Album of the Week: Denzel Curry

A lot of folks don’t consider Florida part of the American South (some for more specious reasons than others), but musically there’s no doubt the two are intertwined. Denzel Curry certainly understands the connection, being Floridian while claiming himself King of the Mischievous South. On “Hot One,” a beat reminiscent of Lil Wayne’s Carter mixtapes rolls dreamily as he proclaims “ain’t shit changed but the number on my front door.”

This second volume of proclamations plays like a compilation—replete with a ton of excellent features as though he were recreating a Master P album. Guests range in stature: rappers as large as 2 Chainz, Maxo Kream, Project Pat, and Juicy J mixed with up-and-comers with biting edge like That Mexican OT and PlayThatBoiZay. Curry reaches deep in the Southern cut to employ Kingpin Skinny Pimp—whose verse pops harder than maybe anyone on the album—but doesn’t stop regionally, bringing in Key Nyata from Seattle and Philly’s Armani White.

All that said, the beats are the dirtiest part of the album. The aforementioned Wayne-like standout “Hot One” could stand on any 2000s-era tape. “Sked” (featuring Kenny Mason and Project Pat) plays like it was produced specifically to blow out car speakers and is missing only a fight-rap chorus of “hey”s to be from 2000s Memphis. “Wishlist” evokes a Big Boi feel with a rambling intro straight from the Sleepy Brown playbook over a funky violin-laden swerve. “Hit the Floor” bangs, giving Bone Crusher energy as Ski Mask the Slump God raps his ass off. “Hoodlumz,” effectively the album closer, is dying for a Lil Jon “skeet skeet” as it moves through A$AP Rocky and PlayThatBoiZay verses.

Curry puts in the work here. His hook-laden raps drip with experience and practice; his barbs and boasts hit like cartoon anvils. His lyricism shines brighter with each release and the enlisted help adds a level of smoke that even the first KOTMS mixtape couldn’t achieve. There’s no shyness here. This is toughness personified—offset only occasionally by, for example, Juicy J’s clever silliness. It’s not often we pine for a third sequel when it comes to rap albums (or in any genre), but all eyes will be on Denzel and South Florida for the next volume.