RESET

AlbumNov 02 / 201815 songs, 43m 45s
Trap Southern Hip Hop
Noteable

On his third release of 2018, Memphis’ prolific mixtape king amplifies the strengths that got him this far. Progress is sharper on every level: topics, beats, mentality, even ad-libs (seriously, does any rapper work harder on his ad-libs?). His ability to express thug love—think of “Luv Cycle” from *Bet On Me*—continues on “In Her Voice” and “Tryna Do.” He presents life lessons on “7even,” a track that bears 2Pac’s imprint both spiritually and via two sampled quotes. Yet despite the inward thinking, Bagg is quick to flash his treacherous side like a pearl handle (“Oh Fuck,” “They Madd”), calling out fakers with impunity (“Industry”). Success and hard work put him in good company, and *RESET* travels cross-country for features: Future helps keep the rap tradition of flaunting luxury brands alive on “Chanel Junkie”; YG compares coastal grind strategies on “Curry Jersey.” But the biggest get here is a rare J. Cole feature—on a *trap* song, even (“Say Na”). It would have been easy for the Memphis rapper to cruise in the mixtape lane, but *RESET* shows that comfort is the enemy of progress—word to P.T. Barnum.

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