When one thinks of Atlanta Trap music, a few names come to mind. Young Thug, Future, and Metro Boomin are all artists that most Hip Hop fans would say are synonymous with Atlanta Trap music because of their massive impact on the genre over the years. There is an artist other than these three who I think embodies the Atlanta Trap sound and overall demeanor as well as if not more than anyone, and that is 21 Savage. Everything about 21 Savage feels like it is in unison with the Atlanta Trap music mentality. From his cold lyrics to his bold sound and gruff vocals, 21 Savage bleeds Atlanta Trap. One of the coolest things about 21 Savage is how it feels like he has significantly improved as a rapper and overall Hip Hop artist as his career has progressed. When he first emerged in the early 2010s, I thought he was quirky and his flow was very catchy, but some of his songs felt mundane and lazy sometimes. As the years have gone on, 21 Savage has massively expanded his artistry and has improved in every facet. His flow got crisper, his lyrics became more important, and his instrumentals got more diverse and complex. The last few years have seen 21 Savage catapult into Hip Hop superstardom. His album I Am>I Was was his first to debut on top of the Billboard Hot 100, and it cemented him as one of the biggest rappers in Trap music. In the 2020s, he has had multiple great collaborations with Drake, showing that he can make more than just rough Trap music. 21 Savage has also become a premiere feature artist in the 2020s, with his verses massively improving a multiple of hits in recent history. 21 Savage recently released his third studio album, which is titled american dream. This album is also considered to be a soundtrack album for a new biopic about 21 Savage coming out later this year with the same name(which I am excited to watch). Here is how I feel about 21 Savage’s new album american dream. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from american dream, and also comment on how you feel about the project as a whole.
american dream starts with the title track, an introduction piece spoken by 21 Savage’s mom Heather Joseph. In this monologue, which is delivered over an angelic and symphonic instrumental, Heather Joseph speaks about how her song embodies the idea of the American dream. She speaks of her son’s rags-to-riches story, and how the hardships they went through turned him into the ultra-successful man he is today. ‘american dream’ is a sweet opener that begins the album on an empathetic note. The end of ‘american dream’ transitions perfectly into ‘all of me.’ The instrumental for this track stems from a sample taken from the song ‘Wishing on a Star’ by Rose Royce. The melody that stems from this sample is soulful yet somber. It takes the warmth and light feeling of the original track and makes it feel cold and dark. The beat that accompanies this melody is tough and punchy, contrasting the melody’s softer nature. 21 Savage’s delivery of this song is not exceptional, but it is very solid. His silky flow fits into the feeling of the melody nicely, aiding in the song’s overall lullaby-esque feeling. On ‘all of me,’ 21 Savage opens up about some of the tragedies that have happened in his life, letting the listener into his mind and letting them see a more serious and introspective side to him. ‘redrum’ is a track that has quickly emerged as a fan favorite from this record. This song has a sound that I would have never expected to hear from 21 Savage. To be honest, I did not know he had this in his repertoire. The instrumental for this track is so cool and weird; it honestly reminds me of the kind of intricate instrumental I would expect to hear from underground rappers like El-P or Atmosphere. The melody for this track is driven by a sample from the song ‘Serenata do adeus’ by Antonio Carlos Jobim. The way this sample is flipped gives the song a menacing feeling. It is cool how he can take a lovely melody like that and make it almost scary. The drums on this song are pretty upbeat, adding to the anxiety of the melody. ‘redrum’ is the kind of song that shows 21 Savage has unlimited range to the kinds of instrumentals he can rap on because of how smooth and poignant his flow is. 21 Savage’s delivery on this track adds to its looming energy. On ‘redrum,’ 21 Savage is discussing all of the murders he has seen. He is stating he is as hard as any gangster and has been involved in the deaths of many people. ‘n.h.i.e.,’ which features Doja Cat, is another song with a sound that I would not have thought I was going to hear from 21 Savage. This song has a sweet and delightful R&B Trap that sounds like something I would expect to hear on a Doja Cat album instead of a 21 Savage one. From what I have read, this song was actually meant for Doja Cat’s album Scarlet, but it was left off the tracklist so 21 Savage scooped it up. I am glad he did because I could see this song being a sleeper hit. This instrumental is atmospheric and cozy, and it makes me feel like I am floating when I hear it. Both Doja Cat and 21 Savage deliver excellent performances on ‘n.h.i.e.’ Their chemistry is palpable, and they both match the pleasant feeling of the instrumental with their deliveries. On ‘n.h.i.e.’,’ 21 Savage and Doja Cat rap about how they will always stand by their convictions and will not back down from what they believe in.
‘sneaky’ is the first track on the record that has a sound that one would expect to hear from 21 Savage. It has the kind of downtrodden and low melody and beat that he became famous for rapping on. The melody for this song is very simple yet heavy. The melody is driven by four synth notes with a foreboding sound that is layered and distorted in a way to make the song extra intimidating. The drums for this song are semi-upbeat, adding to the uneasy feeling of the melody. 21 Savage raps with the kind of sing-songy and level flow he is known for, further making this song feel like one of his classic tracks. On ‘sneaky,’ 21 Savage is rapping about women in his life that he hooks up with frequently and secretly. ‘pop ur shit,’ which features Young Thug and Metro Boomin, is the second song in a row with a sound one would expect to hear from 21 Savage. Like the previous track, the instrumental for this one is simple yet menacing. It’s kind of amazing how uncomfortable this instrumental can make one feel considering how non-complex it is. The melody for this track is so downtrodden, and the beat gives the song an enormous feeling. Unfortunately, as good as the instrumental is, the vocal performances are a bit underwhelming. I feel like 21 Savage and Young Thug could have gone so much harder to match the energy of the instrumental. They do not sound bad and do not diminish the track too much, but I know this one could have been more impactful. On ‘pop ur shit,’ 21 Savage and Young Thug flaunt their accomplishments and accolades, telling the world how great they are. 21 Savage comes out of left field with ‘letter to my brudda,’ again going with a sound I never would have expected to hear from him. This track has a “Chipmunk Soul” feeling that is reminiscent of the early 2000s; when I hear this instrumental, which is driven by a heartfelt, pitched-up vocal sample, it makes me think of the music Kanye became popular for on albums like The College Dropout and Last Registration. 21 Savage sounds so natural on this classic instrumental. His even-keeled flow fits the Soulful feeling of the instrumental, and the timbre in his voice gives the song energy. In ‘letter to my brudda,’ 21 Savage seeks atonement for some of the mistakes he has made, acknowledging the adversity that he went through turned him into the man he is today. ‘dangerous’ is the second song on the album where it almost feels like 21 Savage was meant to be the feature. Similar to ‘n.h.i.e.’ did with Doja Cat, ‘dangerous’ sounds more like a Lil Durk song to me than a 21 Savage one. This does not take away from the quality of the song. ‘dangerous’ has the kind of somber and heavy sound one would expect to hear on a great Lil Durk track. As much as the instrumental makes the song like a Lil Durk track, I have to say 21 Savage sounds great on this one. He raps with a vicious style that sounds so nice on this melancholy instrumental. Unsurprisingly, Lil Durk also sounds excellent on this track, as his larger-than-life persona shines through. On ‘dangerous,’ 21 Savage and Lil Durk are rapping about how the hardships they have gone through have turned them into cold-blooded and vicious killers.
If one were to tell me to listen to a song by 21 Savage, Travis Scott, and Metro Boomin, I would never imagine it would sound like ‘née-nah.’ I don’t even know what to compare the instrumental for this song to. The thing it feels the most similar to are the sparse sort of instrumentals made popular by The Neptunes and Clipse in the early 2000s. Unlike those tracks, though, ‘née-nah,’ has a chilly and dark Trap bassline that drives the beat, making this instrumental feel modern. Neither Travis Scott nor 21 Savage rap with a flow or vocal style that one would necessarily expect from them, but they both sound great. Both rappers adapt to this odd and cool instrumental, making the song hit so hard. On ‘née-nah,’ Travis Scott and 21 Savage rap about the Trap life, describing all of the crazy situations they have gotten into. ‘see the real’ is an additional song where 21 Savage goes in a totally different direction than what anyone would expect to hear from him. This track is the most impressive veer away from his typical sound so far in my opinion, because of how he adjusts his vocal style. ‘see the real’ has a sweet Pop-Trap sound which has a very warm and light feeling to its instrumental. 21 Savage actually sing-raps throughout most of this track, matching the feathery and pleasant nature of the instrumental. ‘see the real’ has a very fun feeling to it that makes me think it could end up being a club banger and mega-hit. ‘see the real’ has a sound that is completely the opposite from what its lyricism entails. On ‘see the real,’ 21 Savage raps about how the people around him will ride or die for him and that they will shoot first. 21 Savage shows his adaptability again on the track ‘prove it,’ which features Summer Walker. As with some of the other tracks with features, this one has an instrumental that sounds more like something I would anticipate from the feature rather than 21 Savage himself. ‘prove it’ has an instrumental driven by a soulful, whimsical sample with a Gospel feeling to it; it has the kind of cozy R&B Trap feeling that I Summer Walker is known for. Despite this instrumental feeling like it was meant for Summer Walker, 21 Savage coasts on this instrumental, as his soft and smooth flow matches the feeling of the instrumental perfectly. Predictably, Summer Walker also sounds awesome on this instrumental, as her sultry tone truly brings ‘prove it’ full circle. On, ‘prove it,’ 21 Savage and Summer Walker are talking about a relationship with someone that they have become infatuated with. ‘should’ve worn a bonnet,’ which features Brent Faiyaz, is the major highlight from this album for me. This track is so good that it honestly can pull up opinions on the rest of the record; it is the kind of track that can make one think of this whole album with a high level of fondness because of the impact it has. This is a laid-back R&B Trap track with an old-school feeling to it. The way the drums are arranged on this track seems to fuse 1990s Boom-Bap music and modern Drill music; the way these drums sit on this easy-going and bright melody gives the song so much positive and bright energy that I adore. Both of the vocal performances on this track are great, but Brent Faiyaz truly steals the show. His crisp and full tone contrasts 21 Savage’s vocals in such a cool way and gives the song a level of vitality that takes its quality over the top. On ‘should’ve worn a bonnet,’ 21 Savage and Brent Faiyaz are talking about nasty breakups with their significant other and how they deal with the pain from these situations.
‘just like me,’ which features Burna Boy and Metro Boomin, is another song that is a major highlight for me from this album. Like so many other tracks on this album, this track has an instrumental that I would never have expected to hear from 21 Savage. This song has an instrumental that seems to fuse old-school R&B music, Afro-Pop, and Gospel Trap. This instrumental is extremely intricate and complex, and it works out so well; this track has a joyous energy to it that will motivate anyone who hears it. As with the song before it, 21 Savage’s performance on ‘just like me’ is solid, but the real stand-out on the song is his feature. Burna Boy’s performances on this track are so cozy and brilliant, and it takes ‘just like me’ over the top. On ‘just like me,’ 21 Savage and Burna Boy are talking about a significant other who stayed with them and helped them up when they were going through the worst moments in their lives. ‘red sky’ is an additional track that is emerging as a fan favorite from this album. Although I do not think it is on the level of the two songs that precede it, I can see why some people feel this way. ‘red sky’ may have the largest and epic feeling out of anything on this record. It is driven by a desolate and weighty instrumental that hits the listener in the chest when it comes on. The melody, which comes from a vocal bit performed by singer Mikky Ekko, gives the song an epic feeling that the beat matches. This track has the kind of vast sound that makes me think of the Trap music made popular by artists like Rick Ross in the early 2010s. 21 Savage’s performance on this track is just as strong as the instrumental; he adds to the overall gigantic feeling of the song with his flow and timbre. On ‘red sky,’ 21 Savage reflects on the successes he has had in his career and calls out all of his haters for talking about him. 21 Savage closes out american dream with ‘dark days,’ which features Mariah The Scientist. Like so many tracks on this album, this one has a sound that I did not think I would hear from 21 Savage. In fact, there is nothing about this one that even resembles Trap music. Whereas pretty much every other song does have Trap elements to the beat, this one has a calmer beat that makes me think of early 2000s East Coast Hip Hop when I hear it. I could imagine hearing rappers like Fabolous or Jadakiss rapping on this sort of instrumental back in the day. ‘dark days’ has the kind of relaxed, melodic instrumental those rappers were known for when they were popular. 21 Savage sounds super natural on this beat, so much so that I would love to hear him make more music with this style in the future. Mariah The Scientist’s dainty and hearty vocals make the song so balmy and pleasant. ‘dark days’ is a song that I feel may be getting overlooked now, but may also end up being one of the biggest songs from the record in a couple of years. On ‘dark days,’ Mariah The Scientist and 21 Savage talk about coping with the struggles they have gone through and how they have to cope with these struggles to be happy with their success. This is a heartfelt way to end this record that I appreciate a ton.
I feel like at this point when it comes to 21 Savage, we mostly know what we are going to get. One of the main criticisms of 21 Savage throughout his career is the lack of variance in the way he raps. If you expected him to change up his flow and overall vocal style in major ways on american dream, you are just not going to get that. I am impressed, however, by the way that 21 Savage took risks in the styles of instrumentals he chose on this record. He has proven in his features over the last couple of years that he can adjust his rapping style to any kind of instrumental and expands his artistry more than ever before in that way on american dream. I also enjoy how 21 Savage opened up more than ever on this record, letting listeners into his mind and letting them learn about him in ways he has not before. american dream is not the most innovative or riveting Trap album I have heard, but it is a high-quality record with a lot to love. 21 Savage is definitely excellent at what he is known for, and he proves that on american dream while taking more chances than ever with the instrumentals he chose.
EAST SIDE VIBES 