NLE Choppa raps at 100MPH on “Top Shotta.”

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TOP 5

HONORABLE MENTION. NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

NLE Choppa absolutely goes ham on “Neighborhood Watch.”

“Neighborhood Watch” features the following things: A bass booming trap beat, a hypnotizing hook, and some of the most riveting lyrics I’ve heard in a while. If you f**k with YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s music, you will love “Neighborhood Watch!”

5. DOUBLE BACC

NLE Choppa gives the world a proper introduction to who he is on “Double Bacc.”

“Double Bacc” features an action-packed instrumental that you might hear on a hood version of MacGyver. Over it, NLE Choppa bluntly lets the world know that he is ready to kill anyone that gets in his way. Though the Memphis rapper sounds erratic as hell on the song, I actually f**k with the raw emotions he shows.

NLE Choppa clearly thinks that he’s the guy from Doom.

4. WALK EM DOWN

NLE Choppa and Roddy Ricch attack their opps on “Walk Em Down.”

“Walk Em Down” is an explosive banger, but it isn’t uber ferocious-sounding. Don’t get me wrong, on it, NLE and Roddy talk about some violent s**t throughout; however, they hit us with nothing but smooth melodies on the song.

Can you believe that both NLE Choppa and Roddy Ricch are younger than Diggy Simmons?

3. GAMBLE WITH MY HEART

Holy s**t, NLE Choppa actually has feelings?

In “Gamble With My Heart,” NLE Choppa lets the world know that he doesn’t mind spraying his foes, that he deals with anxiety, and that he turns to drugs when he’s stressed. Throughout the song, he sounds extra focused, to me.

Songs like “Gamble With My Heart” are too powerful to ignore. I love hearing rappers talk about the demons that they fight on a daily basis.

A lot of these young bulls in the hip-hop game are depressed. See what happens when Saturday morning cartoons go away, America?!

2. NARROW ROAD

NLE Choppa and Lil Baby connect on “Narrow Road.”

“Narrow Road” is exhilarating, infectious, and trill as s**t. On both NLE Choppa and Lil Baby’s verses on the song, they remind the world that they are hood-certified individuals that love to stack money and buy luxurious s**t. Though the former sounds like a young rebellious figure, the latter sounds like a triple OG that doesn’t mind schooling jits.

1. CAMELOT

“Camelot” is probably NLE Choppa’s best song to-date.

“Camelot” turns clubs, bandos, pool parties, and Bad Axe Throwing venues up! Not only do you get nothing but tenacious energy on the song, but you also get a version of NLE Choppa that is violent and intent on using his outside voice.

I like the “Camelot” remix better than the original version.

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. DAYDREAM (3/5)

2. DOUBLE BACC (4/5)

3. MAKE EM SAY (2/5)

4. CAMELOT (4/5)

5. WALK EM DOWN (3/5)

6. MURDA TALK (2/5)

7. WHO TF UP IN MY TRAP (2/5)

8. SHOTTA FLOW 3 (2/5)

9. SHOTTA FLOW 4 (3/5)

10. SHOTTA FLOW 5 (3/5)

11. NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH (4/5)

12. CAN’T TAKE IT (3/5)

13. GAMBLE WITH MY HEART (4/5)

14. MOLLY (3/5)

15. PARANOID (4/5)

16. NARROW ROAD (4/5)

17. WATCH OUT FOR THE NARCS (4/5)

18. MAKE IT HAPPEN (3/5)

19. DEPRESSION (2/5)

OVERALL RATING

(C)

NLE Choppa is one violent-ass dude. In his music, he talks about killing people over and over again. He is also a young black man that is dealing with depression in today’s America. On Top Shotta, Choppa plays both Duke Nukem and Eeyore from Winnie The Pooh.

While we can all agree that NLE Choppa isn’t the best rapper in the world, he does know how to bless folks with more action than a Jerry Bruckheimer movie in his songs. He also knows how to take advantage of the rebelliousness/vulnerability that comes with being a young adult. With that being said, I feel like Top Shotta has its moments in which it is is a little too erratic, a little too uncreative, and a little too meaningless to enjoy, but it also has its moments in which it will tug at your heart and its moments in which it competes with some of the most heartfelt trap projects in the world. (Yes, Top Shotta is two-faced)

If you want to listen to music that will make you do a few more reps at the gym, play the first half of Top Shotta. If you want to listen to music that is dramatic, listen to the second half of Top Shotta.

Quincy

Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.