On what would’ve been his 25th birthday, Lil Keed’s estate drops the very impressive “Keed Talk To Em 2.”
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TOP 5
Honorable Mention. Lost My Trust (Ft. Cordae)
I never thought that I would like the one track on this album that features Cordae…
I don’t hate Cordae; I just didn’t think his style would sound right next to Keed’s. I’m grown enough to admit that I was wrong. Though Lil Keed sets the tone for “Lost My Trust” with a passionate vocal performance that pairs nicely with the song’s debonair trap beat and his lyrics about pushing someone he used to love to the side, it’s Cordae’s melodic, bold rap verse that steals the show here.
My bad, Cordae, I wasn’t familiar with your game.
5. Self Employed
This is the track that makes me miss Keed.
I just love the energy Lil Keed raps with in “Self Employed.” Throughout the song, which is powered by this bouncy trap beat, he talks his s**t nonstop. Not only does he brag about his expensive jewelry, but he also brings up the fact that he’s self-made. Overall, “Self Employed” just feels like the ultimate “I made it” record.
4. All I Know (Ft. Lil Keed)
I’m not going to lie, it’s refreshing as hell listening to Young Thug rap again.
Young Thug definitely carries this song. For about half of it, he bounces off the walls like a crazy man, hitting us with subdued and high-pitched vocals. Thug also comes across as both a killer and someone who needs love more than Darcy and Stacey. Keed closes things out with his own high-pitched verse in which he asks for loyalty from his girl; unfortunately, he comes in after the house has been destroyed.
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3. Think About It
Lil Keed lets it be known that he wasn’t the one to doubt or mess with in “Think About It.”
You get a chance to hear what Lil Keed’s day to day looked like in “Think About It.” Throughout the song, he talks about how he was raised, the many things that made him paranoid, and staying motivated to succeed. The colorful/booming beat combined with Keed’s bombastic deliveries makes this banger a standout.
2. Muso Kuso
Lil Keed & NAV in “Muso Kev” = Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in this year’s Super Bowl.
In “Muso Kuso,” you get Keed’s most daring vocal performance. He also brags like a dude that has been balling since birth. As for NAV, his verse is excellent. In it, he flows well and perfects sounding like someone who earned the right to be an asshole. The song’s icing on the cake is the booming, almost ninja-like beat (The beat works because both artists kick ass).
1. Long Way To Go
“Long Way To Go” simply feels like an organic Lil Keed song.
I f**k with this song a lot. “Long Way To Go” features a bouncy trap beat that I absolutely love, Thugger-like deliveries, and lyrical content that masterfully straddles the line between trill and drippy. The song also features a catchy-ass hook. Based on this track, if Keed was still alive, he could’ve easily been Young Thug’s backup quarterback.
SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN
1. Go See (4/5)
2. Bags To The Sky (3.5/5)
3. Muso Kuso (Ft. NAV) (4/5)
4. SRT (Ft. Lil Gotit) (3.5/5)
5. Hottest (Ft. Big Sean) (4/5)
6. How Many (Ft. Offset) (3.5/5)
7. Get Money (Ft. Trippie Redd) (3/5)
8. Think About It (4/5)
9. Long Way To Go (4/5)
10. Can’t Fall Victim (4/5)
11. All I Know (Ft. Young Thug) (4/5)
12. Lost My Trust (Ft. Cordae) (4/5)
13. Hitman (4/5)
14. Betty Boop (ft. Karlae) (3.5/5)
15. Off Land (Ft. Lil Jairmy) (3/5)
16. Big Bag (Ft. Dolly White & Young Thug) (3/5)
17. Kick Back (Ft. Lil Gotit & StickBaby) (2.5/5)
18. Self Employed (4/5)
19. Love Me Again (3.5/5)
20. Thank You Lord (Ft. Fridayy) (4/5)
RGM RATING
(C+)
It’s truly astonishing how many young rappers we have lost in the last two to three years. While I don’t think Keed, someone we lost last year, ever got to reach his peak, he did get a chance to work with his idol (Young Thug) and drop a few critically-acclaimed projects. The reason I bring up his wins is that Keed Talk To Em 2 feels like a celebration of his artistry and life.
Throughout Keed Talk To Em 2, you get to hear Lil Keed in all of his elements. To be more specific, you get to hear him go bat s**t over beats, you get to hear his motivational side, you get to hear his street side, and you get to hear his slimy side. What’s also dope is that we get to hear Keed go toe to toe with rappers that you didn’t think he would work well with like Big Sean and Cordae. With that being said, three of my biggest takeaways from this album are this: Keed lived life to the fullest, he was far from a punk, and he truly was more than just Thugger’s understudy.
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
