After a few solid mixtapes, Alabama rapper
NoCap continues honing his approach on his studio debut,
Mr. Crawford. Much like 2019's enjoyable
The Backend Child and 2020's more introspective
Steel Human,
Mr. Crawford finds
NoCap running through Auto-Tuned melodies and fluid, quick-switching flows, this time with more intricate instrumentals and generally enhanced production values. Delicate guitar loops guide some of the album's best tracks, in particular the unexpected transition from the mournfully catchy "Vaccine" to its drums-free counterpart, "Vaccine (Falling Star)," one of the record's most vulnerable and moving moments. Like with many of his other projects,
NoCap does the majority of the rapping on
Mr. Crawford, only bringing in
Kodak Black to assist on the pop-friendly "Save the Day" and
YoungBoy Never Broke Again on the triumphant trap of "Flags to the Sky." There's a sense of maturation throughout
Mr. Crawford, beginning with the reworking of
Lil Wayne and
JAY-Z's 2008 self-celebrating anthem "Mr. Carter," presented by
NoCap as the moody, forceful album opener "Mr. Crawford."
NoCap isn't quite to
JAY-Z's level of charisma or
Weezy's level of mind-boggling talent, but he takes enormous steps forward with this debut as he presents more depth and personality than ever before. ~ TiVo Staff