Brent Faiyaz does things completely his way in “WASTELAND.”
STREAM
TOP 5
Honorable Mention. ROLLING STONE
Brent Faiyaz should definitely sing “ROLLING STONE” at his AAA meetings.
In “ROLLING STONE,” Brent Faiyaz admits to being a misguided and arrogant asshole. What’s fascinating is that he switches between someone that sounds like he wants to change and someone that wants a few more swigs of assahol.
5. ADDICTIONS
I’m selfish, I want Brent Faiyaz to continue to indulge in the demonic things that allow him to make the kind of bomb-ass music that he makes today.
“ADDICTIONS” is one of the few tracks on this album that actually sounds normal. In the song, Brent Faiyaz and Tre’ Amani sing and rap about being individuals that can’t seem to shake their sinister habits. From the Kanye-Esque production to Tre’s hella DC-flavored verse, this song just feels so relatable, to me (And I’m only addicted to the search section of IG).
4. WASTING TIME
I decided to add “WASTING TIME” to my top 5 list to pay homage to the greatest musical minds of all time: The Neptunes. I also wanted to pay homage to the non-zesty/non-coked-out version of Drake that we get in the song.
I don’t love “WASTING TIME.” If you ask me, the song sounds like a generic Pharrell track from back in the day. With that being said, I do think that Brent Faiyaz puts up a great vocal performance and slick lyrics that will remind ordinary dudes like myself that we have no shot against singers when it comes to booking the best chicks on the globe. As for Drake, he puts up a verse that perfectly blends aggression with quirkiness, competitiveness, and shrewdness. Drake saved the song for me.
3. GHETTO GATSBY
Folks tip-toed their asses off during the making of this song.
If you read Great Gatsby, you know that Jay Gatsby was this magnetic anti-hero that had an extremely selfish side. Brent Faiyaz gives me those same vibes as an artist, hence why I think that “GHETTO GATSBY” perfectly describes who he is (Or wants us to think he is). In the song, Brent comes across as cold, narcissistic, and boastful. What’s interesting is that Alicia Keys comes across in the same way in the song. Her rap verse (Yes, she raps in the song) is colder than a hamburger that was delivered via uber eats.
2. PRICE OF FAME
The other day, I intentionally drowned in “PRICE OF FAME.” Once I did that, my love for the song went up significantly.
Once you get past the screwed and chopped part of “PRICE OF FAME,” you enter into R&B heaven (I do think that the screwed and chopped part does a great job of putting you in this lovely sloppy drunk mood)! In heaven, Brent brings out his absolutely gorgeous vocals (Sorry, fellas, I couldn’t think of another word to use) and the carefree lyrics that have practically built his foundation. Though “PRICE OF FAME” feels like a long-ass Netflix teaser, it does its job in reminding you that Brent is different from the rest.
1. DEAD MAN WALKING
Is “DEAD MAN WALKING” the slickest track of all time? I think so.
Whether you are a Brent Faiyaz fan or not, you have to appreciate the message behind “DEAD MAN WALKING.” In the song, Brent Faiyaz encourages us to comfortably live life on the edge. Despite being backed by very unorthodox production, the DMV native comes across as even-keeled, unbothered, and subdued. More than likely, when you are comfortable in your own skin, that’s what you will sound like.
Holy s**t, this song has over 250 million streams on Spotify!
SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN
1. VILLIAN’S THEME (N/A)
2. LOOSE CHANGE (4/5)
3. GRAVITY (4/5)
4. HEAL YOUR HEART (INTERLUDE) (N/A)
5. SKIT: EGOMANIAC (N/A)
6. ALL MINE (4/5)
7. PRICE OF FAME (5/5)
8. GHETTO GATSBY (5/5)
9. WASTING TIME (4/5)
10. ROLLING STONE (4/5)
11. FYTB (4/5)
12. SKIT: OBLIVION (N/A)
13. DEAD MAN WALKING (5/5)
14. ADDICTIONS (5/5)
15. ROLE MODEL (4/5)
16. JACKIE BROWN (4/5)
17. BAD LUCK (4/5)
18. SKIT: WAKE UP CALL (N/A)
19. ANGEL (4/5)
RGM RATING
(B)
If you want to fully understand Brent Faiyaz’s music, you have to take hard drugs. With that being said, before I pressed play on this album, I made sure to sniff a few magic markers.
We can all agree that Future is one of the most toxic individuals on planet earth, right? I mean, anyone who can tell Steve Harvey, the host of Family Feud, for God’s sake, that he doesn’t want his daughter numerous times in a song is evil. Someone who might just be as toxic as Future is Brent Faiyaz. I get it, Brent has an absolutely stunning voice, but so do the beautiful women on FOX News. Anywho, throughout WASTELAND, our anti-hero comes across as an egotistical asswipe that doesn’t value love, money, or new episodes of 90 Day Fiance as much as the rest of us do. In other words, he sounds carefree from literally the moment that you press play on the album until it is finished. Here’s the thing, though: I love that s**t! When you combine Brent’s devil-may-care lyrical content with his wonderful voice and slippery production, you end up getting a body of work that plays with your emotions in ways only the first girl that broke your heart can. Do I wish the album had a little more stability to it? Yes. But at the same time, instability might be Brent’s superpower.
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
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