SmokePurpp – Deadstar 2 (Album Review)

SmokePurpp’s highly-anticipated “Deadstar 2” has finally hit the net. Does it end up hitting the net, though?

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TOP 5

5. All For Me (Ft. Trippie Redd)

This song had so much potential.

Here’s the deal: I adore Trippie Redd’s contributions in “All For Me” – his fearless singing, his infectious melodies, and his catchy lyrics. The laid-back beat that powers the song is also a favorite of mine. However, when it comes to SmokePurpp’s contributions, they fall short (due to excessive autotune usage). Considering that two out of the three elements in the track are excellent, I would still categorize it as solid.

4. Left and Right (Ft. Lil Skies)

This s**t sounds like a theme song for a cheat code to a Nintendo game.

I actually appreciate Lil Pump and SmokePurpp’s friendship. While their collaborative music hasn’t consistently been outstanding, I do enjoy the chemistry they display when they come together. That said, “Left and Right” is a very enjoyable song. In it, the two Florida natives present us with complex flows, lyrics that are ridiculously savage, and punchlines that are, at the very least, clever on a fundamental level. In other words, “Left and Right” is a lot of fun to listen to, especially if you’re in one of those moods where you don’t give a f**k about anything and everything (We’ve all been there before, right?).

3. Stevie

“Stevie” goes pretty hard.

In “Stevie,” you encounter a mumbly, violent, and aggressive SmokePurpp. However, in the grand scheme, I consider the horn-heavy and bass-booming beat that drives the song to be its standout element. I especially appreciate the recurring starts and stops it has.

2. Dirty Dirty (Ft. Lil Skies)

Yeah, folks need to wash their hands after I heard all the dirty things they said.

In “Dirty Dirty,” SmokePurpp and Lil Skies are a dirtier tag team than The Dudley Brothers (Them n***as used to look so damn dusty back then). They talk about putting fingers in the butts of girls, smoking n***as, and smashing exes.

While I’m always up for some recklessness, what truly grabs my attention in this song is the beat. It features a hypnotizing flute-heavy sound, coupled with a pleasant tempo and subtle trap elements. Both Purpp and Skies skillfully ride the beat, and it’s important to acknowledge this, as many jits these days struggle to do so.

1. What I Please

In “What I Please,” SmokePurpp and featured guest Denzel Curry lose their s**t!

“What I Please” boasts a beat that could shake housing foundations, potentially causing roaches hidden in cabinets to scatter. Against this intense backdrop, SmokePurpp and Denzel Curry deliver bars that are disrespectful, rebellious, and braggadocious. SmokePurpp’s verse exudes the demeanor of a spoiled brat, while Denzel Curry’s verse appears more calculated and complex in comparison.

SmokePurpp can do whatever he wants, but when he enters my house, he has to take off his f**king shoes before he walks on my carpet.

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. The Matrix (3.5/5)

2. Red Bottoms (3.5/5)

3. Stevie (4/5)

4. What I Please (4/5)

5. Ariba (3/5)

6. All For Me (Ft. Trippie Redd) (3/5)

7. Pass The Moon (Interlude) (2.5/5)

8. Lightspeed (2.5/5)

9. Fill The Room (Ft. Ty Dolla $ign)(3.5/5)

10. Reckless (3.5/5)

11. Dirty Dirty (3.5/5)

12. Floor Seats (3.5/5)

13. Left & Right (Ft. Lil Pump) (3.5/5)

14. On Purpose (3/5)

15. Robbin Robbin (2.5/5)

16. Pop 1 (Ft. MoneyBagg Yo) (3/5)

17. Audi II (2/5)

OVERALL RATING

(D) (64%)

I should’ve known this album wasn’t going to be good when I saw the front cover (It looks like SmokePurpp got his head captured by Jeepers Creepers)…

When it comes to rapping, SmokePurpp falls below the average mark. While he can ride beats decently, his lyrical content is usually pretty useless. Unfortunately, SmokePurpp leaves much to be desired on every track of Deadstar 2. He relies on tired subject matters in his verses and hooks throughout the album, failing to establish uniqueness compared to other artists in the game.

Regrettably, SmokePurpp attempts singing frequently on Deadstar 2, and more often than not, he falls short (to put it kindly). While younger rappers may try to play a fake, fearless singer in their music as a form of trolling, it often comes off as a joke.

In Deadstar 2, SmokePurpp seems to imitate various artists, resembling Travis Scott in “The Matrix,” The Weeknd in “Red Bottoms,” Nav in “Lightspeed,” Lil Durk in “Robbin Robbin,” and Playboi Carti in “Ariba.” After a full listen, the question arises: “Who is SmokePurpp as an artist?”

I appreciate two aspects about Deadstar 2: the explosive, trap-inspired beats and the solid guest appearances from Denzel Curry, Trippie Redd, MoneyBagg Yo, Lil Pump, and Ty Dolla $ign. It’s fair to say that Smoke was set up to succeed by outside forces (He let them down, though).

While I may not revisit Deadstar 2, it’s not an entirely horrible body of work (with SmokePurpp being the exception). Though listening to it might strain your brain cells, I can envision enjoying the album in the right setting – perhaps a club that occasionally flouts fire codes.