Rich the Kid/NBA YoungBoy - “Nobody Safe” Review
The collaborative album “Nobody Safe” from Youngboy Never Broke Again and Rich The Kid was released Friday.
The album opens up with a self-titled single and although the melody consists of some very pleasant chords, the duo’s vocals leave something to be desired. There are multiple songs on the project that have beautiful instrumentals, but the drums all follow the same pattern.
Hip-hop drums today are tired and predictable with many songs using the same clap, same 808 and similar hi hat patterns. So, even though the melodies of these beats are fresh and interesting, the songs blend together due to their similarity.
The project was created with production from well-known names like CHASETHEMONEY, Wheezy, DY Krazy and CashMoneyAP. In today’s hip-hop scene where instrumentals make or break a song, these producers definitely show out and help the album’s likability.
Youngboy generally leans toward two main styles: a high-energy, mean delivery seen on his popular track “FREEDDAWG” that blew up on Tik-Tok recently or a singsong, melodic style on songs like “Outside Today” from 2018.
“Nobody Safe” heavily leans toward Youngboy’s singing, and it elicits mixed reactions.
Rich The Kid came to popularity in 2015-2016 with his swaggy demeanor and was a major artist in the Plugg scene. He has continued to release albums, but his style has stayed very similar, and as an artist he tended to fall by the wayside. His flow rides very well, though, as long as there’s a good instrumental behind it.
Both artists are autotune heavy, and they work together well on the album.
Some of the songs on “Nobody Safe” are done very well and are very emotionla, but songs like “Sex” off this new project consist of a one word hook that gets old extremely quickly. The instrumental for this record is one of the best off the album, but the hook makes the song annoying and repetitive.
The term “mumble rap” has been used with a very negative connotation to comment on rappers that sing with autotune and don’t have extremely enunciated delivery, and it tends to get thrown around excessively to any rapper that doesn’t adhere to the “boombap” style of 90’s hip hop.
However, with “Nobody Safe,” mumble rap is an extremely accurate descriptor. Especially with Rich The Kid, the delivery on some of these new songs is whiny and lazy. Rich The Kid is not as versatile an artist as Youngboy, so Youngboy tends to shine and have a better performance than his counterpart does.
That doesn’t mean the album as a whole is bad, however.
Tracks like “You Bad” and “Woke Up” bring out the best in both artists, and these songs are very energetic and enjoyable. Additionally, the songs with features stand out as some of the best. Quando Rondo, Lil Wayne and Rod Wave all deliver great verses on their respective songs.
“Body Bag” with Lil Wayne stands out as an especially good song. Youngboy brings his signature angry style, and Wayne and Rich The Kid work very well alongside him. Rich The Kid has never been one to yell on a track, and he doesn’t on this song, but he still matches the energy extremely well.
Listeners can expect to hear some of these songs (especially “Sorry Momma” feat. Rod Wave) on the radio and in many playlists, but expect them to be forgotten about within a few weeks by most.
Fans of Youngboy especially have been enjoying the recent influx of music with his album “Until I Return” releasing just a week before this project. But for most, people that don’t normally pay attention to either of these artists, “Nobody Safe” won’t be the project to change that.
Youngboy and Rich The Kid have the formula right when it comes to popular hip-hop in 2020, but there is nothing too special to make these songs last or be considered classics.
Overall, a good enough effort from Youngboy Never Broke Again and Rich The Kid, but not enough to be a standout in their discography.
Rating: 6/10
Reviewer’s Favorite Songs: “Body Bag,” “You Bad,” “Woke Up”
Reviewer’s Least Favorite Song: “Sex,” “Nobody Safe”
Jimmy Gonzales is a sophomore majoring in advertising. To contact him, email jpg5869@psu.edu.
