After building anticipation with a handful of self-released EPs and mixtapes, Atlanta-based rapper
21 Savage delivered his official major-label debut,
Issa Album. The full-length trap effort featured production from the scene's most in-demand names, like
Metro Boomin,
Zaytoven,
DJ Mustard, and
Southside, whose hypnotic atmospherics provided an apt backdrop to
Savage's bleak and hedonistic lyrics. Sex, drugs, street violence, and money are the typical themes, with the occasional introspection peppered in to balance the debauched with rare glimpses into his state of mind. More intense and serious than contemporaries like
Lil Uzi Vert and
Migos,
Savage chronicles his rise to fame on "Famous" before getting grim on the dark "Close My Eyes" and "Dead People," where he raps "Percocets got me in my feelings" and then confesses "I've been drinking syrup/Seeing demons." The somber mood is seldom shaken, but when
Savage switches subjects, it helps to elevate
Issa above the generic. He opens up to heartbreak on the
En Vogue-sampling "Thug Life" and professes love on "Special." On the
Metro Boomin/
Zaytoven collaboration "Nothin' New," he spits a socially conscious game that provides the most lyrical substance on
Issa. While
Young Thug appears on "Whole Lot," his presence isn't noticeable enough to warrant the lone feature on
Issa. Surprisingly, the most interesting track on the album comes at the close. "7 Min Freestyle" proves that, left to his own devices,
Savage has just enough skill to back up all his boasts. It's a satisfying moment on an effort packed with tracks that are occasionally indistinguishable from one to the next. Overall,
Issa is a competent statement that demonstrates promise from the young rapper. ~ Neil Z. Yeung