Metro Boomin’s “Heroes & Villains” Finishes As 2023’s Most Streamed Rap Album: Report

Metro Boomin reportedly had the most streamed rap album of 2023 with his project, Heroes & Villains, according to OurGenerationMusic. The album earned 3.3 Billion streams on Spotify, making it the only hip-hop effort to cross the 3 billion mark. He dropped it as his second studio album on December 2, 2022.

Heroes & Villains was a star-studded release for Metro with features from John Legend, Future, Chris Brown, Don Toliver, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Young Thug, the Weeknd, ASAP Rocky, Takeoff, and Gunna, among others. It debuted atop the US Billboard 200, with 185,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, marking Metro’s third time doing so.

Read More: Metro Boomin “Heroes & Villains” Album Review

Metro Boomin & Future Attend Paris Fashion Week

PARIS, FRANCE – JANUARY 17: (L-R) Producer Metro Boomin and Rapper Future aka Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn attend the “YSL Beauty Hotel” event during Paris Fashion Week Menswear Fall/Winter 2018-2019 on January 17, 2018, in Paris, France. (Photo by Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images for YSL Beaute)

Looking forward to 2024, Metro Boomin is hoping to continue his success after the new year. He has a long-awaited collaborative project with Future slated for release and recently teased another effort with Zaytoven as well. For the latter, he revealed on Twitter, earlier this week: “Me and @zaytovenbeatz probably got 100 [three flame emojis] beats by now. I got on here to ask you guys what artist should we do a tape with first but now I’m thinking maybe it should be a compilation tape of various artists over these masterpieces!” He added in a subsequent post: “The sound of these beats me and @zaytovenbeatz make together are so unique like nothing my ears have ever heard before. I think we need a name as a production duo.. any ideas?”

Metro Boomin’s “Heroes & Villains” Dominated 2023

 
 
 
 
 
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He doesn’t have a release date for either project, but Future confirmed that their project is “on the way” in a post on December 23. Metro has also revealed that he and Zaytoven have a track with Future ready to go. Be on the lookout for further updates on Metro Boomin on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Metro Boomin Teases Zaytoven Collaborative Project, Asks Fans For Name Ideas

[Via]

The post Metro Boomin’s “Heroes & Villains” Finishes As 2023’s Most Streamed Rap Album: Report appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Do Drake & Metro Boomin Have Beef?

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Metro Boomin has had a stellar year so far. Since the release of his second studio album Heroes & Villains a year ago (December 2), the prolific producer has soundtracked one of the year’s biggest superhero movies, created alongside the incarcerated Young Thug, and even performed with a symphony orchestra.

But, as with many ambitious artists, even that hasn’t been enough for him — and unfortunately, his aspirations have put him into conflict with one of his equally successful peers. Fans are convinced that Metro has beef with Drake after the producer tweeted his frustration at Heroes & Villains being overshadowed by Drake’s 2022 album with 21 Savage, Her Loss. “Her Loss still keeps winning rap album of the year over H&V,” he wrote in response to a conversation about the disparity between the two albums’ streaming totals. “Proof that awards shows are just politics and not for me. [I don’t care] about awards honestly, the true award and reward is knowing that the music I spend so much time on brings joy to peoples everyday lives.”

While it’s unclear just which “rap album of the year” nod Metro is referring to (several publications had already posted their “Best Albums of 2023” lists at the time of the now-deleted tweet), a recent post on Drake’s Instagram Story was interpreted as a response. Posting a clip from Jay-Z’s 2001 Blueprint standout “Heart Of The City (Ain’t No Love),” Drake higlighted one line in particular. “Damn, little mans, I’m just trying to do me,” Jay raps. “If the record’s two mil, I’m just trying to move three.”

Does this consitute beef, per se? Not in my book (or Biggie’s, or Yasiin Bey’s, for that matter), but y’all like to see people argue on Twitter. Have fun with that. Meanwhile, Uproxx’s Best Albums of 2023 list is out now, so maybe you’ll get even more intenret play fights to keep you entertained.

Drake May Have Responded To Metro Boomin’s “Her Loss” Comments

Drake and Metro Boomin are two artists up for a Grammy in the rap album of the year category. Overall, this is thanks to the albums Her Loss and Heroes & Villains. Interestingly enough, these are two albums that contain a healthy dose of 21 Savage. That said, there is no telling who is going to win the award this year. It could very well go to Travis Scott for Utopia. However, it could also go to someone like Nas. No matter what, it is crystal clear that there is going to be a big reaction to whoever wins.

Interestingly enough, Metro Boomin had a lot to say over the weekend as it pertains to the race against Drake. After a hip-hop Twitter account revealed how Heroes & Villains is outstreaming Drake, Metro said “Yet Her Loss keeps winning rap album of the year over H&V.” He went on to say that he isn’t a fan of awards shows and that he maintains his love for his album. “Proof that award shows are just politics and not for me,” Metro said. “Idc about awards honestly, the true award and REWARD is knowing that the music I spend so much time on brings joy to people’s everyday lives.”

Read More: What Is Drake’s Best-Selling Album?

Drake Claps Back?

Drake

Eventually, Metro deleted his tweet. However, Drake still managed to seemingly get a reply in. In the Instagram story screenshot above, you can see that he quoted “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love) by Jay-Z. Damn. little mans, I’m just tryin’ to do me/ If the record’s two mil, I’m just tryin’ to move three,” his caption reads. It is not clear if this is actually a shot at Metro. However, the timing of it is definitely a bit suspicious. Either way, it is interesting to see Metro be so openly against Her Loss considering his previous work with Drizzy.

What do you think of this situation? Let us know, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will always be sure to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists.

Read More: Drake’s “Honestly, Nevermind” Certified Platinum

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Metro Boomin Returns to Coachella Weekend 2 with More ‘Heroes & Villains’

Metro Boomin Returns to Coachella Weekend 2 with More 'Heroes & Villains'

Over the weekend, Metro Boomin performed on the Coachella stage for the second time while completely covered in Chrome Hearts. He was joined by a distinguished cast of new and returning ‘heroes and villains’ to close off night two of the festival.

The Weeknd, Future, Don Toliver, and Offset appeared to the Sahara Tent in full force to sing their Metro-produced finest and latest hits, as well as tracks from the superhero producer’s most recent album and other tunes. A ballad of classics by The Weeknd was performed, including the recently released Metro Boomin-executive produced the song “Double Fantasy (with Future)”. Along with his huge discography, Metro gave listeners access to timeless trap songs like “Ric Flair Drip,” “Bad and Boujee,” “Waves,” “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1,” and others.

HEROES & VILLAINS, which was released last fall, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, Top Rap Albums Chart, and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart, giving him his third consecutive number-one position on each of the aforementioned charts. It also produced over 2.5 billion streams and counting, surpassing 185K in total first-week consumption, which was his biggest seven-day total to date.

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Metro Boomin Shocks Coachella Crowd With Special Guests & Unreleased Music

Metro Boomin’s Coachella set might go down as one of the festival’s very best this year, and for good reason. Moreover, the star producer brought on Mike Dean to play keys, John Legend to sing, and a whole host of musicians to play the trumpets, strings, or other instruments to embellish his excellent performances of tracks from his latest acclaimed album HEROES & VILLAINS. However, don’t think that he just played the songs for a crowd; he actually brought out almost all his album’s guests. Future graced the stage first, followed by great moments from Don Toliver, 21 Savage, The Weeknd, and even Diddy for the “Creepin” remix.

Also, given how well put-together that album already is, the transitions in between songs fit seamlessly even if they weren’t album tracks. Of course, Metro’s talent came through in his great mixing to take fans from cut to cut. In addition to his guests, he also played the song “Metro Spider” to call once again for Young Thug’s freedom. Overall, it was an incredible set. With high energy, classics galore, a refreshing and engaging visual component with comic books and dramatic art, and a spoken Coachella-specific intro from Morgan Freeman to boot, Metro Boomin did not play around.

Metro Boomin Gives A Stunning Coachella Show

On top of all of that, he also played some unreleased material with The Weeknd, who was by far the most surprising guest. After all, he could’ve easily been the headlining slot himself at the festival, and to see such a huge star show love during a producer set is a testament to Metro Boomin’s status, respect, and sheer talent in the game. If you’re interested in his setlist, check out the full breakdown below plus some performance highlights. Also, stick around on HNHH for the latest news and updates on the one and only Metro Boomin.

Setlist & Highlights

  1. On Time ft. John Legend
  2. Superhero (Heroes & Villains) ft. Future
  3. Thought It Was a Drought ft. Future
  4. Serve the Base ft. Future
  5. Wicked ft. Future
  6. Digital Dash ft. Future
  7. Mask Off ft. Future
  8. Metro Spider
  9. Can’t Save You ft. Future & Don Toliver
  10. Too Many Nights ft. Don Toliver
  11. Around Me ft. Don Toliver
  12. Runnin ft. 21 Savage
  13. Bank Account ft. 21 Savage
  14. No Heart ft. 21 Savage
  15. 10 Freaky Girls ft. 21 Savage
  16. Umbrella ft. 21 Savage
  17. Knife Talk ft. 21 Savage
  18. Faith / Escape From LA ft. The Weeknd
  19. Heartless ft. The Weeknd
  20. Low Life ft. The Weeknd & Future
  21. Double Fantasy ft. The Weeknd (Unreleased)
  22. Creepin Remix ft. The Weeknd, 21 Savage, & P. Diddy

Diddy Hops On Metro Boomin’s “Creepin” Ft. 21 Savage & The Weeknd For The Official Remix

Diddy’s return to music appears to be imminent, especially now that he’s joined Metro Boomin for the official remix to “Creepin’.” Over the past few years, Diddy’s expressed a strong desire to get back to his R&B roots. He launched a record label, Love Records, and delivered a handful of singles, but it seems likely that we’ll see him deliver some bars on his next project, too. This week, he returned to the fold as he gave Metro a verse for his latest hit record which also includes The Weeknd and 21 Savage.

It’s a full circle moment as Metro Boomin sampled Mario Winans “I Don’t Wanna Know” for the remix, which Diddy features on. This time, he taps into Puffy Daddy with ad-libs that scatter across the sample before eventually laying down a verse of his own. Diddy breathes his billionaire status throughout the record with vivid reflections of yacht sailing with City Girls. Though The Weeknd and 21 Savage’s verses remain the same, Diddy spruces up the record with his presence.

Metro Boomin Calls Diddy For The Remix

Metro Boomin’s latest single has already seen incredible success before the remix with Diddy. As Heroes & Villains debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, “Creepin” has had a strong presence in the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song peaked at #3 on the chart while maintaining its spot within the top 10 since its release. Perhaps Metro Boomin’s inclusion of Diddy will help the song finally hit that top spot.

Besides his appearance on Metro’s hit record, Diddy has some major plans in the works. As Paramount Global looks to sell BET, reports emerged of Puffy’s interest in buying the network. He later confirmed the news in a tweet, explaining that he’d like to buy BET to begin building a “Black-owned global media powerhouse,” on top of Revolt TV. We’ll keep you posted on any more information on that. For now, check out Metro Boomin’s “Creepin” remix with Diddy, 21 Savage, and The Weeknd above. 

Quotable Lyrics
Never lie to you, life ain’t perfect, we just live it
Fuck what they say we did, we just did it
I’m the DeLeón sipper, bad bitch getter
With the top down screamin’ out “Fuck them ni***as”

Metro Boomin Details Process Working With Young Thug

Metro Boomin detailed his process for working with Young Thug during a recent appearance on the Full Send Podcast. The Heroes & Villains producer says they would take new records to local clubs to observe the reactions.

“Man, me and [Young] Thug used to do songs and like, soon as we get done doing it, like this is when we still had CDs, I would burn a CD on the computer and we would go to the club and would take it to the DJ like, ‘Yo, let’s go hear this and see what’s going on,’” Metro Boomin said. “And watch everybody’s reaction, you know, vibe out, throw some money and get everybody hype.”

HOUSTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 17: Metro Boomin performs in concert during the inaugural Astroworld Festival at NRG Park on November 17, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)

Two collaborations with Young Thug ended up on Metro Boomin’s new album, Heros & Villians. They include the Travis Scott-assisted, “Trance,” and “Metro Spider.” The album peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 while moving 185,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.

While their two new tracks are out now, Young Thug and Metro Boomin weren’t able to do their usual process of testing them out. Thug is currently awaiting trial for a RICO case that is set to begin next month. His YSL partner, Gunna, agreed to a plea deal with the prosecution, last week. He’s since been released from jail.

Looking ahead, Metro Boomin is set to contribute to the soundtrack to the highly anticipated film, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. He confirmed the news in a post on Instagram, last week. The movie will hit theaters on June 2, 2023.

Check out Metro Boomin’s appearance on the Full Send Podcast below.

[Via]

Metro Boomin’s “Heroes & Villains” First Week Sales Are In

Metro Boomin came through clutch this year, ending the year on a high note with the release of Heroes & Villains. The St. Louis producer kept most of the project under wraps until its release. He didn’t drop a single, just a few social media posts and a short film to kick off the campaign.

Nonetheless, Metro proved that the wait was evidently worth it. Throughout the past week, first-week sales projections for Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains increased. Industry forecasters initially projected that Heroes & Villains would move upwards of 150K in its first week. Then, those numbers increased by nearly 30K.

rtNEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 30: Metro Boomin speaks onstage during “Metro Boom” New York Screening & Listening Event on November 30, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

Billboard confirmed Metro Boomin sold 185K in his first week, topping the charts with Heroes & Villains. The producer earned his third chart-topper with his latest project, which includes star-studded appearances. John Legend, The Weeknd, Future, Chris Brown, A$AP Rocky, Young Thug, Gunna, and more appear across the 15-song tracklist.

Following the release of Heroes & Villains, Metro followed it up just days later with the Heroes Version. The re-release included the original 15 songs and the instrumental version.

Prior to this, Metro hit the top of the Billboard 200 with 2020’s Savage Mode II alongside 21 Savage. His first #1 album was his debut album, NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES.

The road to the release of Heroes & Villains didn’t come without delay. Though Metro Boomin hinted at the project’s release for a minute, he announced in late October that he wouldn’t drop on November 4th, as initially planned. Due to the number of samples used, he explained that he faced trouble clearing certain songs.

In related news, A$AP Rocky recently said that he worked closely with Metro Boomin on his next studio album, Don’t Be Dumb. During a recent interview with GQ, the Harlem rapper explained that he and Metro locked in a few records together that will likely end up on his project.

“I’m gonna put it to you like this: This next album needs to be just called Flacko Boomin, you hear me?” he said. “Most artists wanna make [collabs just because they’re hot]. For us, it’s like, that’s really my n***a.”

Metro Boomin Soars To His Third No. 1 Album With ‘Heroes & Villains’

Metro Boomin is finishing 2022 with a bang. The acclaimed producer dropped Heroes & Villains, his sophomore solo album, on December 2 after a bit of a false start. Metro Boomin compared the 15-track project to Dr. Dre’s 2001 as the latest GQ Hype cover star. But unlike 2001, Heroes & Villains is a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

According to Billboard, Heroes & Villains debuts at No. 1 on the chart dated December 17, with Metro Boomin’s biggest week of his career at 185,000 equivalent US album units in its first week. It marks Metro Boomin’s third career No. 1 album, following in the footsteps of its 2018 predecessor Not All Heroes Wear Capes and the 2020 collaborative album Savage Mode II with 21 Savage.

Heroes & Villains dethrones Taylor Swift’s Midnights, which has five nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 to its name. Midnights moves to No. 2 (143,000 equivalent units), and the top five is rounded out by Drake and 21 Savage’s Her Loss at No. 3 (78,000), Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti (55,000) at No. 4, and Michael Bublé’s Christmas at No. 5 (54,000).

Metro Boomin pulled out all the stops for the Heroes & Villains. The track list features John Legend, Future, Chris Brown, Don Toliver, Travis Scott, Young Thug, Gunna, 21 Savage, The Weeknd, Mustafa, and a posthumous verse from Takeoff.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Metro Boomin “Heroes & Villains” Album Review

Hip-hop’s obsession with grading, categorizing, and sweeping statements can be as burdensome as it is flattering, especially when the consensus is that you’re one of the finest in your field. 

As soon as you’re dubbed the “greatest” of an era, time frame, or particular movement, the pressure that this accolade exerts is immense. Suddenly, great is no longer good enough and slip-ups are all but unfathomable to those who believe you have the recipe to make seminal music with every outing. Saddled with this kind of pressure, it’s understandable that many people will wilt. Coupled with the decreasing hunger and tenacity that comes with success, gaining such a degree of reverence too soon can actually be destructive. Suddenly, you’re operating from a vastly different airspace than the one in which you initially thrived. Yet for those who can never lose sight of how and why they embarked on their creative journey in the first place, the added sense of occasion that’s hard-wired into every body of work is anything but demotivating.

In the case of Metro Boomin, the fact that he’s been assigned such subtitles as “the most trusted guy in rap” and the defining producer of a generation since his early 20’s has done nothing to deter him from seeking to continually deliver work that is not only of the highest standard but quite literally alters perceptions of what is sonically possible within his own universe.

A man who leads with the heartening ideology of Why would I wanna do something that I did?, Metro Boomin isn’t a producer who’d off-handedly release any product to the world in order to flood the market. After all, this is a guy who’d already obtained a platinum-selling solo project by age 25 with Not All Heroes Wear Capes. Perhaps, most impressively of all, this is the very same St. Louis-born man who besieged ATL to the extent that his sound practically became the thudding heartbeat of its music scene. 

ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 02: Metro Boomin attends Metro Boomin “Heros & Villains” Official Album release Party on December 2, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)

So, while it’s fair to say that Metro has very little to prove at this point and could coast by making beats from time-to-time, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have the desire to create and realize his own vision in long form. Five years on from his debut standalone project and two years after the release of Savage Mode II, Metro’s latest record, Heroes & Villains is inherently bittersweet and was almost derailed entirely by the tragic death of his mother. Suddenly bereft of his biggest supporter, a talk with his aunt reaffirmed his faith in the power of music. 

“[She] was just like, ‘Everything you’re feeling right now, you could channel that”, Metro Boomin recalled her telling him. “That’s when a lot of the most impactful art and music has ever been made.’”

The result was Heroes & Villains. Although it was made under the all-encompassing shadow of sorrow, it’s safe to say that Metro followed a proud hip-hop tradition of turning tragedy into triumph on this blockbuster, tour-de-force of a project. 

Metro Boomin is best known for his contributions to the world of trap, but his a persistent desire for him to push his sound in recent years has done its part to prevent any stagnation. “As the ambassador-representative of what’s going on, I look at it like a real responsibility,” he recently informed GQ. It’s no exaggeration to say that he certainly lived up to that manifesto with his production across the project. 

Opening with “On Time”, the magnanimous tones of A$AP Rocky signal Metro’s re-entry into our solar system. Built on exultant vocal harmonies as John Legend plays the lead in his very own choir, a sample of a speech from embattled Homelander of The Boys speaks to the duality of man that resides at the heart of the project. 

Lines such as “you need me to save you, I am the only one who possibly can” not only speaks to the gravity of Metro returning as a conquering hero but acts as a symbolic nod to the ingenuity that he brings to the game. He may relish the power that he wields yet knows that what he does is for the greater good of hip-hop’s creative climate.

Segueing with style to spare into the Pluto-led “Superhero”, its 808s and intimidatingly distorted horns permit Future to float like he’s been catapulted back to the days of DS2. 

It’s clear that phoning it in couldn’t have been further from Metro’s mind. Across Heroes & Villains near 50-minute runtime, Metro maximizes the efficacy of every hi-hat and recurring synth motif without ever making them outstay their welcome. Aside from what he’s physically doing behind the boards, the project is also the site of Metro pushing artists into new terrain in one instance, while providing a sleek new take on their trademark style in the very next breath. 

For Travis Scott, “Raindrops” invokes the psychedelically-subdued cloud-rap sound of his Rodeo days, before “Trance” sees him and Thugger do battle with poignant violin stabs. The pulsating four-on-the-floor beat on “Trance” forces La Flame to edge closer to the work of frequent Daft Punk collaborator Romanthony on the outro than anything we’ve heard from him in the past. 

Elsewhere, the reverberating, poised piano of “Umbrella” gives 21 Savage the chance to resummon the macabre energy of the Savage Mode team-up, alongside a highly complimentary verse from his cousin Young Nudy. By no means is this 21’s only guest appearance but it’s a testament to the mutual respect and trust that the two have in each other. Metro Boomin later crafts a foreboding soundscape for 21 to unabashedly flex on with “Walk Em Down (Don’t Kill Civilians) — accented with the mournful vocals of Mustafa — that will live on as one of the project’s surefire defining moments. 

Metro expertly aligns The Weeknd’s pained, transcendent vocals with Mario Winan’s “I Don’t Wanna Know” and the famed sample of Enya’s “Boadicea” that gave The Fugees one of their biggest hits on “Creepin.” He opts to keep the integrity, sparseness, and ambiance of the original R&B classic while updating it for a new generation, a welcomed surprise that left every listener pleasantly dumbfounded on the first listen. At the same time, 21 pushes himself out of the austere street storytelling into a place of vulnerability which is not only thrilling to witness but hard to imagine him undertaking for anyone else but his close collaborator. 

Metro Boomin’s capacity to coax greatness out of his core acts is well known, but it’s still encouraging to see that he hasn’t lost his knack for tampering with an artist’s DNA as if they were born to be on his beats. Among the typically exhilarating turns from his tried-and-tested platoon of talent, Don Toliver is one man who seizes every moment that he has on the project. So, when it came time to take the lead on the mesmeric, spacious world of “Around Me,” it’s no surprise that he brought his A-game and continued to steadily switch up as the beat evolved. 

Metro’s trunk-rattling production and infectious refrains make his approach clear on the project. Any track could conceivably be a single, but the album is just as thrilling in its linear setting. Where many producer albums are intended to be fragmented, Metro was set on sequencing and sustaining a vibe that eventually brings listeners to a crescendo. 

INDIO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 16: 21 Savage and Metro Boomin perform at the Sahara Tent at 2022 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival weekend 1 – day 2 on April 16, 2022 in Indio, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Coachella)

In recent interviews, he has claimed that the project was modeled by Dr. Dre’s 2001. The similarities register in both the production’s cinematic gravity to the tight-knit crew of collaborators that make up the album. However, one critique that’s been leveled at the album is that he should’ve incorporated some newer talents into the roster. But, to make this argument is ultimately to overlook the thematic underpinning of the project. Heroes & Villains is devised in much of the same way as a movie, complete with its protagonists & antagonists. The features on the project act more like an ensemble cast rather than a random assortment of names picked from a hat.

Naturally, many of the all-stars of his career are accounted for. Future, 21 Savage, and Young Thug are essentially his de facto Avengers or Justice League. Meanwhile, Travis Scott, Don Toliver (who Metro has claimed is akin to the Nate Dogg of the project) & ASAP Rocky are the newer recruits to his crack team, appearing as if from another franchise entirely. 

On the subject of Jeffery, his delivery over the thunderous “Metro Spider” is almost unrivaled across the project. A track that features one of his most fired-up verses in years can’t be anything other than heartbreaking to hear Thug proclaim, “If anything happens, my kids got Ms so everything’s alright.”

But while the rappers naturally take a lot of the limelight, they aren’t the only ones who are allowed to stunt with their versatility and technical know-how. Case in point, the seamless transition from “Metro Spider” to “Can’t Save You” with Future & Don Toliver is one that shows the length & breadth of Metro’s imagination. Then, the scintillating guitar strains of “Lock On Me” with Trav and Future prove that he’s finding ways to work within the existing confines of trap without rehashing what’s been done before. It’s these moments that reaffirm that there’s just nobody doing it like Metro. 

As forward-thinking as the project is, it no less ends on a nostalgic, almost dewy-eyed note. Metro leads “Feel The Fiyaaah” through a deft re-envisioning of an old Peabo Bryson joint á la pink polo Kanye. Meanwhile, Flacko’s opening verse is authoritative without ever threatening to overwhelm the instrumental nor detract attention from the man whose moment this really is. It’s almost fitting that Takeoff’s first posthumous track is one that shows off his exemplary and often overlooked rhyming ability in all its glory. Though he was initially slated to be on three tracks on the album before his untimely passing, the late, great Rocket Man enlists an alphabetical flow and propulsive pattern on “Feel The Fiyaaah” that would have MF DOOM or Grand Puba tipping their caps to his dazzling wordplay. 

On his sophomore solo project, Metro Boomin and his all-star cast make it clear that the hero is back to reinvigorate trap music. And what’s more, he did it in style. A project which delivered on all of its promise and pomp & circumstance, its consistency and replay value certainly won’t slow down the GOAT producer calls, either. If anything, this is an album that has sufficient range and consistent quality that will undoubtedly intensify them.