From The Bayou

By now, you probably know what to expect from YoungBoy, the Baton Rouge rapper whose harrowing tales of trauma, violence, and his endless legal battles have made him one of the most popular rappers on the planet. And you probably know what to expect from Cash Money head honcho Birdman, who’s been talking his shit—his very expensive shit—for three decades now. *From the Bayou* brings together two wildly different generations of Louisiana street rap, though it’s mostly a showcase for the younger star; songs like “The Bigger End” and “Heart & Soul” have all the heartache and urgency of YoungBoy at his best. (“Went to jail, came home, time passed, went back again/All the pain I felt inside myself, thought it would never end,” he spits on the latter.) He doesn’t *really* need Birdman’s help, but it’s always nice to hear the OG pop by with some flashy non sequiturs—Roberto Cavalli floors, $10,000 robes, you know the drill.

Birdman’s presence is largely intrusive on the pair’s joint project. It’s YoungBoy’s versatility that keeps the album afloat.