Denzel Curry-TA13OO Review
Denzel Curry is easily one of the most memorable live acts I’ve had the pleasure of seeing. I caught him at the YES 24 Live Hall in the Gwangjin-gu district of Seoul last September-one of the premier venues in the city for Western artists. Underneath flashing lights and a gigantic octagonal screen, Curry rapped with potent urgency for what seemed like hours, covering fan favorites off his excellent 2016 album Imperial (namely “ULT” and “Story: No Title”) alongside snippets of his upcoming project, teased for months to fans simply as TABOO. And as indicated by these previews and the otherworldly production on his 13 EP from last year, his forthcoming junior album would be one of stylistic innovation: a further cementation of his place as a front runner in the next generation of hip-hop.
Act 1 of TA1300, stylized as “Light”, serves as the rabbit hole for the multifaceted project, with the first track “TABOO” utilizing a dreamy, slow-burning instrumental. Denzel’s previous battles with self-hatred and depression expressed on tracks like “Knotty Head” and “Heartless” seem retrospected on throughout, discussed in a personified interest towards a seemingly inescapable sea of vices (“Gorgeous beautiful taboo, always with a lot on her mind”/” You loving me is forbidden, loving you back is a crime”). “BLACK BALLOONS” wields an upbeat synth instrumental, with the likening of emotional burdens to balloons drifting overhead (“Black balloons, over my head, Let it float, let it float”) while D.C. rapper Goldlink provides a laid-back feature akin to recent hits like “Crew” and “Herside Story”. “CASH MANIAC” features an earworm hook from singer Nyyjerya, dotted between free-flowing similes from Curry (“ I see my Future, but I’m not B-Rabbit”), while the spacey, vapor wave-like outro provides an excellent addition to the rich sonic pallete across the album. The closing track of Act 1, “SUMO”, remains the record’s strongest single: featuring a blown-out Charlie Heat beat, Denzel’s-trademark energy, and throwback references to pop-culture staples like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Chowder, and the Sly Cooper series.
The second act of TA13OO, “Gray”, is an expected mix of the lighter and darker halves book-ending it. Denzel utilizes a minimalist instrumental and toned-down flow on the first track, “SUPER SAIYAN SUPERMAN”, while “SWITCH IT UP” is backed by a haunting Ronny J & !llmind beat and possibly the most infectious hook on the entire project. “MAD I GOT IT” grapples with the major pitfalls of fame, specifically over-reliance from friends and acquaintances (“Really gonna hate when they can’t destroy you, Then expect the royal treatment, Talkin’ slick like it’s oil speakin”), societal expectations, and the ever-present role of the police and government. “SIRENS” is another clear highlight of the album, featuring a soft hook from viral star Billie Eilish and politically-motivated bars on unprovoked police brutality. J.I.D., one of my favorite up-and-coming artists, adds to the urgency of the track via an intricate feature referencing the “The Star Spangled Banner” (“Oh say can you see a hundred dead bodies in the street/Bite the dust early like double Sprite, and a R.I.P. tee”). I also have to admit the final track, “CLOUT COBAIN”, has grown on me greatly since release thanks to its hypnotic instrumental and hook (“Suicidal doors, call it Kurt Cobain, Suwu leather seats, like a bloody stain”).
The final and darkest act of TA1300 is in my opinion the clear standout of the three. Single “PERCS” is Denzel’s fervent dejection of current rap industry trends (e.g. Xanax, Percocets, false idolism) and a further affirmation of his unique place in the SoundCloud scene (“I should rap about some lean and my diamond cuts, Get suburban white kids to want to hang with us”). Hefted by unrelenting energy and beat reminiscent of a snake charmer’s pungi, I feel the track is bound to be a sleeper hit in years to come. The penultimate song on the album, “VENGEANCE”, is the hardest I’ve heard all year; exploding with raw ferocity due to bloodthirsty guest verses from JPEGMAFIA and Zillakami before switching up into a gorgeous outro (presumably a tribute to the late Florida rapper XXXTentacion). “BLACK METAL TERRORIST” closes out the project with an unadulterated flow from Curry reminiscent of his biggest career single “Ultimate”, filled with tyrannical lines on his continually underrated status in the rap game.
While Imperial and 32 Zel showcased the early talent and artistic identity of a South Florida rap scene newcomer, TA13OO emanates the feeling of unapologetic ambition towards something greater. Its easily the strongest hip-hop album of 2018 to date: demonstrating the inner workings of Curry’s psyche, enlisting a slew of memorable features, and juggling a myriad of styles in just over 40 minutes. And in the streaming-centric age of bloated mainstream projects like Scorpion and Culture II, we need to embrace artists who can create albums like TA13OO: a refined effort that puts sonic innovation and lyricism at the forefront.
