BEEZY

Over the years, Future has lent his co-sign to any number of MCs. Yet Doe Boy remains one of the most consistent artists ever to rep the Freebandz imprint, not to mention one of the most enduring. The Cleveland rapper’s tough yet easygoing flow served him especially well on 2022’s high-grade *OH REALLY*, while his features opposite Young Thug, Trippie Redd, and Babyface Ray made him difficult to ignore elsewhere. At last, with the immersive *BEEZY*, his compelling menace finds new ways to lure listeners into his often ice-cold world. With its overt nod to a 2000s crossover classic and unapologetic hook, lead single “WAY I WALK” provided the first inklings that *BEEZY* would hit different. The hard-funk underpinnings of brooding album opener “RHUDE BOY” position Doe Boy for optimal intimidation. Much like his antiheroic bars, his lithe choruses on “DEMON TIME” and “NONSENSE” keep that same energy while leaving lasting impressions of their own. Production by ATL Jacob, Southside, and other heavy hitters ensures that he maintains a strong foothold as he stomps on the necks of his enemies. The features, to be sure, are impressive, from known quantities DaBaby and Lil Yachty to rising star Lola Brooke. Naturally, Future comes through on more than one occasion, in duo mode with his cohort on “MENACE” and as part of a robust posse with G Herbo and Roddy Ricch on the aggressive “TRY & SEE.” Matching much of the album’s ominously street-lit vibe, Rubberband Money Gang signee Big Flame 8 adds a memorably fearsome verse to “TOP TAKER.” To counter the violent rhetoric inherent to his experience, Doe Boy tries another tack for the R&B boom of “DEEP END” with Don Toliver and on his own with the smooth honesty of “RAN INTO A THUG.” In nothing short of an absolute coup, he secures hometown heroes Krayzie Bone and Bizzy Bone for the bullet-riddled climax “GRIM REAPER.”