The stock of Detroit's
Tee Grizzley shot upward with the defiant "First Day Out." Written during incarceration and recorded upon the rapper's release, the track led to a deal with the major-affiliated 300 Entertainment, who recirculated it; subsequently, it became a Billboard Hot 100 hit. This,
Tee's first commercial mixtape, arrived after a handful of additional stray cuts, most notably the
Lil Yachty collaboration "From the D to the A." "First Day Out" reappears here, but the rest is all new and amounts to a promising work from a lyrical street rapper who excels at particularizing tense scenes with uniquely detailed themes of loyalty, pride, and vengeance. The few sung hooks are not as effective as the multitude of charged verses, but
Tee's love for contemporary R&B is evident with no sense that a single melody exists for the sake of crossover appeal. In fact, there aren't any guest appearances, keeping true to the tape's title. (If you want a verse from him, it's going to cost five figures.) ~ Andy Kellman