Album of the Year #21: Lucki - Watch My Back - HipHop | HipHop Channel

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Album of the Year #21: Lucki - Watch My Back - HipHop

Album of the Year #21: Lucki - Watch My Back - HipHop

Album of the Year #21: Lucki - Watch My Back

Posted: 21 Dec 2017 03:25 PM PST

Artist: Lucki

Album: Watch My Back

Listen:

Apple Music

Spotify

Youtube

Soundcloud

DatPiff

Album Background

Lucki (fka Lucki Eck$) is a Chicago rapper who's been in the game since 2012, and since then has been constantly underrated. Despite co-signs from Chance the Rapper, A$AP Mob, Playboi Carti, Chief Keef (who even briefly inducted Lucki into Glo Gang), Danny Brown, Earl Sweatshirt, and FKA twigs (that's his voice on Preface off of LP1), he's never quite risen to the level he could be at.

Perhaps it's the fact that he mostly eschews from traditional pop song structures (of 18 songs on this project, only one is over 3 minutes, and the shortest is barely over a minute long) and hooks. Perhaps it's the fact that he switched his sound drastically following his breakout mixtape, Alternative Trap. Perhaps it's the drugs.

Whatever the reason, it doesn't take away from the quality of this mixtape.

After months of delays, false starts, and loose tracks, Lucki finally released Watch My Back, his 7th mixtape on May 5th, 2017.

Review

Seeing the growth of Lucki from one mixtape to the next has really been something interesting. Whereas his first projects had that spacey, reverbed-out, cloud-rap style, some projects have featured some of his most downtrodden, depressing songs (Son of Sam), and others have been had the airy, energetic, fun style that Soundcloud is known for (Freewave II). On Watch My Back, we find a mixture between the latter two. It's a sound that's unique to Lucki, but still in line with his contemporaries.

The opening track, "Miss Me", is a perfect introduction to Lucki's personality. Over a bass-heavy, syrup slow Grimm Doza beat, Lucki brings us into his world, where despite the fact he still takes drugs like candy, he's more aware of what's going on. He realizes his flaws, but despite them, he refuses to change. It's depressing, but it's just the way he is. He's the drug dealer and the junkie. He may love someone, but it doesn't change the fact that he'll push them away. Lucki's world is one of dualities.

"Are U Wit Me", produced by Gnealz, is one of the more on-trend songs, but still has a uniqueness to it. The production is laced with the same percussion, snare patterns, and bass that a song by Playboi Carti may have, along with a similar flow that ends just about every line with an "aye", but similarities end there. There's no real hook, and Lucki drifts between rapping and barely audible mumbling.

On "Komfortable", Lucki once again speaks on the downsides of the drugs he's taking. Molly, Xanax, and Percocets (despite what the refrain of "Are U Wit Me" makes it seem) are all some of Lucki's vices. I think this song, while not one of my favourites, shows that Lucki is influential in the "Soundcloud Rap" scene. On this song, Lucki says:

I think them xans tryna take me

And while this may be a stretch, it was the first thing I thought of when I heard the hook of Lil Xan's "Betrayed" a few months later.

Another great example of this comes from "Poker Face", where Lucki calls himself a "Wockstar", which is something people from Playboi Carti to Lil Wop to Slim Jesus have all called themselves following Lucki. This song is also worth mentioning for the amazing Plu2o Nash and Adio beat. It's super simple, but the instruments in the background give the song an almost psychedelic feeling.

"BPrint" is one of the strongest lyrical moments of the tape. Lucki isn't fitting in tons of multi-syllabic rhymes, but the bars are clever, and they give us an honest look into the artist's head.

Following that, we have "Leave With You", produced by Plu2o and cloud rap pioneer Clams Casino. The production is a perfect mix of both producers' styles, and Lucki came in with a more aggressive flow to suit it. This energy carries along onto "Fuck Everybody", which is another one of my favourites. The flow, production, and bars all combine into something that's really great. Again, there's not really a hook, but it doesn't feel missed.

"No Wok" is also worth a song worth mentioning. Despite being barely over a minute long, it's the most popular song on Watch My Back. The beat is really good, Lucki comes in spitting for almost the whole song, and "No Wok drive me brazy" is really catchy.

"New to Me" is one of the weaker lyrical moments on the tape, but the song is still super fun to listen to, mostly thanks to the beat. "Pull Up With Ah Stick" beatmaker Lil Voe is to be thanked for this instrumental, which combines saxophones and jazzy pianos with the plug beat drums.

The final song, the fittingly titled "Over", is the last standout from the album. Much of the sentiments from the opening track. Despite the journey that Lucki guided the listener on throughout the album, he's still in the same place. He's still the same Lucki, and it's not the best he could be, but at least it's him.

Lucki is a master of creating music for depressing times, and while sometimes his lyrics may seem bleak, there are also moments where he looks at the bright side, it just may not be what he wants to do at the moment.

At first, I had my issues with this project, and there's still a lot you could criticize. The first half seems a little stronger than the second, at least to me. The mixing is inconsistent, songs occasionally don't feel as fleshed out as they could be, and some more hooks would be a great addition.

But for a lot of the songs, there are still parts that you find yourself repeating. It helps that the beats are on point throughout the whole tape. Lucki also proves that while his lyrics aren't as good as they were on Alternative Trap, where it's obvious that he put more time into crafting them, there's still a lot of cleverness in what he's saying.

If there's one thing we can all hope for, it's that Better Days are coming soon.

Favourite Lyrics by /u/SoTheFliesDontCome

I used to treat her shitty with no pity, but she far older now

Told me, "With me, boy, be with me", guess she know her worth by now

When it's dark, no matter who there, you couldn't see a soul by now

I'm a dog, I'm this and that, but it's me, hoe

- "Miss Me"

I don't politic with children

I chewed a million milligrams

Why he popped the seal then?

Can't buy it, it may not be him

Who gon' get my deal then?

Since they all scared of drugs and kids

Nigga, where's the fun in this?

I don't got no life to risk

Deadboy status, I'm just here

So they can tape this shit

- "BPrint"

Hollywood Hills with a Glock in the rental

Live by what I said, if I caused it, I meant to

She do what I said, it could all be so simple

Who you came with, I'ma rob you and him too

Easy money, never been a fraud 'til I went though

Tried to do this sober, but the seal popping tempt you

- "Fuck Everybody"

Ecstasy in stars, tell her book me if she miss me

You not worth a bar, all that sneakin' shit can miss me

Molly crystal ball, tell me all about my good dream

Diva snort it all, all that council shit for rookie

I'll be back tomorrow, losing faith up in my city

- "Thank God"

I like tints, I don't know who wanna hurt me, darling, aye

That's my kin, for the right price he'll hurt me prolly, aye

I ain't dead, but my picture on the shirt, he salty, aye

I miss Tech, my plug got me sipping dirty Quali, aye

- "Over"

Discussion Questions

  1. Is it fair to lump Lucki in with artists such as Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi who use a similar "aye" flow just because of it?
  2. For those of you who've listened to Lucki's earlier work, how much did you enjoy this album compared to his earlier work?
  3. A lot of songs on Watch My Back lack hooks. Was this a bad decision? Does it limit Lucki's ability to "blow up"?
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