The Daily Spin, January 24
Denzel Curry | TA13OO
Welcome back to the Daily Spin, the series in which I review 365 albums during 2023.
Each album will be given a rating on a scale from 0 to 10. You can look at the entire set here.
If you want to suggest an album, good news! You can do so right here!
Album: TA13OO (2018)
Artist: Denzel Curry
Link:
Carol City’s own Denzel Curry takes TA13OO as an opportunity to legitimize his name as one greater than the somewhat tepid implications of his history as a ‘SoundCloud’ rapper - less so one who uploads their music to SoundCloud and more someone who embodies much of the music uploaded to SoundCloud - vicious hooks, violent lyrics, and a penchant for wordplay and witticism that has propelled some of the stars of the genre to the forefront of the hip-hop and rap scenes.
Curry sets himself apart with TA13OO, though - TABOO stylized, as all his song titles here are (for ease, I’ll just be using the standardized names) - oscillating from funny and profane to somber and serious with the flick of a switch, flying over both the jubilant and the hard moments of youth and growing up.
Particularly strong moments include his supporting cast, with whom Curry allows himself to fly a little freer, be a little bouncier and extravagant. SIRENS features quick-spitter JID, while VENGEANCE, my personal favorite off the record, is a rage-fueled three-way between Curry, JPEGMAFIA, and ZillaKami.
Though it doesn’t all hit, the authenticity of Curry’s lyrics and showmanship make this, at the very base, an incredibly fun record to check out.
Rating: 7.5/10
Best Tracks: VENGEANCE; BLACK BALLOONS, SIRENS
Worst Tracks: CASH MANIAC