Lil Pump – Lil Pump (Album Review)

Lil’ Pump sorta came out of nowhere right? The first time I heard him rap was on this silly J. Cole diss record, which made me think he was just another scoundrel that would do anything to taste rap fame. Well it seems like Pump is a little more than just that, as he was able to establish a pretty decent following through his outlandish trap music. With this debut self-titled project, I expect the rapper to continue to grow as an artist, but at the same time translate his youthful energy into something we can at least find respectable.

TOP 5

5. BACK

Now that I’m older, getting it thrown back at me might break my back!

I like the energy Pump comes with on this song, as he spits out his lyrics in this frantic manner. The beat is just as schizophrenic as the rapper, sounding like a trap fire alarm.

Lil Yachty may have gotten out ridculoused on this song, but he still adds that rebellious teenage spirit to his verse that the adults will bash. While I may not be the biggest Lil Boat fan, all I can ask for is that the n—a doesn’t sing on this feature (Which he doesn’t).

You know the irony of this track? Lil Pump’s ‘Lil Pump’ adlib sounds a lot like Lil Boat.

4. WHAT YOU SAYIN’

SmokePurpp and Lil Pump on a track together is certified mayhem, which is kinda surprising considering their fair skinned complexions.

Both rappers keep you entertained on this track, embracing their wild side in different ways. Their chemistry is pretty good, as they never step on each other’s toes stylistically.

You know what this song reminds me of? A more trill version of ‘Marco Polo’ by Soulja Boy and Bow Wow. The beat sounds like a Soulja Boy beat, and both rappers seem to have this buddy-buddy relationship that reflects in the music they make.

3. GUCCI GANG

Obviously Lil Pump is a youthful individual with lots of energy, but on this song he approaches the beat with this coolness that is very veteran like. I like the way the Florida rapper eases his way through the song with a few appealing bars, making sure the listeners get every line he spits stuck in their heads.

Songs like this can drive Lil Pump to tolerable, and that is mainly because I think he should be focusing on simple and catchy music.

2. YOUNGEST FLEXER

Young trap rappers like Pump got their style from Gucci, so I’m sure it is a big deal that he was able to feature Gucci on a track with him.

You could never mistake Lil Pump for Ricky Rozay, but on this song he has that same swag to me. I could easily hear Rozay rapping the same hook as him, incorporating a few grunts in there. Aside from that, Pump does a pretty good job lyrically on this song, finishing his bars flawlessly to me.

Gucci Mane fits this song excellently, which is why the chill approach he uses in his delivery tells me this was easy work for him.

I can see this track getting major burn on pregame playlists.

1. AT THE DOOR

‘At the Door’ is so good that I’m prepared to say it reminds me of vintage Gucci Mane. I know that comment sounds egregious, but the way he’s rapping on the track reminds me of when Gucci used to effortlessly create these club anthems that everyone would get down to.

What lots of people forget is that Lil Pump is 16 years old, so when he talks about junkies being at his door we should all be disturbed (Why does it sound so tight though?).

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

WHAT YOU SAYIN’ (4.4/5)
GUCCI GANG (4.5/5)
SMOKE MY DOPE (2.3/5)
CRAZY (3.5/5)
BACK (4/5)
DROSE (2.5/5)
AT THE DOOR (4.8/5)
YOUNGEST FLEXER (4.7/5)
MOLLY (3.1/5)
FOREIGN (3.8/5)
WHITNEY
ICED OUT (3.9/5)
BOSS (3.1/5)
FLEX LIKE OOH (3.7/5)
PINKY RING (2.8/5)

OVERALL RATING

(6/10)

This might be the easiest project to decipher between the songs that are real and the ones that are not; unfortunately, there isn’t many real tracks on this album. Instead, there is way too much malarkey on this album, which results in music that at times is cringe-worthy. I do see some talent from Lil Pump on a few songs, the ones that are complete and catchy enough to catch my attention (See My Top 5).

To me, a good chunk of this album mimics Soulja Boy’s s–t from his debut album (Which you can decide is a good thing or a bad thing): Production-wise, you get those same elementary beats that sound like they were created on a f–kin’ Casio keyboard; and lyrically, you get that same carefree approach that SouljaBoy was able to succeed in.

Is this album the best thing since slice bread? Probably not, but I think Pump at least has a decent understanding of his limitations and the type of music he can make to prevail in this industry.