Artist Julius Dubose comes into his third studio album as a seasoned 24-year-old rapper with a lot to say about love and relationships, so it makes sense that Artist 2.0 was released on Valentine’s Day. As the sequel to his debut mixtape, Artist, the release also showcased an abundance of growth
I first became aware of A Boogie wit da Hoodie and his likeable style from his strong featured verses on songs like “SZNS” by Dinah Jane and the remix of “Right Back” by Khalid; since then, he and his high-charting singles have appeared numerous times in my musical peripherals, so I wanted to explore a full body of work from him that was released mere weeks ago.
The tracklist of the record explores affection and the emotions associated with it from a range of avenues, enhancing its relatability to the listener as the LP progresses. However, despite Dubose’s addictive and endearing vocal style being on full display here Artist 2.0 never seems to deviate too far from the current standard of rap and so is not all that memorable when put up against the other notable hip-hop releases of 2020, such as Eminem’s Music to be Murdered By, Lil Wayne’s Funeral and 070 Shake’s Modus Vivendi.
Although A Boogie’s eclectic personality shines through on the majority of the tracks, when it comes to the star-studded list of guest performers and featured artists (including but not limited to Summer Walker, Khalid, Young Thug, Roddy Ricch, Lil Uzi Vert and DaBaby) he is sometimes overshadowed in terms of overall impact on the listener, and as there are so many collaborations featured on the tracklist this becomes glaringly noticeable in places.
Artist 2.0 features a number of songs that I would without a doubt deem highlights: the closing track “Streets Don’t Love You” is my personal favourite as it tells the sombre story of a young man who commits crimes and, upon reflection, later begs for forgiveness from his mother, rendering the tune a satisfying end to the record as a whole; the Trap Manny-featuring “Hit ‘Em Up” is an ode to the importance of friendships and allies in a dangerous environment, heavy with political undertones and the stark contrast between the relaxed vocal delivery of Dubose and the higher-pitched flow of Trap; “DTB 4 Life” is an honest and emotional song that utilises a different style of production that capitalises on the openness of Dubose’s raps about not being able to trust anyone, while also referencing his young daughter Melody; “Blood on My Denim” plays out almost like a confession that allows the rapper to showcase vulnerability in a world where male hip-hop and trap artists are often afraid to show their true selves lest they be ridiculed – the vocal style that A Boogie takes on also feels more honest than the fast-paced rapping style that he typically features; finally, the sensual “Cinderella Story” contains metaphors about the Disney story that link to relationships and women accompanied by a minimalistic instrumentation style.
All in all, A Boogie wit da Hoodie shows himself to be an atypical rapper and a product of today’s more emotive take on musical genres in Artist 2.0, though there are some weak links in the tracklist and featured artists that are too strong for Dubose to keep up with them.
7/10
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