REVIEW: Playboi Carti - Die Lit
Playboi Carti, the 21 year old Atlanta rapper has yet again dropped another gem. Partnering with big names like Nicki Minaj, Lil Uzi Vert, and Travis Scott, Cardi has created another masterpiece.
But what makes this #3 Billboard 200 album with over 80 million streams so special? Allow me to explain the creativity and mindset of some of the many songs from the album.
Die Lit is a surreal direction for Atlanta’s trap movement, a sound which is undoubtedly dominating the airwaves & commercial charts worldwide. In this conceptual debut, Carti & Pi’erre Bourne bring an distinctive dynamic, delivering a uniquely innovative sound unheard from the duo before. It’s a party album unlike no other. The production, handled mostly in part by Pi’erre Bourne, is as experimental as it gets. There are no understatements in his style; this is abrasive, fully fledged trill-wave hip-hop that hits hard with swirling motions, melodic synths, and odd, off-key motifs layered throughout the album.
Accompanied with hypnotic hi-hat and snare patterns, it creates a circus of flare unlike any producer of his fame. Although there are few variations in the keys and the melodies on the album, Pi’erre makes it work. It creates an electrifying vibe of perpetual rhythms, each hit transitioning smoothly to the next.
The track 'Shootas' shows a definitive contrast of Uzi & Carti, both going back and forth with impressive bars, the beat is somewhat uplifting and joyful, which is rare from Carti. The two rappers have so far delivered endless collabs and have featured on each other’s albums and singles many times. Both Carti & Uzi are ahead of the game, yet they are absolute opposites to each other. In terms of how they deliver music they clearly play off each other’s energy and this resulting in endless masterpieces by the two for example 'Wokeuplikethis', 'Lookin', 'Break The Bank'.
While Pi’erre has created a complex & composed atmosphere to the album, the cut through is delivered with Carti's lyrical spirit. In Die Lit, Carti’s flair comes through with its simplicity. His unconventional repetition of words and phrases put the listener in a trance, a hypnotic rhyme scheme curating an addictive and disorientating listen. A great example of this is the track 'Love Hurts' in collab with Travis Scott. Both artist seem to project the same energy on the track and produce something I like to call Distortion Rap.
Playboi Carti uses this art to capture listeners with the easily recognised distortions in the beats, as well as hard hitting melodic choruses and a hint of repetition. The track is truly a masterpiece, and is all around banger to say the least. It’s a radical break of his own style, showcasing what Carti is capable of, and setting loose the distinguishable performance in his vocals. He’s honed the radiance in his voice, playing with pitch and his ad-libs; there’s a reliance on this reiteration that blends into the Bournes experimental sound, which creates a mosaic around Carti's voice, amalgamating Die Lits artistic vision.
This evolution in his creativity is what puts Carti apart from his contemporaries, with copycat rappers sure to follow suit. Carti doesn’t fallback on his previous project self titled 'Playboi Carti' with hit single 'Magnolia,' with this new album, In Fact he brings a brand new wave.
If you haven’t heard the album I highly recommend it. As always we look forward to hearing more from Carti as he visits New Zealand for his first ever international tour on 2nd June 2018.
- Sam Newstead
By tickets HERE.
Stream 'Die Lit' below.
https://open.spotify.com/album/7dAm8ShwJLFm9SaJ6Yc58O?si=ftdqHVLnSGeLBCzGZN6uIA