Very rarely will an album make me fall back in love with hip-hop after every listen, make me ponder about the pain and beauty in life and bounce completely in sync with the beats. Mac Miller's "GO:OD AM" does that for me effortlessly.
Looking at the first layer of "GO:OD AM", it's clear to see that he laid down a great hip-hop album. Contributing to its greatness are the beats. You hear they mostly have heavy bass and need to be bumped at full volume to get the full affect. The tracks "When In Rome" and "Jump" (both prod. by ID Labs) are prime examples of this. These tracks are 'blow the speakers out in the car' music. I love the approach he took with these songs. I know Mac can do the dark, conscious, and kind of emo rap and that's present on this album too, but this turn up style offers a whole new dimension to the album and just lets Mac rap for the sake of rapping. Those songs where he's simply flexin' his lyrical muscles goes into the next layer of "GO:OD AM" where the title started to truly become clear to me. Each song is crazy lyrical in its own unique way. Now I (as well as most of you) know Mac Miller can rap, but this album succeeds at introducing us to him as an MC just as much as Mac Miller the person. I don't think I've ever heard Mac Miller so hungry, so raw emotionally, or so concerned and cleverly philosophical all at once. The track "Ascension" embodies most of those elements while carrying a darker tone. His verse relates back to him being lyrical in a unique way different from most songs on the album. Mac explores the reality that he was facing death back when he was constantly doing drugs. The openness in his verse made the song strong and helped bring me closer to the album on an emotional level.
Aside from "Ascension", I'd say the other tracks are mostly Mac Milly showin' out on some bangin' beats. There's always hints of his vulnerability and dark thoughts on every song like "Weekend" (feat. Miguel) but each song has that wake up call for the people sleeping on him, denying his greatness in hip-hop today or straight up saying he's wack. The tracks "Brand Name", "Clubhouse", and "Cut The Check" (feat. Chief Keef) contribute to that idea. I love those three tracks. You can't say Mac didn't snap on them. The beats are mercilessly nasty, they have lighter tones and the songs are nothing less than good music. It's Mac Miller showing how dope he is and what goes on in his mind, and I appreciate that.
Mac Miller's sound is constantly evolving and once again it changed here, but the music keeps that Mac essence. "GO:OD AM" shakes up the proverbial box that Mac Miller is always put in. He's not just a happy rapper or a dark subject matter based rapper. He is a dope MC that can make all types of music that's blatantly hip-hop or can push that fine line of what hip hop is. "GO:OD AM" plays on both sides of the spectrum and it's accomplished with outstanding production, Mac Miller's flow, wordplay, metaphors, concepts, and perspectives. Well done, Easy Mac with the cheesy raps. You've got yourself a beyond dope body of work that I love and will be listening to years from now.
Stream the album in full below.
Photo Creds: huffingtonpost.com/billboard.com
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