News / / 22.04.14

YG

My Krazy Life (CTE World / Def Jam Recordings)

17/20

When Compton rapper YG dropped Toot It and Boot It four years ago, we shrugged, faced with another easily dismissible party rapper. It wasn’t until last year when You Broke – his collaboration with Nipsey Hustle – hit that it became apparent he had some serious potential. Now, the DJ Mustard cohort’s debut My Krazy Life – yes, that’s Krazy with a K – has arrived.

The Rich Homie Quan-led, tight trap anthem My Nigga has been doing the rounds for a while, and it still sounds as good as ever. The album’s bonus edition ends with the track’s remix, featuring Cash Money affiliates Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj, who deliver some of the record’s tightest verses. The Cash Money/CTE World crossover isn’t the only surprising hook up on My Krazy Life though, and it’s certainly not the most important.

I Just Wanna Party sees former Crip Schoolboy Q take the mic for a verse alongside YG, who happens to be a member of the Bloods. The track has also got one of the best hooks on the record and opens with DJ Mustard’s bouncy, 70s funk influenced bass stabs before his machine gun beats drop. The downside of My Krazy Life comes in the form of the narrative interludes. It’s great that YG is trying to inject some humour into an inherently sinister genre but it’s more than slightly reminiscent of our least favourite bits on the Marshall Mathers LP, and just feels a little strained. But despite these mishaps, YG has delivered what’s probably the best rap record of 2014 so far.

 

– – – – – – – – – –

Words: Billy Black

CONNECT TO CRACK