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Denzel Curry – 'TA1300' Review

Fiery Energy Meets Lyrical Tenacity

By Rap DisciplePublished 6 years ago 2 min read
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Florida Rapper, Denzel Curry

For all of his energetic raps and charismatic lyricism, Denzel Curry is still underrated.

He was grouped with a class of rappers in 2016's XXL Freshman list that he didn’t fit in with. His freestyle went unnoticed because everyone had their attention on the saturation of wack freestyling displayed.

He’s a part of a new wave of Florida rappers along with Ski Mask The Slump God, Wifisfuneral, Kodak Black, and the gone—but never forgotten—Xxxtentacion. As different as all of the aforementioned are, Curry is a different breed.

Out of this flock of new rappers that have come out over the years, Curry is the most unpredictable, and easily one of the most creative. He’s capable of lyrical slaughter on tracks like “Ultimate,” but also loud and abrasive like on “Gook.” 2016’s Imperial showcased these abilities, and 2017’s 13 Ep was a hint of what’s to come.

He’s got more than enough anime references, social commentary, mosh-pit energy, punchlines, and unique flows in his bag of tricks. He’s tweaked his persona and reinvented himself several times over. His latest project Taboo is the most recent chapter in Curry’s artistic journey.

Usually rapping on distorted 808 trap instrumentals, Curry showcases another side of himself right from the get-go of this project. He’s melodic and poetic on the album’s intro, as he addresses a woman recovering from molestation and abuse. Curry explores this theme of what it means to be “taboo” throughout the album.

Sometimes “taboo” means being the contrarian and going against the grain of what people think; as he does on “Percs.” Curry denounces “dumb ass rappers” that all “sound the same” as well as the glorification of drugs in hip-hop these days. This track’s energy is through the roof; Curry delivers his bars like a maniac.

Elsewhere, “Clout Cobain” tackles the dark side of this constantly connected world we live in, whereby people validate themselves through followers on social platforms. He wrestles with the idea of suicide due to hate he receives online. It’s an unspoken truth that Curry brings to light on murky, glitzy production.

Yet it’s his unabashed, relentless assault on American injustices that are the most thought-wrenching. This unique collaboration between he and J.I.D. doesn’t pull any punches. Curry and J.I.D. don’t have a solution—but it’s another instance of hip-hop holding a mirror to society’s ills.

Curry’s own showmanship is his achilles heel at times, though. As raw and intense as he can be, his delivery can be obnoxious. He’s got a dangerous pen but his volume can be overbearing; and actually hinders the potency of his message. It’s hard not to grimace in pain as he roars on “Black Metal Terrorist”... he should’ve closed the album in a similar fashion as the intro.

It’s this execution that can make it hard to get into Curry. Some tracks require several listens before its genius can be appreciated. He should use this delivery where necessary instead of all of the time. It’s okay to be smooth like on “Cash Maniac."

Essential Tracks

  • “The Blackest Balloon”
  • “Cash Maniac” ft. Nyyjerya
  • “Percs”
  • “Sirens” ft. J.I.D
  • “Vengeance” ft. jpegmafia & ZillaKami
  • “Clout Cobain”
  • “Sumo”

The Verdict

Denzel Curry is an acquired taste, yet always worthy of a listen. Taboo is a conceptual, gritty, onslaught. Imperial was impressive, but Taboo is his most cohesive and intriguing album to date. At just 23 years old, Curry has plenty more gas left in the tank. He continues to carve a lane of his own- don’t get in his way.

Be on the lookout for his next ambitious effort. Taboo is a B+.

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