Belly – See You Next Wednesday (Album Review)

Belly has us looking forward to next week’s hump day with “See You Next Wednesday.”

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TOP 5

5. Wu Tang

Belly talks about lying chicks and stacking his money high in “Wu Tang.”

I’m not going to lie, 80% of the reason that I f**k with “Wu Tang” is because it features a fire-ass beat. If you are a freestyler, you will definitely want to spit some bars over it. The good news is this: The raps that Belly hits us with in the song are phenomenal. Not only does he ride the beat like a f**king pro, but he also shifts gears with his flows and comes across as both refreshingly unbothered and unbelievably trill.

4. IYKYK

Belly gives us the perfect introduction (Or reintroduction) to who he is in “IYKYK.”

“IYKYK” is powered by a beat that knocks but also sounds evil as s**t. Over it, Belly hits us with some of the trickiest flows I’ve ever heard, a hook that is simple but also gangsta as s**t, and very clever punchlines. As for lyrically, the Canadian rapper does a great job of reminding folks that he is a real-deal boss that got his s**t out of the mud.

As a horror movie fan, I find it dope that Belly likes to instill diabolical themes into his music.

3. Die For It

Belly, The Weeknd, and Nas are the trio that we didn’t know we needed in our lives.

Listen, I love the performances that both Belly and The Weeknd put up on this song (The former hits us with bars that pay homage to Nipsey and reminds us to value life, while the latter sounds like an angel on the hook), but at the end of the day, Nas steals the show. In “Die For It,” the Queens rapper sounds hungry, paranoid, and extra motivated. After listening to King’s DIsease II a few weeks ago and this song today, I am convinced that Nas is aging like fine wine.

2. Money On The Table

Benny The Butcher and Belly sound so good together in “Money On The Table,” I now want the latter to sign to Griselda.

“Money On The Table” is powered by yet another beat that has a wicked feel attached to it. Over it, both Belly and Benny The Butcher find clever, trill, unapologetic, and precise ways to remind folks that they are living life on the edge and reaching their potential in various legal and illegal ways. Personally, what I love about the song is how the two rappers come across as rap scientists that dissect beats like they are f**king grasshoppers in a lab.

1. Better Believe It

Belly and The Weekend prove that their chemistry hasn’t slipped at all in “Better Believe It.”

“Better Believe It” is a cold hard unadulterated hit! Do you know how I know it’s a hit? Because The Weeknd starts the song off with a gangsta-ass verse in which he talks about enjoying the single life, and immediately drops a hook that is so f**king infectious (Anytime The Weeknd does that, the song is a lock for top 10 on the Billboard charts).

“Better Believe It” is Belly’s song, but he’s definitely not the star of the song. Don’t get me wrong, I f**k with his verse, especially how he toys with a few dynamic flows and sticks his chest out like Janet, but you won’t stop buzzing off The Weeknd’s contributions by the time his part comes on.

I do not like Young Thug’s verse on “Better Believe It.” I don’t think he fits the song at all and I have no clue what the f**k he talks about. Oh well.

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SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. Snakes & Ladders (4/5)

2. IYKYK (4/5)

3. Better Believe It (4/5)

4. Zero Love (4/5)

5. Moment Of Silence (3/5)

6. Flowers (3/5)

7. Razor (4/5)

8. Die For It (4/5)

9. Requiem (4/5)

10. Two Tone (3/5)

11. Wu Tang (4/5)

12. Sucker (4/5)

13. Scary Sight (3/5)

14. Money On The Table (4/5)

15. Can You Feel it (4/5)

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RGM RATING

(B-)

Belly is one of the best rappers in the game that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. Not only is he capable of going bar for bar with just about anyone, but most importantly, he’s versatile as s**t. In See You Next Wednesday, Belly’s versatility is put on full display.

All kinds of flows, beats, melodies, topics, and emotions are heard in See You Next Wednesday. In other words, there’s never a dull moment on the album. While I am a huge fan of the songs in which Belly is fully in his killer MC mode (ie “Wu Tang,” “Sucker,” “Money On The Table,” and “IYKYK”), I cannot sleep on the songs in which he toys with styles that young whippersnappers would f**k with (ie “Two Tone” and “Zero Love”). All in all, See You Next Wednesday is one of those solid projects that features songs that are meant to be thrown on various playlists.