Mic Navarro's Corner: Rae Sremmurd - Sremm Life ALBUM REVIEW

It's a fact that many of us hip hop fans prefer more..."real hip hop". Dope lyrics, dope production and plenty of originality and creativity. But while we want our hip hop to be more serious, shouldn't we find the time to just listen to more fun hip hop and enjoy ourselves? To dance, have a good time and everything. There are plenty of rappers in the game today that know how to get the party started. Meet Rae Sremmurd. Let me make a little comparison. Remember Kid-N-Play? Some of you much, much younger fans may only know them from the House Party movies. But back in the day they were one of hip hop's most entertaining and fun groups. With their party songs and their cool dance moves. Kriss Kross was another duo like that too (the guys that made "Jump" you know them). Rae Sremmurd looks to be the 2015 version of them The group is made up of Swae Lee and Slim Jimmy. Brothers from Mississippi. 2014 was a big year for the two. They arguably had the biggest club record of the year in "No Flex Zone". Which was followed by the just as popular "No Type". Well after dominating the clubs in 2014 with just two songs, 2015 starts with them finally dropping their debut after a year long wait. This their debut album Sremm Life. Now before even listening to this I pretty much knew was I was about to get into. I was not expecting dope lyrics, I was not expecting dope production, originality or creativity. I pretty much expected the worst when it came to those credentials. All I was expecting was an album full of party singles with catchy hooks...and that's exactly what I got. This album is nothing really but one big club/party mix of songs. Full of trap inspired production (courtesy of Mike Will Made-It mostly), twerking anthems, and celebrating the life of fame. Flaunting and what not. Basically, what you hear on "No Flex Zone" and "No Type" is what you hear on this entire album. That said, here's the break down:

1. Lit Like Bic (intro)

Like I said in the introduction, Mike Will Made-It pretty much saves this album from complete disaster with his production. It starts here. This is your common trunk bumping production with plenty of trap inspired bass. Lyrically of course there's nothing worth quoting. Just the two being braggadocios and cocky. This is cool if you feel like blowing a fuse in your car speakers.

2. Unlock The Swag (featuring Jace of Two-9)

If there is one word that has been completely overused and worn out, it is swag. This song quickly reminded me how much I hate that word. Their repetitive use of it on the hook gave me a serious migraine. Their flow on this slow paced beat was just as bad as the hook. Jace's guest verse, while it wasn't nothing special, was lyrically dope compared to the brothers. This is a song overall that I like to pretend I never heard.

3. No Flex Zone

Well...there's not much I have to say about this. Y'all already know. Without a doubt 2014's biggest club/party song. The sheer catchiness of the hook and the beat started a flex zone movement. From creative "flexing" dance moves, to t-shirts, to Internet memes and so on. The remix with Nicki Minaj is probably better seeing as how that was one of her best verses last year. Overall this is a fun song to geek out to at parties but I don't want to hear it anywhere else.

4. My X

As of late, rappers have really enjoyed making a songs about "old hoes" they used to be involved with. Here's another one. They're pretty much bragging to the chick about how big and famous they are and how rich they are now after they split up with the chick. Making her look stupid for leaving. But again, they bring nothing lyrically, the hook is more repetitive madness and is another song saved by production. Props to Young Chop. Production wise this is one for the whip. If only you could turn down the vocals though...

5. This Could Be Us

So...after just talking about their "old hoes", laughing at them and "shining on them", they activate their simp mode here and now want to start wifing chicks. I don't understand why some rappers switch back and forth like this. But anyway, I don't like this either. Sounds like a desperate attempt at a decent love song that they want to become a single. Just cause you take a popular Internet meme phrase and make it a lovey dovey track doesn't guarantee likes fellas. Not even Mike-Will Made-It could save this one. Not all love songs sound good over trap inspired beats. This one made it's way to the recycle bin quickly too.

6. Come Get Her

Okay...so we went from "shining on ex's", to wanting to wife them up, to now showing love for strippers. Boy you can tell these dudes are barely legal. They so confused when it comes to women. The one thing that makes this song laughable is the hook. It sounds like Slim Jimmy (I think that's who it is. Can't tell the difference) is actually trying to sing. At this point in the album, singing is the last thing I want to hear from them. Can't do this song either.

7. Up Like Trump

Here's yet another song saved by production. Thank you Sonny Digital. The beat has a bounce to it that I think the twerkers will love. But again, they ain't talking about nothing at all. Just bragging. This song is for the most part forgettable as well.

8. Throw Sum Mo (featuring Nicki Minaj and Young Thug)

Well...would you believe the first song that actually sounds half way decent is the one with notable guest features. It has a very catchy tune and a rhythm that twerkers will love as well. Mike Will Made-It comes through again. Nick is only on the hook, which was alright. But then Young Thug, even he sounds lyrically superior to Slim Jimmy and Swae Lee...okay maybe not. Still, this song is tolerable to say the least. This most likely will be the next single if it isn't already.

9. YNO (featuring Big Sean)

This has one of those slower, almost chopped and screwed sounding trap beats that a lot of people love. They might like this one too. The title is an acronym for "young niggas on" and it's once again they are flaunting and bragging. Man you would think these dudes were billionaires the way the brag. Then Big Sean dropped his lyrical level to theirs with some off the wall corny lines: "and I got dough, that shit is stashed in the crib/and it won't leave the house like it's fucking DGiornio". Beat is cool and that's pretty much it.

10. No Type

Their second single from 2014 that was just as big as "No Flex Zone". Again y'all know about this so I don't need to say much. However I gotta agree with what a lot of people say about the hook. The first time I heard this and I heard him say "I don't got no type/bad bitches is the only thing that I like", I laughed hysterically. He tells us he has no type then proceeds to tell us his type. But whatever, they're young. It happens. I do prefer "No Flex Zone" over this though.

11. Safe Sex Pey Checks

Prior to hearing this I thought to myself that maybe they might do something creative with a song topic. With the whole "safe sex" thing and all. Considering how this album sounds up to this point I have no idea why I thought that. This is just another party record with another decent Mike Will beat just like the others. Talking about getting drunk, partying and getting money. I'm not even gonna mention how they tried to flip the hook of Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" into something about drinking. Again, cool for parties, but not for my car, laptop, or phone.

In closing, if you need music for your next party or just feel like dancing and having fun, this is the album for you. If you looking for lyrics, solid production and dope concepts, delete this album right now. Production is what carried this album for a lot of songs which for some artists, is not a good thing. I give this a final grade of a D+. Despite the grade, I can't really rip on this album like that. Rae Sremmurd are still very young and are gonna make the kind of music people in their age group (16-20) will like. They will definitely like this no doubt about it. But for someone like me and others like me, it does nothing unless I'm out at the club. Are they the new Kid-N-Play? Or the new Kriss Kross? Perhaps. We'll see how far the flaunting and the "flexing" gets them. End.

Lyrics: D+

Production: C+

Collaboration: D+

Originality: E

Concept(s): D-

Final Grade: D+