"KIRK" teases DaBaby's Potential
After exploding on to the scene in March with his debut album “Baby On Baby,” Charlotte rapper, DaBaby hopes to prove his staying power with the release of “KIRK.” DaBaby has been busy this year, recently hopping on remixes to Lizzo’s hit song “Truth Hurts” as well as Lil Nas X’s “Panini.” This all comes on the heals of DaBaby’s chart-topping hit “Suge” which peaked at number seven on the Billboard charts. It’s clear that DaBaby is a star, however, the lack of diversity he has shown us within his music worries me about his ability to maintain his place in Hip-Hop. DaBaby seems to have heard the doubts attempts to put them to bed on the single put out for “KIRK” titled “INTRO.” On this song, DaBaby tries some new flows on the hook and the second verse which sound promising to me. We’ll see if that experimental trend carries on into the rest of “KIRK.” Kevin Gates, Chance The Rapper Gucci Mane, YK Osiris, Nicki Minaj, Lil Baby, Moneybagg Yo, Stunna 4 Vegas, and the Migos all appear as features on this 13 track, 35-minute long album. Now without further ado, let’s get to the review!
Categories
The songs on this album divided into two lanes that are prevalent throughout the project and scored on a 1.5 scale. (0 = trash, .5 = not for me, 1 = good, 1.5 = a standout)
A Different Sound
DaBaby plays with his cadence flows and beat selection for a more versatile feel
• “INTRO” (1)
• “POP STAR” ft. Kevin Gates (1)
• “GOSPEL” ft. Chance The Rapper, Gucci Mane & YK Osiris (1.5)
• “iPHONE” with Nicki Minaj (1.5)
DaBaby On Baby
DaBaby demonstrates his rapping abilities creating a vibe similar to the vibe of his previous project “Baby on Baby”
• “OFF THE RIP” (1)
• “BOP” (.5)
• “VIBEZ” (.5)
• “TOES” ft. Lil Baby & Moneybagg Yo (1)
• “REALLY” ft. Stunna 4 Vegas (1)
• “PROLLY HEARD” (1)
• “RAW SHIT” ft. Migos (1)
• “THERE HE GO” (1.5)
• “XXL”(1)
Must Listen Songs
The concept of Must Listen songs are the songs that would give the best overview of the album as a whole. Songs that stand out for reasons to be described in the pending descriptions of the songs.
“GOSPEL” ft. Chance The Rapper, Gucci Mane & YK Osiris
Track six gives us a vibe that parts ways from the traditional turn up feel of a DaBaby song. Produced by Mantiz, 1st Class and JetsonMade, the feel of this beat is established by the church piano. DaBaby acknowledges the feel in the hook with his first line being, “This shit right here sound like some gospel.” The beat still has that intense bass from songs like “Baby Sitter” and “Suge,” however the vibe of the bass is overpowered by the piano. The YK Osiris and Chance the Rapper features add to the soulful feel of the song, and we all know Gucci Mane will skate on anything.
“iPHONE” with Nicki Minaj
Produced by SethInTheKitchen, the seventh track on this album mixes the trap sound, created by an intense bass and high tempo high hats typical of a DaBaby song with the pop-like feel of a Nicki Minaj song that established by the piano melody. This beat comes together like a perfect mix of both worlds. While Nicki does what she’s known to do by switching her flows and cadence at will, the story of this song is DaBaby showing the ability to do the same.
“THERE HE GO”
The penultimate track on DaBaby’s “KIRK,” produced by Dez Wright and London on da Track, is arguably the best beat on the whole album. The soft piano or harp-like melody under the loud high hat and clap melody immediately sucks you in until, wait a minute, the soft bass comes in to keep you locked in for all 2 minutes and 23 seconds of this track.
Final Review
DaBaby’s “KIRK” is an album that solidifies DaBaby’s spot in Hip-Hop while teasing a possible evolution of his music. Throughout the album, DaBaby stays on-brand with his fast-paced flows as well as his selection of beats that are dictated by the intensity and pace of the bass. These songs like, “OFF THE RIP” and “PROLLY HEARD” didn’t do much to answer any of my questions about DaBaby. We know DaBaby can rap, however, how versatile is he? Can he switch his cadence and vibe from song to song? What will prevent me from getting tired of DaBaby’s music? I got more of my answers from songs like “GOSPEL” featuring Chance The Rapper, Gucci Mane and YK Osiris and iPHONE” with Nicki Minaj. On these songs we hear DaBaby experiment with different beats as well as exploring his cadence, essentially trying to figure out what else he can do on wax. Overall, what I come away with from “KIRK” is DaBaby’s potential to become more versatile. However, his comfort level with his ability to rap fast over bass-driven beats can overpower his potential for growth.
Scoring
Raw Score: The number of good songs on a project versus the overall amount. Songs must have a 1 or above to be counted.
Quality Score: The total amount of points accumulated over the total amount of songs.
Playback value: The resonance an album is perceived to have if played again in full. Scale out of 5.
Raw Score: 11/13
Quality Score: 13.5/13
Playback Value: 3/5
Go out and listen to DaBaby’s “KIRK” wherever you listen to your music. Also, don’t forget to check out OldMilk’s Instagram page and Twitter (@Oldmilk_co) for more Hip-Hop Album Reviews, The DJ 500K Playlist, The OldMilk Radar and more! Don’t Know it? OldMilk Does!
