On his sophomore full-length,
The Sailor, Indonesian rapper
Rich Brian expands his creative vision with experimental genre flourishes and vocal style, echoing similar artistic moves by
Tyler, the Creator and
Kevin Abstract.
Brian spends much of
The Sailor relishing how far he's come from "Dat $tick," maturing in the process with tracks such as lead single "Yellow," on which
Brian debuts his rich singing voice, backed by lush, Wall of Sound-style production. Other highlights include "Rapapapa" -- wherein
Brian receives the ultimate co-sign from
Wu-Tang head honcho
RZA, who delivers a supportive mentor-to-mentee pep talk -- and the playful "Curious," which matches sunny ukulele plucks with introspective ruminations. Guest vocalist and friend/labelmate
Joji also appears on the sweeping closer, "Where Does the Time Go." Upon release,
The Sailor debuted just outside the Top 50 on the Billboard 200. ~ Neil Z. Yeung