On March 14, rapper Playboi Carti dropped his long-awaited album, “I Am Music,” featuring 30 songs. Fans waited for almost five years after his previous album, “Whole Lotta Red,” was released in December 2020.
The new album has received a variety of reactions, some positive and others brutally negative. However, we believe that this album has many upsides that deserve praise
The first song in the album, titled “POP OUT,” leads the album with a chaotic and misleading start. Even for a Carti song, the track’s chaotic sounds feels too experimental, with Carti deviating from his normal vocals, pushing the boundaries of his music too far. Fortunately, this bad start does not last.
One of the most popular songs on the album is “EVIL J0RDAN.” Many knew this song before it was officially released on the album as it was leaked near the beginning of 2024, but Carti has made some changes since then. He tweaked the intro, adding sound effects that many considered corny and unnecessary. We like the song on the album, but we still prefer the unreleased version.
Another highlight of the album is “PHILLY,” which features Travis Scott and shows more of Carti’s typical style than the rest of the album. Although it feels like Travis overshadows Carti in this song, it’s still one of the best tracks on the album.
Our personal favorite song on the album is “Rather Lie,” which features an amazing chorus sung by The Weeknd, as well as Carti’s great complementing rap to him.
Kendrick Lamar has parts in three songs: “Mojo Jojo” and “Good Credit” as well as “Backd00r,” which features both Kendrick and Jhené Aiko. His roles on “Mojo Jojo” and “Backd00r” are more on the ad-lib side, which have been heavily criticized online for being unnecessary. His feature on “Good Credit” is much better. However, it is more similar in style to his most recent album.
Although “Backd00r” has been criticized online for Kendrick’s unnecessary feature, we think it makes this track great. The beat and the chorus are strong and, for our money, it’s one the the best songs on the album.
The other notable artists whom Carti had on his album include Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug and Ty Dolla $ign. Future’s feature on “TRIM,” a fast-paced, high-energy song, is a memorable listen, highlighting both artists’ strengths. Young Thug is featured on “WE NEED ALL DA VIBES” along with Ty Dolla $ign. The song deviates from Carti’s usual style, shifting to a more clean production compared to Carti’s usual chaotic sound, but it serves as a great return for Young Thug.
Lil Uzi Vert makes an appearance on “TWIN TRIM” and “Jumpin.’” On “TWIN TRIM,” Uzi shines, singing most of the song, but we think his part drowns out Carti’s. “Jumpin” is a dynamic 92-second song, with both artists shining in their individual verses.
Another good song is “Olympian,” a single that brings out more of Carti’s old flows from albums like “Whole Lotta Red”, “Die Lit” and “Playboi Carti.” Its catchy beat and lyrics are highlights of the album.
The rest of the album is more experimental, with Carti trying out different sounds and beats compared to his older music. Many fans are complaining the album wasn’t worth the 5-year wait, but we disagree. The album features many good tracks along with a few misses, and it contains several memorable features. It maintains some of Carti’s signature sounds while also adding some new, refreshing ones. We rate this album a 3.75 out of 5 falcons.
