TRACK INFO

Simply because of its name, Belly’s new album, Mumble Rap, can be avoided by casual listeners. However, Hip Hop enthusiasts and those who have heard the talented Roc Nation signee are aware of the truth. Belly claimed in an interview with Beats 1 that he chose the project’s moniker, Mumble Rap, to give the word a new meaning to the public. In addition to accomplishing this accomplishment, Boi-1da’s production guidance and his captivating mic presence elevate the album to one of the greatest of 2017. Mumble Rap’s themes are nothing new, yet they are nonetheless interesting since Belly is such a captivating person. Whether he’s bragging about his accomplishments or moaning about his faults, he captures the audience’s attention with every bar. The Palestinian Canadian’s ability to use language in “The Come Down is Real Too” makes it easy to believe that he learnt English by listening to records like The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die.Had hopes of presenting both, but lately I’ve been missing/I’ve stopped drinking, so maybe I’m different now.Listen, darling, these b*tches despise me because I drove Alyssa insane. Belly still manages to find creative ways to make simple bars stick in your head like gum beneath a bus seat when he’s not trying to be the most lyrical Nadia Comaneci impersonation he can muster. For example, “Hell is hot and only Heaven knows” from “Make a Toast” and “I don’t got sympathy for my own tears” from “Alcantara” are just a couple of the lyrics that elevate Mumble Rap above simple observations. Pusha T contributes the only featured track on the album, “Alcantara,” and his snide delivery and coded rhymes raise interest in King Push’s lava-like metaphors. (The golden kid of GOOD Music jokes, “I’m the best, this Floetry, you’say yes'”) Mumble Rap, however, continues to be Belly’s show throughout.

Belly maintains an eerie tone throughout the album despite hardly raising his voice, but Boi-1da, who produced the majority of Mumble Rap with help from T-Minus, Ben Billions, and Vinylz among others, deserves a lot of the credit for the album’s air of dread. Almost all of the songs are depressing, even the catchy single “P.O.P. (Power of Pussy).” Nothing dives into the gutter like “Bobby Brown,” but “The Come Down is Too Real” and Lullaby, Belly’s own “Song Cry,” are notable for their soggy souls and melancholy moans. Belly beats his competition into submission with brilliant phrasing like “She on that Bobby Brown, I’m copping New Edition.” The bluesy licks and schizophrenic percussion give the song the feel of a dirty crime story.

Mumble Rap’s low-key vibe is both a blessing and a disadvantage. Although it fosters great cohesion, it also leaves a longing for an energetic cut. Belly’s appeal stems in part from his ability to keep tension simmering just beneath the surface, but it would have been advantageous to hear him rap over the kind of explosive Boi-1da beat that helps Drake establish his street cred.

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