'The Melodic Blue'

Baby Keem's latest offering “The Melodic Blue” was one of the most anticipated major label debuts as of late. You may find yourself questioning if he lived up to the hype after the first listen; that is until you come running back to it. 

 

The Melodic Blue was a much more mellow approach compared to what fans have heard thus far from the young Vegas native. At just 20 years old, Keem has been able to establish his presence and develop an almost underground fanbase with his last couple of projects “Die For My Bitch” and “The Sound of Bad Habit”. His sound could be described as bass heavy, unpredictable rap. And although we did see glimpses of that in this latest project, he took a much different approach with his execution this time around. 

 

It’s apparent that this project includes many mainstream-ready tracks with the streams in mind. But he mostly capitalizes on his melodic range and actual song making ability with ‘The Melodic Blue.’  The album feels like it has more direction than any of its predecessors. It’s cohesive, fairly easy to get through on the first listen, and has way more pop elements than what we might be used to from him. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though when you are as brave and versatile as Baby Keem. 

 

Keem’s fearlessness allows him to give us so many versions of himself while still being unmistakably him. For a change , we're given a handful of sentimental cuts on this project. Some tracks do a great job of highlighting Keem's song making ability and lyrical substance we wouldn't typically expect. However, The blend of different pitched deliveries, the vague randomness in the majority of the bars, and very unparalleled production reminds us that this is still very much a Baby Keem project.

 

Out the gate the first track ‘Trademark USA’ sets the bar high for the project. Hard production, memorable lyrics, and a heavy switch-up. Whether it's you shouting,

 

"SHOUT OUT TO THE DEAD, TO THE DEAD, TO THE DEAD"

 

... or singing  "I'm a hot girl" even if you're not a chick,  this one is bound to have you in the moment at some point.  It's an addicting vibe and energy that's not matched with any other artist's work. This track set's the tone , giving us the old Keem feel but with a switch-up that gives a glimpse of what's to come.

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Track 2 is ‘Pink Panties’ which takes on a much different, more playful tone than the hard-hitting first track. ‘Pink Panties’ includes such an abrupt hook it almost sounds like a rough cut at first listen. There's a solid chance you won't like it at first, but it definitely has the potential to grow on you. In fact, it probably will. The irregular flow of the solid verses accompanied by the odd hook works and is just a testament to his versatility so early in the project. 

 

If the first couple tracks didn’t show you the range, track 3 starts with Baby Keem delivering bars over a simplistic instrumental derived of nothing more than a humming sample and a singing sample. No drums needed. The message is loud and clear.

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"One day I'll tell you how how my life was unfortunate/

...For now I'll tell you how fast these Porches get."

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Keem uses the instrumental's emptiness to get his shit off, and it's very gratifying to hear. It's so different than his typical content, and almost comes as a surprise to just hear an emphasis on bars from someone who's music is so heavily carried by the sound it delivers rather than the lyrical content. ‘Scapegoat’ is like a wakeup call. We know he’s different , we know he’s weird , but here Keem is sending a message highlighting his musical range and it still seems like he's just getting started.  A Fitting flex for the title of the next track. 

 

'Range Brothers' includes some epic back and forth between Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar, showing the protégé can definitely keep up. Both Kendrick Lamar features ('Family Ties' being the other) show that the versatility in flows and lyricism doesn’t fall short with the duo. Somehow, they keep pace with the manic production while both songs boast 3 beat switch-ups each .That’s a lot of flows. These are obvious standouts since we see Keem go bar for bar with Kendrick for an entire verse, then immediately after, proceed to troll the entire rap game with Kendrick’s infamous “Top of the morning” hook. How do you still make this go so hard? While simultaneously making fun of the state of the rap game. They’re making it look easy. And they're clowning the competition.

 

Keem definitely seems like an oddball of rap , but next to Kendrick they are like the duo we never knew we needed. 2 artists not afraid to push the envelope and be brave enough to release music that will be deemed too weird by some while it sets the stage to grow on others. 

 

The Production on ‘Gorgeous', ‘South Africa’, and even ‘Vent’ are very reminiscent of the Baby Keem we all fell in love with. Especially with him on ‘Vent’ delivering a play on a fan favorite line from his track ‘France Freestyle’ off of his previous album.

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"Don't talk to me when I stomp in this b*tch, h*e, h*e"

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These tracks get your attention immediately with their unorthodox production and odd deliveries, providing the exact energy fans expected throughout the album. However this full project suggests that Keem is capable of more than just hyped up and moshpit-ready music that these few tracks deliver. What used to be only 1 or 2 melodic tracks on his projects, turned into the majority of it. It’s still so original while avoiding straying too far away from what we crave from Keem. It's growth in an artist who provides an authentic sound. The glimpse of old Keem appearing here and there on the album is just enough for fans to tune in, while still giving them new styles and sounds to come back to. 

 

On the contrary, offerings like 'First Order of Business', 'Issues', 'Lost Souls' and '16' show a new side of Baby Keem. Pop-ready? Potentially. But still so good. More vulnerable than usual, it’s refreshing to hear what is really going on INSIDE of that chaotic mind of Keem’s for a change. All very memorable tracks on the album as they feel like novelty tracks from the usually energetic MC. We're also gifted with a second version of 'Lost Souls' that includes a Brent Faiyaz feature as a bonus track at the end of the album. Although it leaves a bit to be desired, it's still nice to have. 

 

The two weakest links on the project would have to be ‘Cocoa’ ft. Don Toliver, and ‘Booman’. 

Although 'Booman' may sound very bland and repetitive at first, that trumpet and the melody on the hook might be enough to win you over and get you to listen again. Before you know it, you'll be singing,

 

"I'm sexy and Blessed."

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But ‘Cocoa’?  Not so much. Probably the least impressive Don Toliver feature we've gotten to date. It’s a bit disappointing to listen to when you remember your initial reaction to seeing his name on the feature list. The track just sounds all over the place. The production sounds complicated and the hook isn’t great. It's a skip.

 

Nonetheless, ‘The Melodic Blue’ was a solid effort by Baby Keem to identify himself as a true artist and not just an underground kid-rapper. His music still feels like he’s in his own lane completely while he earns his mainstream recognition. A tough accomplishment for any artist to achieve, especially while remaining yourself to your core fanbase. The Melodic blue is Keem showing us how to do it right. This album has incredible replay value, with just about every song on the 16 track album having something to offer and go back to. It’s going to be weird at first because it’s so different. But it's just like all of Keem’s projects; the more you listen to it, the more you realize you love it. 

 

The Melodic blue gets an 8/10.