we rate the composition a 3/10 on the Intersect 1-10 rating scale.
THE ART BEHIND THE SINGLE
Honestly, this wasn’t an impressive piece of work from Kodak Black. To be fair, however, coming from the man who dissed the producer in his XXL freshman cypher in 2016, our expectations should have been lower. We had hoped for clear cut thoughts and curated reflections that had been bubbling during his time in prison, but this was just a little too uncut for us. The beat was simplistic, although the lyrics were decent, and do deserve some extra attention, but overall, the melody was so repetitive, we hit pause halfway through for a breather.
Hoping for something more brazenly reflective after a long stint in prison, Kodak Black gave us simply a more subdued view of himself. Nothing over the top like “Roll in Peace” or “ZEZE,” but not as calm as “Skrt,” “Last Day In” is a weird combination of an earworm melody, incomprehensible yet powerful lyrics, and a sad beat. If the composition was more cohesive, there is a chance his message and emotions would have been better projected and reached new fans. But for now, his “Last Day In” has only his closest fans excited. For the letdown, we’re rating the art a 5/10 on the Intersect 1-10 rating scale.
Overall, "Last Day In" didn't blow us away, scoring a 5.25 on the Intersect 1-10 rating scale. Perhaps, Kodak Black won't give up on rap just yet because he's got a score to settle with us.
Do you agree with our ratings of “Last Day In?” Could Kodak Black be throwing in the towel? Let us know your opinions in the comments and listen to his latest single below.