Album Review: Drip Harder

Atlanta rappers Lil Baby and Gunna, debatably the hottest rap combo of the year, have collaborated, yet again, with the release of the album Drip Harder.

The two have made a name for themselves in both their solo careers and as a duo, with highly praised collaborative bangers such as “Chanel” with Young Thug, “Sold Out Dates” and the most recent “Drip Too Hard.”

The two also featured each other on their solo projects, Gunna’s Drip Season 3 and Lil Baby’s Harder Than Ever. Surely, you can infer the inspiration behind the album title Drip Harder.

Although only three of thirteen tracks involve names other than the Atlanta duo, the featured artists of the project include the likes of Drake, Young Thug, NAV and Lil Durk. Despite the relatively low number of features on Drip Harder, Lil Baby and Gunna showcase plenty of diversity in flows, all while staying true to the distinct Atlanta rap style.

The album is mainly produced by Lil Baby and Gunna’s go-to mixing engineer, Turbo. From slower, heartfelt tracks like “Close Friends” to harder, trap tracks like “I Am,” the project shows off these young artists’ various creative talents.

The release of the trending, headline track “Drip Too Hard,” making an appearance in the top 25 of Billboard’s Hot 100, is responsible for bringing lots of hype and traffic to the project. Dropping about three weeks before the album, the single “Drip Too Hard” created anticipation for the forthcoming album.

The opening track “Off White VLONE” starts the album off with a bang, as it features verses from both NAV and Lil Durk. Gunna and NAV appear on the same track once more after “YOSEMITE” on Travis Scott’s Astroworld.

Young Thug, who is often recognized as the father of the Atlanta rap scene, appears on “My Jeans.” These Atlanta rappers collab relatively often, but most will agree that their amount of tracks together should be much, much greater. When these three end up on the same track, a hit is practically guaranteed.

Lastly, the concluding track “Never Recover” features Drake, which is a true testament to the level of relevance that these young rappers possess. The song interestingly features Drizzy spitting rapid-fire bars on the track, which is not a typical style from Drake.

The two Atlanta rappers are most definitely on the rise in the rap scene, and they should continue to climb the charts after a project like Drip Harder. Although collaborative albums are becoming more and more common, producing a high quality duo project is no simple feat, especially since Lil Baby and Gunna are still relatively young rappers.

Gunna and Lil Baby are most definitely Atlanta’s newest rappers on the rise, so be sure to not overlook this musical treasure.