From his earliest singles, Bronx rapper
Lil Tjay presented powerful delivery decorated by softer touches, pairing punchy drill beats with melodic, autotuned flows and delicate piano loops. As he created more material, the production took on more depth, and
Lil Tjay leaned more into his R&B side. Second studio album
Destined 2 Win gives the most complete picture yet of the rapper/singer's talents as he offers up 21 tracks that blur together melodic drill, post-
Drake R&B, and even moments of pained emo rap. The hour-plus album has ample high-energy bangers like the pensive "Headshot" featuring
Polo G and
Fivio Foreign and "Run It Up," a sizzling track that balances melodic hooks from
Tjay with cool-headed bars from
Moneybagg Yo and
Offset. As often as
Destined 2 Win presents powerful drill tracks and moody trap arrangements, it also turns toward more slowly paced, pop-friendly R&B. "Calling My Phone" was issued as a single before the release of the record, and its understated production centers around a sped-up soul sample, melancholic chord changes, and sorrowful vocal flows from
Tjay and
6LACK. The song stands out considerably from much of the album, and recalls aspects of both
Drake's late-night reflections and the rule-breaking production of
Kanye's early days.
Destined 2 Win drags on a bit past the 40-minute mark, but the track sequence thoughtfully arranges
Lil Tjay's different approaches so that he's never in one mode long enough for it to feel redundant. ~ Fred Thomas