REVIEW
The unexpected rise of Memphis rapper GloRilla can only be rivaled by her "Tomorrow 2" collaborator Cardi B. Both rags-to-riches stories include surprise hits fueled by unconventional flows that most A&Rs would have said could never work in a genre so long centered around Nicki Minaj's acrobatic flow switching and overblown Barbie persona.
"I'M THE VOICE FOR THE FEMALES. THE FEMALES THAT PROBABLY WANT TO SPEAK UP BUT DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT SHIT ON A TRACK"
Similar to Cardi B's "Bodak Yellow," GloRilla's Hitkidd-produced breakout single "FNF (Let's Go)" spoke to girls who could not relate to or were just tired of the Popification of female rap post-Lil Kim and Lauryn Hill. There is a freeness to GloRilla's music that a lot of girls crave. Girls don't just want to have fun but want to get rowdy, rambunctious, and loud, and that is relatable to girls, whether they are made of sugar, spice, and everything nice or a rose grown out of concrete.
While that relatability has helped GloRilla beat the one-hit wonder tag, the question still remains: CAN IT TRANSLATE INTO A HIT PROJECT? On Friday, GlorRilla released her first EP, "Anyways, Life's Great...," and if I may piggyback off the title name, "Anyways, This EP is Great..."
This 9-track project is filled with songs that cater to her deep voice and assertive rap style. No matter if she is getting introspective, like on tracks "No More Love" and "Out Loud Thinking," making you bob your head to the infectious "Unh Unh," or appreciating her blessing alongside Yo Gotti on "Blessed," it never becomes monotonous. A fear I had before listening to the EP.
The sequencing was on point by having the more hyped songs sandwiched between the slow-introspective tracks. It gives the EP a full-circle moment.
I also love the continuity built by songs birth other songs. So like "FNF" birthed "Tomorrow 2," which birth "Blessed" and so on with Unh Unh," "Nut Quick," and "No More Love." This works now because GloRilla is something new and fresh. But as she starts to put out albums and other rappers begin nibbling off her style, she will need to develop new song structures or risk sounding repetitive.
This EP is a solid start for CMG's GloRilla, with an EP packed with introspection, bangers, and quotable for days. This project can rival any recent project dropped by a female rapper, and I will say it...THIS IS A NO-SKIP EP.
Speak, Heart, Share...Thanks!