The Melodic Blue - Baby Keem
Intro:
Baby Keem has leveled up tremendously as an artist since his previous project “Die For My Bitch”. After it was revealed that he’s actually Kendrick Lamar’s younger cousin, plenty of eyes darted the young artist. I really loved his output & creativity prior to this reveal. He’s one of the few upcoming rappers that I believe can have a longstanding career, and prove to be very influential. Let’s see if this new album lives up to all of our expectations.
Strengths:
Keem touches more on his life, family & upbringing on this album. You can hear certain subjects be addressed like his mother’s struggles ( Ex: Issues) & how he can take care of his family now. There’s also lots talk of relationship, sex & women. He seems to
cherishes & respects the women he protects & cares about. The album explores Keem’s obscure mind, yet he also comes across as pretty relatable. His cousin, Kendrick Lamar, gives 3 standout (and meme-worthy) appearances on the tracklist.
Keem handles a large bulk of the production on the album. Most of the beats contain his signature bouncy trap drum style, and some incredible anthemic bangers ( Ex: Booman). Each has their own unique or standout sound/instrument such as the song “ range brothers”. That song, like others, also features a few beat switches. The sound palette for this whole project is very diverse. There are songs like “ cocoa” which sound very exotic, and the R&B/Pop fused records feel very cinematic.
Keem is rapping some pretty outlandish & funny lines, in the midst of other more creative & clever ones. He’s very capable of writing catchy lyrics, as many lines & chorus get stuck in my head regularly. “scapegoats” is a key cut where he’s putting intentional effort into showcasing his lyricism. He mainly sticks with abrasive high pitched delivery he’s know for, but does use his regular voice too. His high energy matches the unique, odd & captivating flows on here. There’s a lot of range in his flow/style as well. Keem’s singing ability has definitely improved overall.
Weaknesses:
Keem’s odd delivery doesn’t work on every song, and neither does all his melodic moments. He could’ve used less autotune singing in general on the entire album (Ex: gorgeous chorus is very obnoxious). I’m also not a fan of the chorus on the song “ south africa” at all. Some of the comical lines on the album fall flat & come off bad/corny too. Don Toliver EASILY outperforms Keem on their collab, and I really wish they would’ve kept Kendrick’s verse on the song “ Vent”.
While I love Keem’s creativity & range, some of the singing/introspective cuts get boring & can become background music. A lot of this is due to empty space in those beats that works against the album, equally as much as it helps the oceanic theme/feel. There are even some beats that do have generic elements, despite them all being great. I think the album would’ve benefited from being slightly shorter, and having the few filler songs cut.
Overall:
In conclusion, The Melodic Blue is an enjoyable mixed bag. While there are plenty of standout creative peaks & quality tracks, the album still has its flaws & lower points. I’m left feeling a little disappointed, but that’s mainly from setting my expectations way too high. It’s still a good project worth a listen for any rap fan. Thank you all for reading and be sure to listen to the album yourself with the link below.
