One of the things I love about a new Hip Hop artist the most is when they have their own distinctive sound and style. In a genre where artists are constantly taking direct inspiration from each other and trends are dominant, it is cool when someone comes along who is noticeably extremely different. GloRilla is an artist that fits into this mold perfectly. Everything about her music and overall charisma stands out. She is the kind of rapper who others will want to replicate because she is such a unique individual. GloRilla burst onto the scene a couple of years ago when her iconic hit single ‘F.N.F’ went viral in 2022. From the very beginning, it was clear that there was no one like her and that she was going to stick out and induce a reaction out of people(which could be positive or negative). Following her debut hit single, GloRilla immediately tried to capitalize on her newfound success, dropping her EP Anyways, Life’s Great… near the end of 2022. This EP was well received by Hip Hop fans, and it spawned the virality of another single from GloRilla: ‘Tomorrow 2,’ which features Cardi B. After taking it slow in 2023 by doing a few dope features(especially her feature on Moneybagg Yo’s ‘On What You On’) and dropping a couple of one-off singles GloRilla is back in a big way in 2024. She already has another viral single in ‘Yeah Glo!’ which came out earlier this year, but she has now just dropped a new mixtape called Ehhthang Ehhthang that is starting to do numbers. This project can assert her as someone who needs to be paid attention to in Hip Hop and can catapult her to stardom if it is successful. Here is how I feel about this new mixtape from GloRilla. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from Ehhthang Ehhthang, and also comment on how you feel about it as a whole. 

GloRilla gets Ehhthang Ehhthang going with the aforementioned lead single, which I would say is easily one of the best songs of 2024. ‘Yeah, Glo!’ has been in my rotation daily since the first time I heard it. Everything about this track is awesome. The instrumental feels influenced by old-school Memphis Trap music by artists like Three 6 Mafia, but it has a mix that makes it feel fresh and fit right into the style of Memphis Trap that is big in 2024. This beat is huge and so fun to listen to. GloRilla’s rap performance is excellent on ‘Yeah Glo!’ Her tone and flow fit the aggression of the instrumental perfectly, and the song is full of catchy lines(like the iconic “Cuban on Cuban” bar) that make the track so catchy. ‘Yeah, Glo!’ is a statement that I am certain will continue to be one of the best songs from 2024 as the year progresses. ‘All Dere,’ which features Moneybagg Yo, brings back together what might be one of the best rap duos in music right now. Moneybagg Yo and GloRilla have undeniable chemistry in their music that shines through whenever they make music together. The instrumental for ‘All Dere’ will get anyone out of their seat and moving around when it comes on. This is an upbeat R&B Trap song with an enormous sound that is dark and fun. Both GloRilla and Moneybagg Yo are awesome on this track. They both enhance the energy of the instrumental and make ‘All Dere’ such an entertaining track that I am sure will turn into a club banger. ‘All Dere’ is a song that has smash hits written all over it. I have to say,  GloRilla definitely goes three for three with the track ‘Nun of Dem.’ The instrumental for this song is not nearly as intricate or complicated sounding as the first two, but it may be even more catchy and riveting. This song does not really even have a melody. Instead, it is dominated by a punchy bassline that varies in tempo with rapid snares and hi-hats that have an almost anxious element to them. GloRilla’s vocal performance on this track is just as great as it is on the first two. The only semblance of a melody on ‘Nun of Dem’ comes from some singing vocals provided by GloRilla which give the song a bit of texture and variance. ‘Nun of Dem’ is a sparse banger where GloRilla shines as a vocalist and rapper while showing some versatility. We go from a relatively simple instrumental to a way more complicated-sounding one in ‘No Bih.’ This is the most heavy and harsh song of the project to this point. It has a vast and daunting melody and an equally prominent beat. It feels heavily inspired by the Chicago Drill music that I know GloRilla loves. There is something about this one that just doesn’t grab me as much as the first three songs do. It might literally be because of how large this instrumental is. I feel like GloRilla is almost drowned out on ‘No Bih.’ The best elements of this mixtape so far have been the vocals from GloRilla, so anything that takes away from this being the focus kind of brings the song down a bit. The instrumental for ‘No Bih’ is not bad in any way; in fact, for what it is worth, it is pretty good. GloRilla’s rap performance on ‘No Bih’ is also solid, and does contain a soundbite(the epic “ain’t no bitch in me!” line) that I can see ending up going viral. I do think ‘No Bih’ could be a little more impactful with a not-as-maximal beat or a more unruly rap performance. 

‘Wanna Be’ with Megan Thee Stallion is a song that is already taking the internet by storm, and it is not difficult to see why. ‘Wanna Be’ has smash hit written all over it, and it could end up being another song of the year candidate for GloRilla(which is obviously saying a lot). The song is driven by a sample from another iconic track that will still get any club jumping: the melody for ‘Wanna Be’ is pretty much the same one we hear in Soulja Boi’s song ‘Pretty Boy Swag.’ The beat for this GloRilla version of the track is even harder than the original track. Everything about this track is bigger, from the bells that drive the melody to the pounding bass, hi-hats, and snares that drive the beat. GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion both kill it on this track, with Megan Thee Stallion especially shining. Meg excels on ‘Wanna Be’ with flow, tone, and attitude, taking this already awesome song to the next level. ‘Wanna Be’ is the second song from this record I am certain will be seen as a staple in club Hip Hop music for years to come. ‘Opp Shit’ is probably the most underwhelming song of the project so far. Although this song is not bad, like ‘No Bih,’ it does not pull me in like the other four songs do. I would say the instrumental and the delivery from GloRilla are more engaging on ‘No Bih’ than they are on ‘Opp Shit.’ That song may not be the most captivating, but it is not boring. Unfortunately, I can not say the same for ‘Opp Shit.’ The instrumental for this one is just not super engaging. The melody is mundane, and the beat is not very striking. GloRilla’s vocal performance is okay on this track(her flow is smooth and her tone is mean enough), but it also does not compare to the better moments on this record. ‘Opp Shit’ fits well into this album as well as its unkind sound goes, but it is just not super engaging for me. GloRilla switches up the sound and color of the record a bit with the song ‘Aite,’ which features Kevo Muney. The instrumental for this track has the energy of the Melodic Trap music that Youngboy NeverBrokeAgain is known for. The song contains the same kind of soulful, melancholy melody that a lot of his music has. This melody is driven by a mournful piano riff complemented by synths and a woeful vocal sample. The melody is put on top of a distorted, buzzy, pretty fast-paced Trap beat that contrasts the melody and gives the song life. The vocals on ‘Aite’ are a bit understated, but they work super well. Kevo Muney sings the chorus in a manner that is actually similar to Youngboy, making his delivery fit the song perfectly. GloRilla’s gruff and downtrodden flow and tone contrast with Kevo Muney’s brighter vocals, giving the track texture. ‘Aite’ is not the most inventive or distinct song on the record, but it is still so good for what it is. GloRIlla immediately brings back the intensity with ‘Bad Bih 4 Ya,’ which features Boston Richey. This may be the most enormous and fierce song on the record to this point, which is saying a ton. ‘Bad Bih 4 Ya’ has the energy of some of the Metal-Trap music that Rico Nasty burst onto the scene with in the late 2010s. The song is driven by a melody provided by a chunky and sludgy Heavy Metal Guitar riff that will get anyone headbanging when it comes on. This awesome melody is put on top of a very intense beat with a buzzing element that almost sounds like a motorcycle which makes this song feel so raucous and larger-than-life. The vocals from GloRilla and Boston Richey on ‘Bad Bih 4 Ya’ are just great. Their flows match the energy of the track perfectly, and their raspy, grating vocals add to the song’s heaviness. ‘Bad Bih 4 Ya’ is a super rowdy track that can attract fans of genres other than Hip Hop because of how fun and ferocious it is. 

Like ‘No Bih’ and ‘Opp Shit,’ ‘Finesse Da Glo’ is not a bad track, but it does not live up to the level of some of the other music from this project for me. Similar to those, this one is just okay for me. The instrumental is pretty cool but nothing special, and the vocal performances do not do anything over the top to make this one super engaging. I will say that I could see myself coming back to this one more easily than those two tracks, though. The bouncy beat does make the song feel quirky and light, giving ‘Finesse Da Glo’ the potential to be a fun turn-up song. ‘Finesse Da Glo’ has a fraction of the charm that a lot of the other songs from this project have, but it is still decent for what it is and is not a total throwaway. ‘High AF’ is a quirky and funny track to me. Although this track has such a hard and dirty sound, it feels silly and tongue-in-cheek to me. ‘High AF’ is bound to be a staple at college parties across the nation for years. This is the kind of song to put on when you want to party. The instrumental is gritty, harsh, and colossal. GloRilla’s rap performance on this one is not overly special, but the hook is an earworm and the song is full of entertaining, repeatable bars. ‘High AF’ is not a complicated track that contains a lot of analysis, but it is amusing and pleasurable and makes me want to have a good time. ‘GMFU – Pt. 2’ may be one of the most low-key songs of the project as far as its sound, but it almost may be one of the most impactful due to GloRilla’s rap performance. This is a song with an instrumental that has the perfect balance of grittiness and rowdiness to enhance GloRilla’s vocals without taking them over or overwashing them. The melody for this one is simple and formidable; this melody, driven by a pretty straightforward piano riff, has the kind of energy of something one would hear right before a chase scene in a horror movie. The beat for this song pounds, but it is not overly powerful and still lets most of the strength of the track come from GloRilla’s vocals. Speaking of GloRilla’s vocals, she excels on ‘GMFU – PT. 2.’ Everything about her performance on this song is great, from her flow to her tone and inflection. ‘GMFU – Pt. 2’ is an anthemic track where GloRilla shows her prowess as a rapper in a way that stands out. GloRilla closes out this record on a bit of a calmer and more easy-going note with ‘In Dat Mode.’ Now I am not saying this is a chilled-out song in any way, but compared to most of the rest of this project, ‘In Dat Mode’ is considerably lighter. This song has a very old-school Trap sound that I appreciate a ton. When I hear this one, I think of the music artists like Lil Wayne and Birdman made when they first got big. Specifically, it makes me think of songs like ‘Go DJ’ or ‘Pop Bottles.’ I loved these kinds of squeaky and synthetic Trap instrumentals when I was growing up, so ‘In Dat Mode’ feels like a blast from the past for me. Even though the melody and beat are lighter than anything that precedes them on Ehhthang Ehhthang, this song still goes hard. It gets its power and emphasis from the vocal performance of GloRilla. Her flow and tone are commanding and brash on ‘In Dat Mode,’ giving this song a level of power that almost makes it anthemic. ‘In Dat Mode’ is not the most rowdy or intense on Ehhthang Ehhthang, but it is a dynamic closer that ends the project with a bang. 

GloRilla is an artist with a sound and style that can not be replicated. When a song of hers comes on or when she comes on to a song, she demands attention because of her overwhelming presence. I love it when artists have a particular aura like this because being such an individual is so cool to me. I am not going to say Ehhthang Ehhthang is the most sophisticated album you will ever listen to sonically or lyrically. There is not a ton of range in the lyricism or overall sound of this record. Frankly, it is full of bangers where GloRilla is asserting herself as a force in Rap music and calling out her rivals. But for what it’s worth, Ehhthang Ehhthang is great for what it is. This album is fun, lively, fresh, and individual. It is the kind of album to turn on to get any party jumping or to get you motivated to work out because it injects the listener with energy. Ehhthang Ehhthang is another very good addition to GloRilla’s catalog, and it makes me excited to see her continue to grow as an artist because she has the potential to be a megastar. 

BEST TRACKS – ‘YEAH GLO!’ ‘ALL DERE’ FEAT. MONEYBAGG YO, ‘WANNA BE’ FEAT MEGAN THEE STALLION, ‘NUN OF DEM,’ ‘AITE’ FEAT. KEVO MUNEY, ‘BAD BIH 4 YA’ FEAT. BOSTON RICHEY, ‘GMFU – PT. 2’ IN DAT MODE’

7.94/10