The Fall of Hobo Johnson

It’s pretty cool that rap’s umbrella is currently broad enough to cover just about anything, though that means it allows for rappers transplanted straight from that hallway in your high school where all the musical theater kids hung out. *The Fall of Hobo Johnson* is the California native’s second album, though it’s his first release after his big break, when his outsized entrance into NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest went viral. Johnson describes the record as “alternative-hip-hop-rock-folk,” which really only paints half the picture: Think *Hamilton* meets Beck meets Chance the Rapper meets your local slam-poetry open mic. There’s satirical paeans to evolution (“You & the Cockroach”), ruminations on fame (“Ode to Justin Bieber”), and spoken-word tributes to simple domesticity that erupt into screams. You’re either going to love it or hate it, but you’ve got to give him points for originality.

The second album from the viral star is crowded with histrionic vocals, tired emotions, and petty grievances, leaving little room to actually enjoy his music.

Like a Ted Talk written by Eric Cantona, ’The Fall of Hobo Johnson’ is a mixed bag of broken hearts, bizarre tales and awkwardly relatable moments.

Hobo Johnson is the stage persona of Frank Lopes, Jr., a Californian rapper and spoken word artist who, after earning a major label contract with Reprise Records in 2017, entered the wider public consciousness as a viral entrant in NPR's 2018 Tiny Desk Contest.