Post Malone – Beerbongs & Bentleys (Album Review)

Pit Post Malone’s career against any other hip hop artist under the age of 22, and I like his chances. Since exploding onto the scene with his highly infectious “White Iverson” hit, Post Malone has had quite the run, collaborating with several major artists, dropping four top 20 hits, and even going double platinum on his debut album. However, believe it or not, I think his best is yet to come. I feel like in his recent music, he’s gotten his melodies down pat, and has been able to successfully establish a sound that is truly unique. These are the many reasons why I have been looking forward to the release of this album. (Lets see if the man they call ‘White Iverson’ can finally put up 100 for us)

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TOP 5

5. 92 EXPLORER

~~If you are able to book a chick in a 92′ Explorer, you must be that guy!~~

“92 Explorer” has this energy to it that I believe is a bit higher than everything else on the album. With production by London On Da Track, Post is hooked up with this lively instrumental that reminds me a bit of “No Frauds” and “Pick Up the Phone” from last year (Which were both produced by Murda Beatz). The good thing is that Post Malone makes sure you feel his own flair on the track, giving us a bunch of different melodies and dropping some pretty fancy bars on it. You can’t go wrong with that combination.

5. BALL FOR ME

On a scale from 1-10, how surprised are you that Post Malone and Nicki Minaj were able to collaborate with one another?

You don’t hear Post Malone dedicate many songs to his lovers, but when he does, he sounds absolutely charming! Even though he probably has more money in his bank account than I have white and red blood cells in my body, something about his affection towards his lover sounds just as genuine as anyone else in the world. Throughout his verse, he sounds truly thankful for his lover’s presence, showing this willingness to spend some bread on her for being loyal through some passionate and thoughtful bars.

Nicki has been as focused as she’s ever been as of late, which means that Post got a collaboration from her at the perfect time (By the time Dre’s “Detox” album comes out, he is more than likely to get lazy Nicki). On “Ball for Me,” not only does the black Chun-Li (Or Whatever she calls herself these days) give off this boss-like demeanor, but the flow she raps with is phenomenal! She truly holds her own on this song.

4. CANDY PAINT

I never understood why rappers were so obsessed with candy paint? That s**t turns into pollen paint in the spring.

“Candy Paint” is nothing special — probably even simple, but I love the rhythm of the beat and the consistency that Post Malone raps with on it. In my humbling opinion, it sounds like he rapped and made the beat at the same time, giving me flashbacks to my high school days in which dudes would freestyle while using their raggedy desks as drums. I also feel like Post nails every single line he delivers on the track, finding a way to sound like a dude that is showing his car off but at the same time keeping up with the maintenance on it.

3. ZACH & CODEINE

Hey Post, put the codeine down, but continue to make tracks like these!

On “Zach & Codeine,” Post is braggadocios, in a celebratory mood, and ready to stick his middle finger out to all of his critics. The track feels free-spirited, and will make you want to call off of work in favor of doing some dumb s**t you probably shouldn’t be doing.

I feel like “Zach & Codeine” serves as the perfect guide for people that want to know what Post is all about. In this case, don’t judge a book by its cover or title.

2. ROCKSTAR

What a perfect collaboration this is, right? Post Malone is a slept on artist, and 21 Savage sounds like he’s sleeping when he raps.

For the most part, Post Malone makes music that is on the lighter side of hip hop, but to me, this track is 100% trill! On it, Post flexes on his competition, showing them what it really takes to be a certified rock star. I love how effortlessly he lays down his bars on the track, as it feels like he’s gliding through the dark instrumental. I also like how descriptive he is when it comes to his bad behavior, giving us a clear and vivid opportunity to grade his level of sickassness.

21 Savage is his usual dull self on this song, sounding like a n***a that just woke up from a power nap. You know what the ATL rapper has that makes him so appealing, though? For some reason, he has this ability to make people anticipate his every word, and that appeal keeps the listeners interested in any song he features on.

If you ask me, 21 and Post sound more like child Hollywood stars than rock stars on this song. I can easily see 13 year old Drew Barrymore hearing this song and saying to both of them, “Hold my beer.”

1. PSYCHO

“Psycho” was such a nice follow-up single to “Rockstar.” It’s smooth, but still has this tough ass feel to it. It’s almost like listening to a chilled out “Rockstar” that’s smoking a blunt and got its feet up.

You can tell the duo focused on having fun when they collaborated for this track; it just feels so free-willed and sly, which I think makes it perfect for the summertime.

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. PARANOID (4.7/5)

2. SPOIL MY NIGHT (4.3/5)

3. RICH & SAD (4.5/5)

4. ZACK & CODEINE (5/5)

5. TAKIN SHOTS (4/5)

6. ROCKSTAR (5/5)

7. OVER NOW (4.1/5)

8. PSYCHO (5/5)

9. BETTER NOW (4.1/5)

10. BALL ON ME (4.9/5)

11. OTHERSIDE (3.5/5)

12. STAY (4/5)

13. BLAME IT ON ME (4/5)

14. SAME BITCHES (4.7/5)

15. JONESTOWN (N/A)

16. 92 EXPLORER (4.8/5)

17. CANDY PAINT (5/5)

18. SUGAR WRAITH (4.6/5)

OVERALL RATING

(C+)

Post Malone talks about the same s**t that everyone else talks about in the industry, but he does it in a way that makes it feel like he’s living in his own hippie-like world. In an industry where everyone sounds like everyone else, this type of persona serves very well for him.

I know Post Malone said he’s more than just a hip hop artist, but on the real, he is at his best when he makes hip hop music. Don’t get me wrong, his other tracks are listenable, but his style just glows a lot more on hip hop based tracks. But if I were to actually take the time to breakdown the genre of hip hop I would like to hear from him moving forward (which I guess I’m doing now), I would like for him to stick to a ‘bluesy-hip hop’ sound. I feel like he shows some good passion on those kind of records, and comes across as both authentic and relatable. The world likes relatable.

Here’s a random thought in the middle of my conclusion: Artists everywhere, stop making projects that are longer than 15 tracks. Our attention spans have shortened considerably in the 21st century.

Back to regularly scheduled programming…

The production on “Beerbongs and Bentleys” perfectly suits the Texas artist. Each and every song has this laidback/soothing sound to it, prompting Post to be that adorable rock-star that we know is willing to hurt his liver with some bad drugs, but would be reluctant to swat a fly. Rapping/Singing-wise, Post does come with some fire on these beats, showing off some pretty hefty punchlines and dropping nearly perfect melodies throughout. I do wish he was slightly more lyrical, but based off the shortness of his Wikipedia bio, I’m not sure there’s much that he can talk about.

The features on this album were only so-so, to me, as only a few of them could match Malone’s ‘privileged kid from the Hamptons who wanted to be a rap star, but got a s**tload of backlash from his parents, but became it behind their back anyway’ type of rebelliousness. I enjoyed Nicki and Ty, thought YG’s verse was pointless, and can’t remember even hearing Swae Lee on the album.

In Logic’s Rapture episode (which I loved!), he talked about acting like a slave to whatever song he’s on; is there anyone better at showing this than Post Malone? I feel like in every facet of his music, Post has this level of appreciation for the vibes, the tone, the production of it, taking the time to understand what it wants to eat, what it likes, and who broke its heart. At times on this album, that passion works against him (I.e Otherside), but for the most part, he’s successful using this approach. So as you continue to listen to his music, I recommend you pay attention to that, and you will see why I think Post is one of the few artists that are pushing hip hop forward.