Album Review: NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES

Following the announcement of his intentions to retire from the rap game that shocked fans around the world in April, wizkid producer Metro Boomin returned to his producing ways with a bang in his new album titled NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES. The St. Louis, Mo. native showed that he did not lose a step during his absence from the game but rather took a new stride in his producing talents.

Young Metro continues his penchant for always fitting artists with an instrumental that best fits their style of rap. Like a complex puzzle, Metro always finds the perfect tempo and style of beat that matches seamlessly with his features. The explosive feature list includes hip-hop staples such as Kodak Black, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Drake and Gucci Mane, as well as relative newcomer Gunna and the golden voice of Swae Lee of the infamous Rae Sremmurd.

The first track, “10AM/Save the World,”  pops off the steady flow of Gucci Mane, talking about his wealth and how he stays motivated to chase the bag, over a winding instrumental. “The sun ain’t even up yet, thinkin’ bout the check,” raps Guwop.

The track then transitions into a  beautiful, slow, gospel sample, which serves as a refresher of sorts for the next track. “Overdue” with Travis Scott starts with a sample that slowly builds up to a hard drop, followed by Travis reflecting on the way he lives. The combination of the hard-hitting beat with Scott’s flow and subtle background melodies make for a great first out of five songs featuring the Houston rapper. The song ends with Scott saying, “Like I’m sick tho, sippin’ plenty/We’ve been outside, goin’ in,” referencing “Outside” with 21 Savage off of Scott’s 2016 album Birds In the Trap Sing McKnight, and he seamlessly transitions into the next song, “Don’t Come Out The House” with 21 Savage.

Longtime collaborators 21 Savage and Metro Boomin link again for their signature eerie sounding music. 21 Savage brings his hard style of rap before breaking off into a part where he raps in a whisper, setting an even spookier environment on this track.

“Dreamcatcher” finds Metro employing the vocal talents of Swae Lee and Scott on a moody song with a slower beat. Swae Lee does his part with his soothing voice before Travis steps in with a rare glimpse of his singing abilities. “I can’t take your call, I need face time/Rode the metro, took the bassline…You’ve been gone forever/How much I miss your love, I can’t measure,” sings Scott, showing off his versatility as an artist.

“Space Cadet” with Gunna is a perfect Gunna track, with the Atlanta rapper rapping about cars, watches and his drip.

The dynamic trio that gave the absolute banger that is “Skyfall” from Travis Scott’s 2014 mixtape Days Before Rodeo reunited for “Up To Something” featuring Young Thug and Scott.

The whining sound in the first few minutes, a staple of Metro, lets us know from the bat that this song is going to be great. Thug goes back to the style of rap that made him famous earlier in his career, flowing over the dark, bass-heavy beat with Scott adding “ooo’s,” reminiscent of the ones he did on “Skyfall,” in the background and taking the hook.

The only complaint about this track is that Scott did not have a verse, but it was still a banger nonetheless.

The interlude, “Only 1,” finds Travis again in his element, singing with a distorted voice over a somber beat with cutting piano strings. Metro cooks up another flawless transition into the next track, “Lesbian” with Gunna and Thugger.

The album rounds off with what are sure to be radio hits in “Borrowed Love” with Swae Lee and WizKid and a Hispanic-influenced banger, “Only You” with WizKid, J Balvin and Offset, who yet again delivers with his flow and bars.

“No More” with Scott, Kodak Black and 21 Savage paints a picture of the rappers’ struggles with drug abuse and substance addiction. “Told myself I wasn’t gon drink no ‘mo/It’s like the styrofoam glued to me tho,” raps 21 Savage.

The last track is the single which released earlier this year, “No Complaints” with Offset and Drake, which is already widely popular.

After his prolonged absence from the game, Young Metro returned with a 12-track album filled with hits. His production style continues to captivate the ears of hip-hop and music fans. NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES, a cumulative effort from some of the biggest stars in hip-hop today, certainly impressed and proved that Metro is one of the best, if not the best, producers in the game.