Hykeem Jamaal Carter Jr. better known as “Baby Keem” has dropped his highly anticipated debut studio album “The Melodic Blue”. He first gained notoriety with the addictive single “orange soda” as well on producing on TDE projects Redemption, Crash Talk & Black Panther.
And now after releasing a mixed bag of singles we are here with the Melodic blue with features from Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott & Don Toliver.
My first thought after completing this album is that Keem is having a lot of fun with this album especially on the tracks with Kendrick. Every song sounds unique which is very uncommon for albums these days so plaudits to Keem. Its evident he is experimenting with a variety of beats from the pop style esque “Pink Panties” to the hard hitting “Vent” to the dreamy “16”. This experimenting has made this one of the most creative projects of the past couple of years.
Off the back of his excellent feature on Donda, Kanye seems to return the favour by allowing the use of his famous drums from “Love Lockdown” on the track “scars”. The drums are used well as Keem questions God over why he can’t seem to find the right partner. 808s has been a clear inspiration for this album and many others.
Time to talk about Keem’s cousin, a rapper some of you may have heard of called Kendrick Lamar. Sound familiar? Anyway the standout tracks from the album come from when these two unite. “Range Brothers” goes so hard with the cousins trading verses over majestic instrumentals that seem to acknowledge that both are destined for greatness. And then the comedic beat switch which I appreciate for comedic value but for replay value it just ruins the song, just make that part a skit if you have too. I actually prefer Keem over Kendrick on “Family ties”. Don’t get me wrong both artists flow over their respective beats but it maybe the more elegant instrumental on Keem’s part which is why I prefer it. Finally onto Vent and all I have to ask is “HAVE YOU EVER BEEN PUNCHED IN YOUR M***********G FACE?” That has been stuck in my head for days. The head banging instrumental makes this an utter banger but i wish the Kendrick verse was kept. Nonetheless I’ll accept just the ad-libs.
Closing Thoughts
Pink Panties completely caught me off guard when I first heard it, I didn’t expect that beat or the vocals on the chorus.
Durag Activity took me a while to get used to but I really appreciated Travis feature and these two should collaborate more in the future hopefully on Utopia.
The track 16 is really beautiful
Was not the biggest fan of South Africa, booman or scapegoats.
Don Toliver never disappoints he really is one of the best in the game at the moment. His feature on Cocoa is just another great feature to add to his collection. Bring on Life of a Don.
Overall a very impressive album from an artist who’s sound I would not normally like. The album has made me want to dive into his discography something I haven’t done apart from a few singles.
| Favourite Tracks |
| Vent ft Kendrick Lamar |
| 16 |
| Range Brothers ft Kendrick Lamar |
| Cocoa ft Don Toliver |
| Lost Souls |
| Durag Activity ft Travis Scott |
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