Thank You For Using GTL

Carrying on in a long tradition of rap music recorded while under incarceration, Drakeo the Ruler’s latest project arrives amid extreme conditions. His continued imprisonment by way of a contentious retrial process has made his case a cause célèbre both within the hip-hop community and beyond. *Thank You for Using GTL* flips the seeming limitations of making art behind bars to his advantage. The distinct sound of phone-recorded verses gives tracks like “Quit Rappin” and “Social Media Can’t Help You” a considerable weightiness. Automated interruptions like “This call is being recorded” and asides made on Drakeo’s end of the line have been preserved, making “Keep It 100” and “Tell You the Truth” feel more honest than the usual studio ad-libs.

Recorded in jail over a crackly phone line, Drakeo’s mesmerizing album is a remarkable feat: a stark rebuke of the justice system and an unparalleled achievement for a rapper and his producer.