Memphis Rapper and Yo Gotti signee Moneybagg Yo has been a staple of the Memphis Hip-Hop scene since his 2016 major label debut Federal Reloaded, standing out by making use of his booming delivery, signature memphis trap sound, and unparalleled work ethic.
A Gangsta’s Pain is his 16th commercial release in less than five years. Moneybagg Yo’s expansive discography has undeniably shown his progression as an artist, but it has also led to some material sounding rushed or re-hashed. Moneybagg Yo is undeniably good at making hard-hitting, sinister trap music, but most artists so deep into their careers have seen more development, especially conceptually and lyrically.
This record strikes a relatively compelling balance between what Moneybagg Yo is known for and concepts aside from trap/gangster rap on this record, with varying success. Some tracks, like “Wockesha” land authentically and genuinely, while other tracks, like “Hard For The Next” fall flat when Moneybagg Yo reaches outside of his range, both vocally and conceptually.
The highlights of this record are excellent. “Wockesha” shows Moneybagg’s pen game at its peak, with imagery-loaded lyricism comparing opioid addiction to a toxic relationship while addressing the implication of his newfound wealth on both. On “Just Say Det,” Moneybagg Yo’s delivery is on point. The skeletal but hard hitting drums compliment the arpeggiated piano melody; this song serves as a well made example of the state of trap music in 2021. “FR” sees Moneybagg Yo reflecting on his past over a cinematic but still punchy instrumental with some smooth speedy flows. The closer and title track is also solid, featuring more tight flows and a more melodic, relaxed energy with a catchy chorus.
The less compelling aspects of this record hold it back, however. Like many modern Hip-Hop records, this album suffers from a bloated tracklist designed to take advantage of streaming algorithms. And while I enjoy Moneybagg Yo’s brand of smooth Memphis trap, I don’t find the material on this record varied enough to justify the 22 track, 52 minute run time.
Many of the uninteresting tracks on this record are filler–oftentimes suffering from redundant production and repetitive topics–but not all of them are. A few tracks on this project leave me scratching my head, like “Free Promo”, a relaxed melodic cut with high profile features from Chicago artists Lil Durk and Polo G and a solid, if mediocre performance from Moneybagg Yo. This track feels primed for the radio until the last leg of the song, when Moneybagg Yo’s vocals are cut off and the track sharply transitions to a grating and displeasurable guitar solo, effectively destroying the replay value.
Another sticking point for me was “Hate it Here,” a very short song featuring a dreary, sleepy delivery, some particularly poor lyricism, and a derivative and generic piano instrumental. Another flaw of this record relates to Moneybagg Yo’s singing, which is passable most of the time, decent sometimes, and downright mumbly and off key other times. On tracks like “One Of Dem Nights” Moneybagg’s singing is laughably bad, especially next to Jhené Aiko, whose vocals are tight, shimmery and exquisite.
This record ends up feeling like more of a letdown than it should, because while Moneybagg Yo’s best material is present on this record in spades, it isn’t allowed to shine in a tracklist stacked with streaming fodder, poorly fleshed out ideas, and poor singing. If this record were condensed to the best 11 or 12 tracks and some of the ideas were better realized, it could be a truly brilliant showcase of what Moneybagg Yo and the Memphis Hip-Hop scene in general has to offer. Unfortunately, in its current state, my enjoyment of this record was hampered by the poor execution of certain ideas and the gratuitous tracklist.
5/10.
MOOSE PRINTS 
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