As someone who feels pretty in tune with up-and-coming music and especially in Hip Hop, it is not too often that someone slips through the cracks for me. I typically see myself as someone who is putting others on to new, exciting artists and not the other way around. I will readily admit, though, that I was all the way asleep on BigXthaPlug until very recently. I am happy to say that I am now fully awake. I have to shout out to my cousin and one of my buddies for insisting that I look into BigX’s music, because right now, I more than understand the hype. BigXthaPlug has had a meteoric rise over the last year or so. He dropped his debut mixtape, Bacc From The Dead, about four years ago. BigX has really taken off over the last year or so, due to the success of his two 2023 releases. He began the year with his full-length album AMAR, and closed it out with a mini project called THE BIGGEST. These two projects garnered BigXthaPlug a good amount of viral success, with songs like ‘Levels’ and ‘Texas’ popping off online and cementing him as one to watch. He also delivered very nice features for music That Mexican OT and NLE Choppa that helped garner him attention. BigXthaPlug continued his momentum into 2024 by releasing his collaborative mixtape MEET THE 6IXERS back in May, which not only highlights his talents but also the talents of his 600 Entertainment label mates Ro$ama and Yung Hood. After garnering quite a bit of attention for his feature on Shaboozey’s song ‘Drink Don’t Need No Mix’ this summer, BigXthaPlug just dropped a new album called TAKE CARE. This record has steadily been garnering more and more buzz since it came out a couple of weeks ago, and I knew I had to go back and cover it because of the hype it’s been receiving. Below, I am going to highlight some of my favorite songs from BigXthaPlug’s TAKE CARE, then go over some overall thoughts on the record to close things out. Please let me know in the comments what your favorite songs are from TAKE CARE, and also comment on how you feel about it as a whole!

TAKE CARE

My list gets going with the title track, which is also the first track of the record. As with most of BigXthaPlug’s music this instrumental is driven by an old-school Soul sample. The Soul track that’s the melody for ‘Take Care’ is ‘Tell Me Why Our Love Turns Cold’ by Willie Hutch. This gives the melody a melancholy tone, but the horns and synths that drive this melody also give it a bit of a triumphant feeling. This makes ‘Take Care’ feel monumental, making it a powerful way to start the record. BigX’s flow is so smooth on this track, and his lyrics are sentimental. BigXthaPlug raps about the downfalls and pressure of his come up, as now more people depend on him than ever. This sentiment is echoed by the outro by Wallo267, and the bridge by a woman I am guessing is his mom. ‘Take Care’ is a captivating way to begin this record which immediately draws me in as a fan of lyrical Hip Hop.

CHANGE ME

‘Change Me’ is the second song I checked out by BigXthaPlug before diving into this full record(the first track I listened to is later in the list). I immediately downloaded it for my personal playlist, as I was certain there could be something very special going on with this artist. The sample that drives this track is ‘Two Lonely Pillows’ by Laura Lee. This sample gives the instrumental a very light and floaty feeling, which is especially driven by the synths that sound like a flute. BigXthaPlug’s forceful flow and gruff vocals sit so interestingly on this instrumental. I like how much texture the bass in his vocals gives the track. ‘Change Me’ also has a sweet, soulful hook; for some reason, I can not find the credits of who sings this hook online, but I still wanted to shout it out. On ‘Change Me,’ BigXthaPlug raps about how he will stay the same and will stay level no matter how much success he starts to see. 

THERAPY SESSION

BigaXthaPlug himself has stated that ‘Therapy Session’ is his favorite song on TAKE CARE. It is easy to see why this is the case for multiple reasons. This is one of the shorter songs on the record but is also one of the most impactful. The sample that drives this one is a bit brighter and sweeter than most of the rest of the record. This song has a more spritely and even more Poppy feeling, making it very inviting. ‘Therapy Session’ is aptly named, as the song literally plays like a therapy session from BigXthaPlug. The song even contains ad-libs throughout that sound like they are coming from an actual therapist responding to him and asking him to elaborate on his feelings. He bares his soul on this track about all of the stresses he has been going through in his life. These stresses have to do with his kids and family, feeling bad about not saving his hood, and trying to mentally deal with how fast he has risen to stardom. ‘Therapy Session’ is a cool little track where BigXis able to get a lot off of his chest he has been needing to get off, and it is cool to see him open up like this so freely here. 

LAW & ORDER

‘Law & Order’ has quickly emerged as a new fan favorite from this record. Considering how catchy it is and how cool its sample is, I can totally understand why this is the case. As you can probably imagine, the melody for this track is heavily inspired by the theme song for the show Law & Order. The melody in this track is a little sludgier and tougher than the one on the show, though, driven by a slightly distorted guitar riff. The beat for this track is way more laid-back than most of the other beats. This slower and smoother beat goes so nicely with the melody and allows BigX to go with a slightly different flow. His delivery on ‘Law & Order’ is still pretty forceful and bold, but is definitely a bit more subdued than most of his other performances on this record. On ‘Law & Order,’ raps about how what he says goes. He dictates everything that goes on in his life, and anyone who crosses him will regret it. 

2AM

‘2AM’ is the first song that truly introduced me to BigXthaPlug’s solo music. I have to admit I was blown away, and I knew I had to hear more. For one, this one may contain my favorite sample of the record: ‘Contagious’ by The Isley Brothers. The melody and beat are a chopped and screwed of that iconic track, and the hook also comes from this sample. As great as this instrumental is, the real element that stands out about this one is the rap performance from BigX, which is excellent. Not only is his flow super clean and his home perfect for this somber melody, but his storytelling on this one paints a vivid picture, which I can literally imagine when closing my eyes. BigX describes a scenario where he cheats on his woman, and then comes home to find her cheating on him. Because he is so mad, he debates whether he should kill them both, or just let it go. At the end of the second verse, he wakes up from his dream, realizing his girl never cheated and feeling extra badly for what he did. ‘2AM’ is a smash hit that shows how talented a sputter BigthaPlug is, and it is a song I know I will keep coming back to. 

THE LARGEST

‘The Largest’ was the lead single for this project, and was the first introduction for a lot of Hip Hop fans to BigX. For one, this song has a very cool music video created by Cole Bennett and Lyrical Lemonade that has been doing the rounds on Youtube. It is a more than solid introduction to BigX’s style for Hip Hop fans, as its fun and exciting sound more than embodies BigX’s unique style and flow. The sample that drives this track comes from ‘Slippin’ Into Darkness’ by War. This melody is very bold and grand; its positive tone makes ‘The Largest’ feel larger than life, which is amplified by the song’s booming beat. BigXthaPlug more than matches the energy of the instrumental through his tone and flow. His delivery is boisterous, catchy, and cool, making ‘The Largest’ feel like a huge club banger. On ‘The Largest,’ BigX gasses himself up. He talks about everything he has done to reach this level of success, and how he has truly fought to get to this point. ‘The Largest’ is a motivating banger that is perfect for any workout or party playlist. 

MMHMM

If you want to go on technicalities, I guess you could say that ‘Mmhmm’ was the lead single for this TAKE CARE. That is because ‘Mmhmm’ was actually on THE BIGGEST, but was also included here. Even though this is not a new track and most Hip Hop fans already know it, I still wanted to include it here because it is just so good. ‘Mmhmm’ is probably the most pure banger on this record. The sample that drives this one comes from the iconic track ‘Miami’ by Will Smith. This melody is so recognizable and fun; when paired with this hard-hitting Trap beat with its buzzing bassline, it makes this ‘Mmhmm’ feel so massive. Everything about this track is so entertaining. From the instrumental to BigX’s addicting flow to the extremely catchy hook, ‘Mmhmm’ is a song that is just so enthralling to listen to. On ‘Mmhmm,’ BigX raps about how fast his rise to stardom was, and how he is not going to change no matter how famous he gets. ‘Mmhmm’ is one of the tracks that put BigXThaPlug on the map, and I am glad that it did. 

RICH OFF RAP

If ‘2AM’ and ‘Mmhmm’ win the awards for the best samples off of this record, then ‘Rich Off Rap’ comes right behind them. This song has the kind of melody that will make anyone with a general appreciation for old school Soul music say “Hell Yeah” when this track plays. The melody for ‘Rich Off Rap’ is driven by an interpolation of the track ‘Give It To Me Baby’ by Rick James. That iconic bassline and wind-instrument melody drive this track. ‘Rich Off Rap’ has such a smooth and charming sound, and the Trap beat that is put on top of the melody has a sprite feeling that matches the gratifying feeling of the melody. BigX’s rap performance is pretty low-key and laid-back compared to a lot of his other performances on this record. His more free and easy delivery on this track sort of contrasts the melody and beat, giving the track a cool texture. On ‘Rich Off Rap,’ BigXthaPlug raps about how he never thought he would get to this point of success in his music career, and how he appreciates that his hard work and talent are paying off.

As I stated in the introduction, up until pretty recently, I was sleeping on BigXthaPlug. He is an artist that I have always skated around and seen pop up here and there over the last couple of years, but never took the leap as far as diving into his solo music. I am glad that I was put on to TAKE CARE because this album is just awesome. Now, I am not going to say that BigXthaPlug has the most original sound, style, or flow. I would be lying if I said this formula has not been used in the past. Everyone knows the saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This album is a perfect example of that. Obviously, BigXthaPlug is not the first artist to use Soul and R&B samples like this to make interesting Hip Hop music. This idea harkens all the way back to the early 2000s with the Chipmunk Soul sound Kanye originally became known for, and has been used time and time again over the years. BigX does put his own spin on this kind of Soul music sampling that stands out, though. I have seen a lot of people say these instrumentals are reminiscent of the early 2000s Houston Trap sound made popular by artists like UGK or Slim Thug, and I can totally see where that comparison is coming from. These instrumentals have a nostalgic quality that harkens back to classic Houston Trap music but also feels fresh among the Hip Hop landscape of today. BigXthaPlug kills it with his rap performances throughout this record. I will not lie and say he delivers the most diverse or sophisticated flows, but he is really good at what he does. Even if he does have a signature rapping style, it can be varied enough from track to track that it never gets boring. BigX’s lyricism on TAKE CARE is just impressive. I love how he bears all of his thoughts and feelings so much on this record. BigXthaPlug really gives you a look into what is dragging him down on this record, and I appreciate how raw he is willing to get. Ultimately, what makes TAKE CARE great is how many quality songs there are. I do not think there is a bad song on this record. In fact, I struggled to pick only 8 tracks for this list. I could have easily selected songs like ‘Back On My BS,’ ‘Planting Seeds,’ or ‘They Don’t Know.’ Regardless of how diverse or lack thereof the sound of this record is, every song is enjoyable, and that is what matters. Overall, TAKE CARE is a great introduction to BigXthaPlug’s music for me and for so many other people. This guy has the potential to be a superstar, and I can not wait to see him continue to rise to superstardom. 

8/10