YG – 4REAL 4 REAL (Album Review)

YG simply hasn’t struck out when it comes to making albums. In “4REAL 4REAL,” his fourth one, he tries to continue his undefeated streak, releasing a body of work that talks about everything from his fallen homies to fake gang members.

STREAM

TOP 5

5. HARD BOTTOMS & WHITE SOCKS

I never thought I would hear YG rap over a smooth/old school hip-hop beat like the one you hear in “Hard Bottoms & White Socks.”

At this point of his career, YG has the right to brag about his stature in the California hip-hop scene. Not only has the Compton rapper collaborated with some of the best from the golden state, but his image also exemplifies what Los Angeles is all about. With that being said, in “Hard Bottoms & White Socks,” the “My N***a” rapper goes into detail on why he’s the poster boy of beef, designer clothes and rapping in the west. While he initially sounds a bit calm to start the song off, he gets erratic towards the middle, bullying the beat he was served with like Deebo.

I actually agree with YG here. Every time I think about LA, I think about his baggy clothes and thick ass west coast accent.

4. STOP SNITCHIN’

YG tryna put a nail in 6ix9ine’s coffin.

YG’s prior beef with Tekashi 6ix9ine has been well-documented. Nowadays, the feud is one sided, with YG dominating it due to rumors going around that 6ix9ine snitched on his people (In addition to 6ix9ine being in jail). In “Stop Snitchin,” the LA rapper goes full force at the colorful-haired rapper, calling him all kinds of names, while proclaiming himself and his crew as tougher individuals than mob bosses over this uptempo/club instrumental. Thankfully the song is short, because at a certain point, the bullying gets really bad.

I legit fear for Tekashi’s life these days.

3. GO LOKO

YG done went Telemundo on us!

Never in a million of years did I think I would hear YG and Tyga on a Telenovela. Well that’s what we get on “Go Loko” (sort-of), as DJ Mustard was able to gift both LA rappers with a trap Latin beat that will make you want to tango and crip walk at the same time.

You know what impresses me about this track? Both Tyga and YG are able to experiment with Spanish lyrics on it, but at the same time, still sound like straight up gangstas. Not only do they talk about guns and s**t, but they also talk about going loco on n*ggas, too. As for Jon Z, I am happy that he adds some authentic Latin vibes to the song on his lone verse.

I’m not going to lie, this song is kind-of boring… Tyga’s hook is yawn-worthy, while YG’s verse is so early In the song, I forgot he was even on it. I’ll wait for it to continue to grow on me…

2. KEISHA HAD A BABY

I absolutely love “Keisha Had A Baby!” On it, YG does some storytelling about a girl named Keisha that is primarily a great decision-maker, but ended up having a baby with someone who ultimately cheated on her (S**t, I guess I should’ve said spoiler alert before this review). While y’all can indulge in the story that powers the song, I’m here to discuss the musicality behind it, and what I hear is chill, serene and 90’s R&B-esque music. The song also features a pretty passionate guest appearance by Rose Gold.

Thank God this Keisha story didn’t end up with someone in the trash. (That other Keisha story still haunts me ’til this day)

1. HEART TO HEART

“Heart To Heart” is one of those fascinating tracks that is infused with plenty of hood passion.

“Heart To Heart” features Meek Mill, YG and Arin Ray, and together, the trio were able to create this heartfelt track that has each artist discussing the importance of uplifting friends when they are down. While I enjoy the smooth vibes the song gives off throughout, I absolutely love the urgency both rappers on the song show on their respective verses. It’s almost like they are playing hood Jerry Springers.

When YG and Meek talk, my ears are wide open.

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. HARD BOTTOMS & WHITE SOCKS (4.5/5)

2. BOTTLE SERVICE (3.5/5)

3. IN THE DARK (3/5)

4. GO LOKO (4/5)

5. STOP SNITCHIN (4/5)

6. I WAS ON THE BLOCK (2/5)

7. KEISHA HAD A BABY (4.5/5)

8. HEART TO HEART (4.5/5)

9. PLAY IT SAFE (3/5)

10. DO NOT DISTURB (4/5)

11. DO YA DANCE (4/5)

12. HER STORY (3.5/5)

13. MY LAST WORDS (5/5)

14. STOP SNITCHIN (REMIX) (4/5)

OVERALL RATING

(C+)

I think it is pretty clear that YG has grown as not only an artist, but as a decent human-being, too. Though he has his gangsta moments from time to time (ie “Stop Snitchin’), as of late, he’s also shown compassion, wokeness and sympathy for the good going on in the world. In “4REAL 4REAL,” YG plugs all of these emotions into his music, which results in a body of work that is well-rounded and a bit heartwarming.

I’ll be the first to tell you that I think YG is a slightly above average rapper. Where he tends to catch my attention the most is in his energy. On “4REAL 4REAL,” the Compton native shows real emotion in everything from his club bangers to his storytelling records. Lyrically, I thought he gifted us with some pretty deep s**t, never really holding back what he felt about any topic he decided to talk about. Matter of fact, YG might be the most direct/get straight to the point rapper in the game right now.

I thought the beats on “4REAL 4REAL” were Krem De la Krem — it doesn’t get any better than what I heard. From the moment you press play on the album, you are treated to a smooth instrumental that gives off 90’s vibes, and from there, you get everything from bass boomin’ club bangers to emotional gems. In addition to the versatile beats, I loved how they were spread out throughout the track-listing. Right when you thought the album would turn into a typical YG project, the Compton rapper takes you on a turn, switching up vibes and nurturing to touchy feels. I can’t tell you how much I loved this aspect of the album.

You know what I love about YG albums? They tend to have a good amount of guest appearances on them, but the way each person is used on their respective songs is so masterful, you don’t notice. In “4REAL 4REAL,” the only difference between how the features were placed on this album as compared to the others is the people. Everyone fit in nicely on the songs they were assigned to, even when YG put them on joints that might not be suited for them (ie Kamiyah on “Do Your Dance”). With that being said, I thought G-Eazy and Meek Mill put up outstanding verses on their respective songs, while Arin Ray had somewhat of a breakout performance on his.

To start this album, YG has a song called “Hard Bottoms & White Socks“ in which he proclaims himself to be the most important figure in LA (Along with Nipsey). I actually agree with that, because he seems to embody what growing up, surviving, supporting and understanding what being from there means. In “4REAL 4REAL,” YG validates his LA bluster by speaking on behalf of every type of n***a that is walking around in the city. For this exact reason, I find this album very fascinating to listen to, especially being someone that is from the better coast (The East Coast)…