Rae Sremmurd - SremmLife Album Review

Mississippi group Rae Sremmurd, consisting of two brothers, are making real headway in their amped up, thugged out field. Their charismatic flows and deliveries, and the energetic, relentless instrumentals they rock on 'SremmLife', their debut album, make it easy to see why people have jumped on their wave. The high octane vibe is found throughout this project; Rae Sremmurd are clearly not overly concerned with highly technical lyricism, their approach is geared more towards clubs, and unashamedly so.

From the outset of 'SremmLife', it's clear what kind of ride you've buckled in for. The thumping 'Lit Like Bic' is a perfect opener for Rae Sremmurd's album debut, instantly introducing you to their vibrant outlook. The unashamedly swagged out beats and flows continue with the Mike Will Made It production 'No Flex Zone', and although this is not my preferred side of rap music, their energy cannot be denied, and what they lose in content they make up for in sheer enthusiasm. The melodic side of Rae Sremmurd is shown on 'This Could Be Us', and even on this track, potentially the album's most commercial track, the street element of Sremmurd's music is still at the forefront. The slightly strained singing on 'Come Get Her' is sometimes a little grating, but this rawness is still somewhat endearing.

Rae Sremmurd have employed some pretty notable names to appear as guests on 'SremmLife'. Nicki Minaj and Young Thug join the two brothers on 'Throw Sum Mo', although this track feels a little lacklustre with a pretty forgettable and repetitive beat which is more restrained than much of the other material on this album. Even so, it's the duo themselves that impress most on this track, far more so than the two huge names featured. Big Sean appears on 'Yno', and the tense instrumental backs charismatic and consistent flows, and the Detroit spitter puts in a tight performance.

'SremmLife' isn't exactly for me; I kind of suspected that before I even started listening. The concepts aren't anything innovative, and the lyrics are substandard. I don't really think that matters though. Rae Sremmurd have an authentic vibe to them, and their outlook on life and music is clearly translated throughout their debut album. The beats bang for the most part, and the raw, unpolished style of both spitters in the duo definitely hold your attention from front to back, even if the auto-tune and instrumental styles do become a little tired.

3.5/5

Sam Bennett