YSL signee Gunna’s debut studio album ‘Drip or Drown 2’ represents both the aritists strengths and weaknesses. Following the collaborative album ‘Drip Harder’ with fellow Atlanta rapper Lil Baby, Gunna delivers an enjoyable, yet flawed project.
Throughout ‘Drip or Drown 2’ Gunna is often predictable, yet seemingly perfects his own style. Indeed, the album possesses a drowsy, watery, sound, that works effectively with Gunna’s melodies. However, Gunna’s reliance on this style holds him back through the album, with it often being monotonous and dull. Tracks ‘Wit It’ and ‘Cash War’ are clear examples of this, adding nothing to the tracklist except the same repetitive melodies and verses. The album often disappoints on Gunna’s clear potential, as though the artist clearly has the talent to make relaxed and atmospheric trap bangers, he consistently reverts to the same beats and bars.
Despite this, the album has numerous standout moments. ‘Outstanding’ provides a catchy and effective hook across a simple trap beat, excellently using Gunna’s vocals to generate an atmospheric and hypnotising track. ‘Richard Millie Plain’ and ‘Yao Ming’ perfect the simplistic, ‘underwater’, sound present on ‘Drip or Drown 2’, assisting in developing a laid-back, hypnotising atmosphere to the project. Indeed, this is one of the biggest strengths of the project. Gunna creates a consistent vibe throughout the album which combines his melodic vocals with relaxed, moody trap beats.
‘On a Mountain’ and ‘Out the Hood’ continue to develop Gunna’s trademark style, whilst ‘Who You Foolin’, produced by Wheezy is a unique and excellent track, which combines a Chinese sample by Tong Li and Gunna’s woozy vocals to create a great outro to the project. ‘3 Headed Snake’ is also an excellent song, however Gunna is clearly outshined by his mentor Young Thug. An excellent feature by ‘Playboi Carti’ also steals the show on ‘Same Yung N***a’.
Though Gunna effectively establishes a drowsy and hypnotising atmosphere across the project, there is far too much giller. ‘Derek Fisher’, featuring Lil Baby, and ‘Baby Birkin’ are both unnecessary, repetitive songs which fail to add any substance to the album. On top of this, the album clearly lacks substance, with repetitive and often dull lyricism. This is particularly present on ‘Speed It Up, a repetitive and boring track with awful lyricism. Though the audience is unlikely to expect much else from a Gunna project, the clear lack of any significant messages holds back the project.
Overall, Gunna provides an inconsistent debut studio album with ‘Drip or Drown 2’. Though the album succeeds in developing a clear atmosphere and provides numerous excellent trap songs, it is far too predictable and repetitive. The young Atlanta rapper clearly possesses potential, however he needs to vary his style and take risks in order to further develop as an artist.
5.8/10
Written by Jacob Matthews
Masterpiece Music 