Call Playboi Carti ESPN because he went 30 for 30.
After five years of anticipation, Playboi Carti has finally released the long-awaited follow-up to his 2020 classic “Whole Lotta Red.” The album has been teased for years, with multiple fake rollouts and an incredible feature run in 2023 and 2024. Given that “Whole Lotta Red” has become arguably the most influential rap album of the decade, expectations were sky-high. The question was: could Carti meet the hype?
Spoiler: he did.
“MUSIC” has a massive track list of 30 songs that contain a wide palette for all types of Carti fans and fans of hip-hop in general. It includes the rage beats he helped pioneer on “Whole Lotta Red,” some songs similar to his “Die Lit” (2018) era of music and even some of the “Cash Carti” sounds from his self-titled mixtape “Playboi Carti” (2017) with songs like “RATHER LIE.” Usually, tracklists this long contain a lot of bloat that brings down the total quality of the tracklist. Not in this case. Somehow, Carti gave us 30 songs: all killer, no filler.
The features are star-studded, including The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug, Skepta and Kendrick Lamar. Most of the features are spectacular. Future and Skepta are a great pairing on “TOXIC.” “PHILLY” is another effective collaboration between Travis Scott and Carti where their chemistry is on full display. My favorite feature has to be Kendrick Lamar on “GOOD CREDIT.” K.Dot absolutely GLIDES over a rage beat — something we have never seen him do before. While most of the features enhance the album, a few fall flat. Lil Uzi Vert’s verse on “TWIN TRIM” is (pardon the Zoomer slang) peak cringe, which is a shame, given the strength of the beat.
The production, like any Carti album, is the highlight of the entire project. It refines and masters the rage aesthetic of “Whole Lotta Red.” That album was groundbreaking, offering grungy, distorted trap beats that felt like Nirvana’s 1989 hit album “Bleach.” However, because Carti’s album is so experimental, it wasn’t fully polished. “MUSIC” feels like the natural successor, taking the chaotic energy of “Whole Lotta Red” and executing it with precision and experience.
The first song, “POP OUT,” immediately sets the tone for the album. It’s the kind of song that demands to be played at maximum volume — preferably in a packed venue where the bass can shake the walls. The dirty, grungy rage beat feels like a continuation of Carti’s best work. From there, the album flows nicely from track to track. My personal favorites of the project are “POP OUT,” “EVIL J0RDAN,” “PHILLY,” “TOXIC,” “CHARGE DEM HOES A FEE,” “GOOD CREDIT,” “WE NEED ALL DA VIBES,” “WALK” and “HBA.”
Perhaps this album’s strongest characteristic is how diverse yet cohesive it feels. We get “Whole Lotta Red”-inspired bangers like “POP OUT,” “HBA,” and “CHARGE DEM HOES A FEE” but also have more normal trap beats like track “WE NEED ALL DA VIBES,” which is perfect for the featured artists Young Thug and Ty Dolla $ign’s skill sets. The “Whole Lotta Red” aesthetic wasn’t for everyone, but this album seems geared to pleasing as many people as possible. Usually, this is a recipe for commercial success at the sacrifice of the artistic merit of the project. However, despite the wide range of beats, “MUSIC” still feels like a cohesive project and a successor.
The album isn’t flawless, though. The absence of “2024,” one of Carti’s best singles from this era, is disappointing. Additionally, “SOUTH ATLANTA BABY” is an odd choice for a closing track — it leaves the album ending abruptly. A more natural conclusion could have been one of the lead singles like “HBA” or “EVIL J0RDAN.”
With “MUSIC,” Playboi Carti has delivered his best work since “Die Lit.” The album reinforces his place as one of the most innovative and unpredictable artists in modern hip-hop. Whether you’re a longtime listener or a newcomer, “MUSIC” is a testament to why Playboi Carti remains one of the most exciting and influential artists of his generation.
