I prefer the production on King and Trap Muzik (at times I think he veers to closely to bounce rather than his ATL-lane) but he's pretty on point as an MC. not as lyrically tight as on the prior album but he still spits.
the thing I hate about him now is that while simplicity worked in his favor in the older days, he had a lot of focus. even though his word play was often monosyllabic, he painted vivid pictures of street life, and in the Trap Muzik days especially, really nailed the cognitive dissonance of being a pusher. even by King when he'd abandoned that lane, his braggadocio came off self-assured and effortless.
I finally listened to Trouble Man the other day and while it wasn't a terrible listen, his persona has gone so one-dimensional that he might as well be any generic street rapper at this point. His references to trap life are as stock as can be right now, just rote one-dimensional exercises. None of the focus or precision he used to have. The environments he portrayed used to be very human and lived in, but every player in his songs is a cipher now, including him. Some rappers retain their ability to write compelling street rap even after both feet have firmly left that life, but Clifford's not one of 'em. His voice still sounds cool and all but his energy just comes across as calculated now.
― getting strange ass all around the globe (Neanderthal), Friday, 25 April 2014 02:35 (ten years ago) link
referring to Urban Legend here obv
― getting strange ass all around the globe (Neanderthal), Friday, 25 April 2014 02:36 (ten years ago) link
i only ever really listen to trap muzik now, sometimes urban legend
even at the time about half of king seemed ill-advised
― j., Friday, 25 April 2014 02:50 (ten years ago) link
there are maybe only two songs I don't f with on King
― getting strange ass all around the globe (Neanderthal), Friday, 25 April 2014 02:51 (ten years ago) link
Come and kick it with a stand up guyyyyy
YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS YOUKNOWWHATITIS the UNDERTAKER
those two right
― nova, Friday, 25 April 2014 04:22 (ten years ago) link
man i'm always so disillusioned but also impressed at the digging when i look up the samples for my favorite beats:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUp9Mt_pWQI
― festival culture (Jordan), Friday, 25 April 2014 13:58 (ten years ago) link
"Stand Up Guy" is a jam imo
― some dude, Friday, 25 April 2014 21:13 (ten years ago) link