Album Review: Migos - Young Rich Ni$$a$ 2
By Van Williams, Contributor
[YRN; 2016]
Rating 3.5/5
Key Tracks: “Commando,” “Hate It Or Love It,” “Chapter 1”
Migos began their rise to fame in 2013 after the release of “Versace,” which went viral and reached number 99 on the Billboard 200 chart. After two mixtapes, a full length record, and plenty of media buzz, they are back in full form on 2016’s Young Rich Ni$$a$ 2.
The record starts off with “Intro,” which provides a brief preview of the dirty southern hip-hop with which the listener will soon be practically assaulted. The album hits hard with heavy beats, raunchy lyrical content and a level of production one would come to expect from a Migos record, until the fifth track “Commando,” which is fast, witty and well crafted, while still holding onto its trap accessibility.
As the album continues on, it becomes evident that although it’s good, it’s something that has been done before. Migos have already put out most of this material in some way, shape or form. Despite this, it doesn’t lose appeal because people who listen to Migos know what they’re getting themselves into. It’s a heavy Atlanta trap album with plenty of bangers, but as far as a hip-hop album goes there are plenty of holes to be found here. Luckily, keeping the album afloat is the solid production, courtesy of Zaytoven, Dun Deal and Wheezy Beats, just to name a few.
The real highlight of the album, though, is found at the tail end with “Hate It Or Love It” and “Chapter 1.” This is a double edged sword, however. On the one hand, the listener might find themselves wondering why the whole album hasn’t been this precise, compact, and full of such high quality hip-hop. On the other side of that same coin, the listener can rest easy feeling some sense of closure, the album being wrapped up so cleanly. It feels as though Migos put a bow on at the end, just to make it seem like this wasn’t just a mixtape, it was a full-fledged album. In the end, this is a release that could be expected from Migos, nothing more, nothing less.
