Gunna keeps the trap torch alive.
This past Friday, Georgia-based rapper, Gunna released his latest album, “Drip or Drown 2” as a sequel to his “Drip or Drown” EP in 2017. “Drip or Drown 2” comes as Gunna’s fifth release since his debut mixtape, “Drip Season” in 2016. Last year, Gunna signed to Young Thug‘s YSL label.
With “Drip or Drown 2” we get the Gunna that we’ve come to know and enjoy. All tracks feature spacey, trap instrumentals with thick bass that keeps the energy of the beats flowing smoothly from track to track. Gunna continuously rides these beats with his melodic verses.
Songs like “Richard Millie Plain” showcase Gunna’s ability to place those verses over the beat. The song carries an ethereal sound to it while also keeping it grounded with a guitar sample that Gunna rides off of.
Another highlight is found in “3 Headed Snake” featuring Young Thug. Gunna and Young Thug go back and forth carrying a consistent high-energy vibe. Young Thug provides a lyrical gem with the line “Jeepers creepers, the gators got measles, shit” that is so absurd you can’t help but enjoy it.
The album closes with “Who You Foolin,” which uses a sample that sounds straight out of feudal Japan. This track does a great job of finishing the album on a high note.
While “Drip or Drown 2” has its highlights, it still has it shortcomings as well. While Gunna has cornered the upbeat trap sound, he still struggles having variety with that sound. The beats are all well-produced and Gunna rides them well, but in a 16-song project, Gunna fails to keep the attention of the listener.
The beats on “Drip or Drown 2” carry the same vibe and while that’s not inherently negative, they do not each carry that vibe in a way that consistently brings something new to the table.
Gunna himself is victim to the same issue. Gunna’s vocal inflection hardly ever shifts. He is consistently neutral in his delivery, and while sometimes it works perfectly for him, there are other times where becomes tired.
The times where we do see a shift in Gunna’s energy within his vocals are usually a result of a featured artist on the track bringing a higher energy that Gunna has to match to keep the song consistent.
If I were to listen to each song on this album as individual tracks and not grouped together as a whole in a project, I would probably enjoy each song a lot more. Gunna carries a great energy, but a 48-minute listen of an almost unchanging sound desensitizes those listening to that energy when it sounds so consistently the same.
Overall, “Drip or Drown 2” is far from a bad project. If you were a fan of Gunna before this album, you will most likely love it. If you weren’t a fan of Gunna before or if this is your introduction to him, you will likely be very on the fence with the project as a whole, but will probably find a good three or four songs to keep in your rotation.
Score: 6/10
Favorite track: “3 Headed Snake (feat. Young Thug)”
Least favorite track: “Idk Why”
Miles Parrish can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @parrishm20.
