YoungBoy Never Broke Again

The young rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again happens to be one of the most prolific of 2018, releasing albums and mix tapes seemingly every couple of months, and while his latest work on Realer generally contains a hard hustlin’ attitude, the Louisianan also narrates with heartfelt sincerity, allowing us to feel for a thug whose tracks can just as often be provide a soundtrack for tears. For a myriad of reasons, folks turn to crime to survive, and while they may stay for the lifestyle, they wrestle with feelings which warrant attention, yet sadly are suppressed. And then there’s always ‘the fall’ to contend with. We root for this man because we know how easy it is for all to be taken away from him, either by the gun, or by the judicial system.

Sad reality music here recalls the tender moments expressed by 2Pac

Valuable Pain

YoungBoy Never Broke Again

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On tracks “Valuable Pain”, “Cross Me”, and “Survivor”, tender melodies and moments prevail, this melancholic content underscored by big boosts of bass. 2Pac’s ballad “Dear Mama” comes to mind – and even if Youngboy Never Broke Again shares little in common with Shakur’s voice and flow, the introspective spirit is intact, and the gift for oration showcased by the Baton Rouge rapper puts him in good company. Like contemporaries Kodak Black and Lil Boosie, YoungBoy is an ambassador for the lifestyle, and unafraid to be vulnerable on a track, in order to teach us folks in the suburbs the meaning of dealing with pain in the streets.

A schizophrenic style, proving it isn’t smart to cross a gangsta in his feelings

Slime Belief

YoungBoy Never Broke Again

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Within a single track, the vibe can bounce between love connection sentiments and payback promises, lending a schizophrenic quality to the whole album. Society on a whole may recognize that a man like this could use some therapy sessions, lest his unresolved abandonment issues boil over into a real bad day for any rival on the receiving end of YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s Beretta. On “Slime Belief”, he encapsulates all of this, rapping “when you left, I ain’t wanna live life / now I'm happy on the in and outside / can you make it better, trap out like Griselda.” He claims that when a personal relationship dies, he can always hustle like drug boss Griselda Blanco in order to boost his endorphins, even amidst the trials of the drug game.

Attention to beats goes hand in hand with the realest cuts on Realer

Big Talk

YoungBoy Never Broke Again

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In a non-standard way, “Cross Me” becomes a lament about disloyalty, as Youngboy Never Broke Again takes shots at his enemies on top of a beat and melody that sounds so much more like a break-up song. This illustrates the bonds that are broken all the time – and in moments where the rapper prefers to sing the hooks, it is all that much more personal. The classic beats on some of the tracks sell the sense of loss and regret, especially on the old shool “Play Wit Us”, the Bay Area slap of “Big Talk”, and the New Orleans bounce of “.38 heights”.