25 - G Herbo

Intro:

G Herbo has been a staple in Hip-Hop & represents the city of Chicago very well. Since breaking into the industry during the earlier half of last decade, the rapper has released several projects that have garnered mainstream success & critical acclaim. This new album follows last years album PTSD; where he decided to delve more into themes of trauma & mental health. G Herbo is now 25 years old, and this new album is a celebration of the milestone.

Strengths:

This is some of the best rapping we’ve heard from G Herbo since his Humble Beast album. His rhyme schemes are out of this world, and he still comes through with some clever wordplay & metaphors (Ex: 2 Chains). He also shows lots of versatility with his flow, as he finds tight pockets & switches to match each beat. Many are familiar with Herbo’s passionate, aggressive & powerful standout voice. It really helps the listener feel the pain he feels on the more sentimental tracks.

The production on 25 is also a lot more similar to his older work; when compared to albums like the Swervo series. There’s a lot more samples being used on this album in combination with the loud trap drums. Typically, most of the beats hear have a creative sample chop/loop alongside hard hitting snares & kicks. There are even some more traditional sounding Hip-Hop beats here (Ex: Loyalty). Overall, the album sounds very Chicago.

Topically, the album features a lot of reminiscing on his street upbringing & former lifestyle (Ex: Stand The Rain). He’s matured past a lot of it, and appreciates surviving 25 years of life (which is not common for some of his peers). Despite flexing & staying dangerous, G Herbo is very open about his personal life in his lyrics. He touches on subjects like: quitting drugs, his family, and even gets “woke”/political on the song “Demands”. I really appreciated this track because of it’s execution, activism & accountability.

Weaknesses:

There really isn’t much I didn’t like about this album. Still, one minor critique I have is that it could’ve been a little shorter. It’s not a major issue at all, but songs like “Trenches Know My Name” & “Pray 4 My Enemies” don’t add anything new to the album (despite not being bad songs). If anything, I could see how the album’s overall subject matter could get old/repetitive to some audiences. The features here aren’t anything special; with the exception of 21 Savage who has a great appearance. Additionally, the “off beat” flow he’s overly criticized for does show up on a few songs.

Overall:

This is easily one of G Herbo’s best albums, and there’s even a good argument for it being his best. At the age of 25, it almost feels like G Herbo is now entering into his prime as an artist. The maturity in both his lyrics & himself have truly elevated his music to a whole new level. I could definitely see this album staying in my Top 10 for the year. Thank you all for reading and be sure to listen to the album yourself with the link below.