Rae Sremmurd, SremmLife – review

●●●○○

SremmLife is the debut of duo Rae Sremmurd (pronounced Ray-Shrim-er), but it doesn’t feel like a first album. In fact, quite the opposite; it sounds like a victory lap by brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jimmy.

This feels like a Mike WiLL record, released via his label and with 9 out of 11 production credits to his name. And it works — from the sparse No Type to the creepy xylophone of Throw Sum Mo, the album is a pleasure to listen to. As the production is similar throughout, the songs can blend together, but at 45 minutes, the album doesn’t outstay its welcome and is easily heard in one sitting.

The brothers flow well on the beats, alternating between the singsong of Future and the brutal repetitive delivery of Migos. They deliver their ad-libs or mottos with such verve that they become truly infectious. Their simple choruses are great for sing-alongs.

The lyrical content and rapping skills, however, fail to impress. They are not technical rappers, but luckily they keep to simple rhyming schemes that they know they can deliver. Sadly, the writing is the low point of the album. The rehash of tired themes of material wealth and misogyny offers nothing new to the listener.

For fans of Rae Sremmurd, the simple rhymes and sub-par writing will not be a problem. The beats sound good, the rapping is fun and catchy, and sometimes that’s all that matters.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *