Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff
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From the second track of Baby Keem’s fantastic sophomore album Ca$ino, I was convinced we were dealing with something special. To be fair, I was forewarned by one of my trusted advisors that Baby Keem’s sophomore album would indeed be an “instant classic.” But the third selection, “Birds & the Bees,” with its Graduation-era production, cemented this feeling for me. I’ll be the first to admit to being a bit of a Baby Keem fanboy, but even I was impressed with his dynamism and eclecticism throughout the runtime of Ca$inso. Over incredibly luscious production, Keem — frequently joined by fellow PGLang label-mate (and uncle) Kendrick Lamar — flows across a myriad of genres, one minute breathlessly talking shit, the next minute spoken-word preaching his life’s story.
The album is largely autobiographical; Keem spells out his trials and tribulations plainly, trauma-dumping over trap beats, much to great success. His lyrical work is top-notch, polished yet playful, evocative of his debut mixtape DIE FOR MY BITCH. Throughout the short runtime, Baby Keem packs in some incredible bars: from “Ca$ino,” we get “yank that fuckin’ chain off my shit more Subzero”; from “Circus Circus Freestyle,” he laments that he “had to watch my momma cry when my house got colonized.” Laced throughout the album like a malignant ghost (a Boogeyman, perhaps) is the inimitable Kendrick Lamar; the Neymar-Messi reunion on this album is gratifying, if unable to reach the opulent heights of The Melodic Blue’s dynastic singles “Range Brothers” and “Family Ties,” a feat most likely impossible to replicate.
Baby Keem’s development from Melodic Blue’s “first order of business” to Ca$ino’s “Birds & the Bees” is palpable. The influence of early-era Kanye production on this album cannot be understated; that said, the tracks don’t feel stale or outdated. Instead, the trademark chipmunk background vocals are the centerpieces of stripped-down instrumentals that allow Keem’s voice and storytelling to carry the tracks. The result is a compelling whirlwind of an album. As a follow-up to his generational debut album, Baby Keem knocks it out of the park with Ca$ino.
Disappointing / Average / Good / Great / Phenomenal
Ca$ino is out now.
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Hanson Egerland | @hanson_egg