NLE Choppa's overnight rise to fame was so sudden and far-reaching that the independent rapper was turning down offers from major labels after just a few of his singles went viral. Taking cues from the Chicago drill scene,
Choppa injected his own ravenous energy into melodic flows and piano-heavy trap beats. It's this nonstop energy that carries his first proper studio album,
Top Shotta, despite a few strong showings from big-name guests. Now signed with Warner Records, there's a boost in production to some of the tracks, but not the entirety of the hour-long, 20-track project. In particular, the
Roddy Ricch-featuring "Walk Em Down" and
Lil Baby-aided "Narrow Road" stand out as some of the more accessible and detailed productions of
Top Shotta, with interesting instrumentation and a special attention to hooky refrains. Catchy moments like this sit alongside ferocious displays of aggression and fury like "Who TF Is in My Trap" and druggy, slow-motion autotune-heavy numbers like "Molly."
NLE Choppa spreads out his various flows and a surplus of lyrical one-liners over the course of the lengthy album, turning in equal numbers of smart, understated tracks and instantly accessible ones.
Top Shotta is a versatile and consistently strong debut, and one that capitalizes on the raw state of
NLE Choppa's talent. His drive, intensity, and recklessness are polished only to a certain point, resulting in an album that's widely enjoyable but not watered-down. ~ Fred Thomas