Arriving just months after his
650Luc: Gansta Grillz mixtape, Atlanta rapper/vocalist
YFN Lucci returned with a more nuanced and sometimes soulful presence on
HIStory.
Lucci's talents have always hit on a versatile mix of aggressive, bold rapping and melodic singing, and that cross-section is on full display throughout
HIStory. Where past material might have hit harder or leaned more into banging drums and thick funk instrumentals,
HIStory has a more restrained approach. The mixtape begins with one of its strongest tracks, "7.62." Over a pensive piano loop and a sped-up sample of soul vocals,
Lucci rap/sings lyrics that remember struggling through tough times and observe how far he's come since then. The R&B undertones of the song set the tone for a lot of the material on
HIStory. Bigga Rankin offers an emphatic spoken introduction to the melancholy but hooky "Lonely" as well as a few other songs. Other highlights include the hopeful, poppy instrumental that drives "One Day" and album closer "Shake Sumn," an eerie but lewd party banger featuring cameos from
City Girls and
Yo Gotti. ~ Fred Thomas