“I’m not surprised, I’m on the rise…”
In days where rappers make multiple albums a year (Papoose is releasing an EP every month this year), it’s refreshing to have an artist who waits until he actually has something to say. The reasons for his delay in putting anything out since 2016 are not necessarily his choice, though–he’s been through rehab and some pretty serious life changes. But it’s made him strong.
The House is Burning is excellent. It’s deep. It’s funny. It’s got some booming singles like “Lay Wit Ya” and “Claymore.” It’s traditional, in that it remembers those who came before (Chad pays tribute to Pimp C, e.g.). But it’s different in the way it mixes Southern rap and trap with political awareness. It’s got carefully selected cameos, including SZA and 6Lack. It’s got comic book references: “Darkseid” is one song, about Mister Miracle, and “All Herb” references the Transformers–among others.
Highly recommended. In fact, this is probably my favorite rap album so far this year.
