A year after impressing music lovers with his second album The GOAT last year, Polo G returned in 2021 with the goal of reaching new heights for his third project. That body of work would be Hall Of Fame and it became his first No. 1 album while giving him his first No. 1 song as well with “Rapstar.” Months after that project arrived, Polo G breathed new life into it with a deluxe reissue titled Hall Of Fame 2.0. It presented 14 additional songs including “Unapologetic” with NLE Choppa which he just released a new video for.
In the new visual, the two rappers flaunt their harsh and unforgiving demeanors backed by hard-hitting raps which they deliver in dark alleyways followed by scenes of cars burning rubber under the night sky. Polo G shared the new video just a couple of weeks after he delivered visuals for “Fortnight” and “Young N Dumb.” The track also marks Polo G and NLE Choppa’s second collaboration this year as they previously joined forces for “Jumpin’.”
As for NLE Choppa, he’s gearing up to drop his next body of work, Me Vs. Me, at the top of the year. It’ll mark his first project since his 2020 debut Top Shotta.
You can watch the video for “Unapologetic” with NLE Choppa above.
Hall Of Fame 2.0 is out now via Columbia Records. Get it here.
NLE Choppa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Very few artists in hip-hop have had as good a year as Polo G. The 22-year-old Chicagoan released his latest studio album, Hall Of Fame 2.0, his third in as many years, building on the momentum from his first two well-received albums, Die A Legend and The Goat. That momentum paid off in a big way: Hall Of Fame yielded the rapper’s first No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 chart as well as his first-ever No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 chart with album single “Rapstar.”
This past new music Friday, he doubled down on this success with the release of the almost inevitable deluxe edition of the album, Hall Of Fame 2.0. And while I have issues with this trend as a whole, as Hall Of Fame 2.0 is likely the last one of the year, I think it demonstrates something about Polo G that explains how he’s been able to become so dominant so quickly and remain so consistent since — his strategic thinking.
While most artists never seem to have much discernible logic behind their deluxe follow-ups to their albums, Polo’s release seems intentional. It’s become customary to release as many as 20 new songs under the auspices of an existing release up to a year after the original, which is a tactic with both pros (juicing those streaming stats) and cons (you really could just release an EP or mixtape and save the marketing budget for your next full-length).
However, Polo drops his at the very tail end of the year, where it can garner more attention in a less saturated market and function as an unofficial victory lap, reminding fans of his accomplishments in 2021 while setting up his springboard for the coming year. The 14 new tracks fit with the original set; Polo is firmly in his comfort zone here, and only the heads-up single, “Bad Man (Smooth Criminal)” pushes any boundaries with its unexpected Michael Jackson sample.
Likewise, the album’s features stick largely to Polo’s established wheelhouse; we hear him again collaborate with his compatriots Lil Baby and Lil Tjay, and he taps generational peer NLE Choppa, as well as Choppa’s fellow Memphian Moneybagg Yo. The subject matter remains as chilling as ever, with morose recollections of fallen friends and fatalistic threats steeped in the real-life violence of Chicago’s rougher neighborhoods. Especially effective is “Young N Dumb,” a somber salute to homies that have passed on.
What sets Polo apart from the glut of similar acts is the sharpness of his pen; he writes rhymes like a veteran backpacker, clumping together clusters of multisyllabic rhyming patterns that still value narrative and imagery over wordplay — of which there’s still plenty. He’s probably one of the most complete rappers his generation has produced so far, which makes his ascension all the more impressive.
But it’s that strategic mindset that is his true attribute and why he has avoided the pitfalls that have tripped up so many predecessors and peers. He stays out of drama; you’ll almost never see him on the news for getting into it with haters or “opps” (he dodged charges in Miami for allegedly fighting with police) he used his rap money to buy his mom a house rather than an ostentatious display of wealth, he has released music on a consistent schedule, and when he does indulge in trends like putting out a deluxe reissue rather than a new album, he makes it worth fans’ while and ensures the release stands on its own.
Even naming it Hall Of Fame 2.0 makes it feel like a separate project, even if it is ultimately an extension of the original. I even wondered whether the timing was planned out to give him enough leeway to take a break, live some life and build some distance between him and the trauma that marks his first three releases so he can stylistically evolve for his fourth full-length. It would keep with his overall strategic mindset, which suggests that his future will live up to the goals he’s set with each of his album’s titles.
Hall Of Fame 2.0 is out now via Columbia Records. You can stream it here.
The tracklist and cover for Juice WRLD’s second posthumous album Fighting Demons have arrived, revealing a surprising feature for the prolific Chicago rapper. In addition to expected features from Juice’s peers, Polo G and Trippie Redd, a member of the K-Pop world makes an appearance: BTS member Suga, who will appear on the track “Girl Of My Dreams.” Rounding out the guestlist are Justin Bieber, on the previously released “Wandered To LA,” and Eminem, with whom Juice previously collaborated on “Godzilla” from Eminem’s 2020 album Music To Be Murdered By.
The news of Suga’s appearance is already drawing significant buzz among K-pop fan circles as the genre edges closer to the American mainstream — mainly by high-profile collaborations with other US rappers like Megan Thee Stallion and Juice, and other pop acts which are already popular here, such as Coldplay. “Butter,” BTS’ collaboration with Megan, hit no. 1 on the Hot 100 and has become a staple of this year’s live televised performances. Likewise, “My Universe” with Coldplay has also become a huge hit, contributing to the overall visibility of the international group.
Meanwhile, the collab could help Juice to another posthumous No. 1 debut after his prior 2020 release, Legends Never Die, became one of the most commercially successful posthumous releases ever, hanging onto the top spot for two weeks.
Fighting Demons is out 12/10 via Interscope.
Last week, Polo G breathed new life into his third album Hall Of Fame by releasing its deluxe edition, Hall Of Fame 2.0, which added 14 new songs to the project’s original’s 20. Today, Polo G returns with a video for one of the new additions, “Fortnight.” It finds him relishing in all the lavish aspects of his life, beginning with him purchasing a brand new Lamborghini with cash, then bringing it to his mansion to show off a boatload of money, all while Polo and his friend flex their rich statuses.
Polo G began the campaign for Hall Of Fame 2.0 with the single “Bad Man (Smooth Criminal),” and its accompanying video, before dropping off the reissue, which boasts features from Lil Baby, Moneybagg Yo, Yungliv, NLE Choppa, and Lil Tjay. The new cast joined artists like Young Thug, Roddy Ricch, Lil Durk, Nicki Minaj, and more, who appeared on the album’s original version. Shortly after he released the deluxe, Polo dropped off a video for “Young N Dumb,” a somber affair in which he honored the friends he’s lost.
You can watch the video for “Fortnight” above.
Hall Of Fame 2.0 is out now via Columbia Records. Get it here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
In June this year, Polo G earned his first-ever no. 1 album with Hall Of Fame, his third studio album featuring appearances from The Kid Laroi, Lil Wayne, Roddy Ricch, Young Thug, and more. Today, a little under six months later, he’s followed up with the deluxe edition, Hall Of Fame 2.0, looking to extend the shelf life of his hit album through the end of the year.
To mark the release, he’s also dropped the Ryan Lynch-directed video for “Young N Dumb,” one of the 14 new tracks that appear on the deluxe edition. In the video, Polo and his crew visit fallen friends at the cemetery and share an introspective walk on the beach.
Along with “Young N Dumb,” the new version of the album also includes the Michael Jackson-sampling “Bad Man (Smooth Criminal)” and the NLE Choppa-featuring “Jumpin.” The new tracks also include appearances from Lil Baby, Lil Tjay, Moneybagg Yo, and YungLiV, marking reunions for Polo with both Lil Baby, with whom he released “3 Headed Goat” last year alongside Lil Durk, and Lil Tjay, who appeared on Polo’s breakout 2019 single “Pop Out.”
Watch Polo G’s “Young N Dumb” video above.
Hall Of Fame 2.0 is out now via Columbia Records. You can stream it here.
