Lil Durk – Just Cause Ya’ll Waited (Album Review)

I feel like Lil Durk is Chicago’s golden child, so to a few of them, it might feel like a bit of a disappointment that he no longer has a major record deal. I actually think it’s a blessing in disguise, because I feel like he’s even hungrier than he was before — a hungry Durk is a Durk that I think will shock many in the music industry.

TOP 5

~~HONORABLE MENTION. 1(773) VULTURE~~

~~For some reason, thugs love making remixes to Logic’s suicidal joint.~~

~~With Logic doing quite a bit of singing on the original version of “1-800-273-8255,” Durk fits right in on this remix because he’s known to sing his ass off at times.~~

In the beginning of this song, Durk drops some daring vocals, but slowly transitions to that gritty version of himself that boasts ‘loyalty’ and ‘I wish a n***a would test me’ness. I’m not gonna to lie, at first, this song sounded like a bad parody, but eventually, I began taking it very seriously.

5. CROSSROADS

“Crossroads” is a hip hop classic, mainly because it was dedicated to all the streets that lost someone special. I think this is the perfect topic for Durk to shine on, and he definitely does. On his version of the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony hit, the Chicago rapper harmonizes some heartfelt lyrics about his homies that went down, letting the listeners know how hard it is to move in the menacing streets of Chicago. I think the song is key for him, and one that he probably didn’t even need to write lyrics to.

4. INSTIGATOR

“instagator” has Durk opening up about several topics such as drug usage, suicidal thoughts, and legal problems. Through it all, he lets the streets know that he will never turn his back on the people he loves. I think the song has a good tempo to it, and is probably his most personal one on this whole album.

3. HOW I KNOW

Ironically, ‘Lil’ Baby and ‘Lil’ Durk are on some grown s**t on “How I Know.”

“How I Know” is hood emotional, but also has this splash of crank to it. Durk and Lil Baby go back and forth on the track, keeping it real about their hood on both of their parts. I like how both rappers show aggressiveness on their verses, letting the world know they aren’t afraid to bust their guns, but at the same time, they show this level of vulnerability that makes them seem a little more human then you thought they were just a few minutes before you heard it.

2. HOMEBODY

Nowadays if I take a breather during love-making, I’m probably going to sleep.

Trap listeners everywhere, “Breather” is 100% a love song. With that being said, I think you will enjoy it for it’s gentleness, and will learn several lessons on how to take it to the next level when it comes to romance. I definitely learned something new from the hook: I now know that in order to start a family the condom must come off.

All jokes aside, this song is very smooth. Durk starts it off with this real n***a verse and hook, and both Ty Dolla $ign and PARTYNEXTDOOR finish it off with these R&B like vibes. Even though the chemistry sounds a bit off on the track, I still think it’s capable of making your late night playlist.

1. DURKIO KRAZY

Content-wise, “Durkio Krazy” reminds me of a good chunk of the other songs on this album, but something about the vibes that it gives off is special, to me. Aside from that, I love the tempo attached to it, as the beat relies on nothing but rhythms to power through. As for Durk’s verses, he rides the beat pretty well, giving us something that is both passionate and melodic.

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. PUBLIC HOUSING (4/5)

2. JUST FLOW (3.9/5)

3. WHEN I WAS LITTLE (3.8/5)

4. HOW I KNOW (4.8/5)

5. GRANNY CRIB (4.4/5)

6. 1(773) VULTURE (4.5/5)

7. BREATHER (4.8/5)

8. HOME BODY (4.5/5)

9. DURKIO KRAZY (5/5)

10. INSTIGATOR (4.3/5)

11. CROSSROADS (4.8/5)

12. MY BRUDDAS (4/5)

OVERALL RATING

(8/10)

Doesn’t this album feel like one big demo tape? Durk fiddles with a bunch of different sounds on it, coming across like a dude that studied what the other rappers in the game were releasing these last couple of months and decided that he also wanted to give the streets what they wanted to hear, too. I’m not mad at that approach, because I feel like he’s more than capable of wearing several different hats when it comes to rapping.

In all honesty, I like the tracks in which Durk spills his guts out more than anything else. I feel like those songs tend to sound more organic than the ones in which he brags about meaningless s**t. Additionally, I feel like the lyrics come easier to him on those tracks, as he tends to sound like he’s simply reminiscing about some s**t he saw growing up in the streets as opposed to trying to remember the reckless s**t he did the night before when he was liquored up.

Durk has so much pain in him, and I admire how he is able to bring it out musically. Correct, at times this album sounds a bit repetitive, but if you view it as more of a diary as opposed to an album, I think you will appreciate it.