Mixtape Review: A Love Letter to You 3

Trippie Redd’s third installment of the A Love Letter to You mixtape series serves as a testament to the Ohio rapper’s growth and progression as a musician.

Since his breakout as one of those darker, emo-rap SoundCloud artists, Trippie Redd has managed to maintain relevance unlike many other musicians from that underground generation.

Trippie’s influence in 2018 has been impossible to ignore with his success on his debut album Life’s a Trip, Diplo’s “Wish” and “Dark Knight Dummo” with Travis Scott. A Love Letter to You 3 shows no change in pace as the rapper continues to push the limits of his style and voice.

Leading single and album opener “Topanga” is a fine example of the diversifying of Trippie Redd’s musical arsenal as the rapper incorporates bars almost exclusively about guns into a sample of Maurette Brown Clark’s gospel track “It Ain’t Over”. Despite the dark demeanor of the lyrics, “Topanga” is easily in contention for the most joyful, upbeat track in the red-haired rapper’s discography.

Another third entry, “Love Scars 3” makes an appearance on the track list after its beloved predecessors from the original “A Love Letter to You.” Trippie Redd recalls his style from the music that gained him lots of fame with the rather depressed beat and lyrics about lost love. Each of the A Love Letter to You mixtapes were written after the rapper went through a breakup, which was made very public this go-round, so this style can only be expected from the emotionally raw rapper.

Although the mixtape lacks a large number of relative features, A Love Letter to You 3 meaningfully employs Juice WRLD on “1400 / 999 Freestyle,” YoungBoy Never Broke Again on “Elevate & Motivate” and Kodie Shane on “Negative Energy.”

On “1400 / 999 Freestyle,” listeners are blessed with that rapid-fire, turn-up, trap flow as Juice WRLD and Trippie Redd lyrically blast the track with their trademark vocals.

On “Elevate & Motivate,” YoungBoy delivers a short and sweet verse touching on criticism’s effect on his mental, paying homage to his home and a fashion reference.

On “Negative Energy,” Trippie Redd gives Kodie Shane, an up-and-coming 20-year-old female rapper, some exposure; Kodie Shane seemingly made a good impression as the song is amongst the most popular from the tape.

Although A Love Letter to You 3 has lots of high points, a few dry spots are prevalent throughout the unnecessarily numerous 16 tracks. Then again, it’s pretty hard to complain about the release of more music than needed. Trippie Redd expressed in an Instagram post that although “Fire Starter” and “Toxic Waste” are the best on the tape, his personal favorites are “I Tried Loving,” “1400 / 999 Freestyle,” “Negative Energy” and “Can’t Love.”

With the display of style development and the proof of prolonged relativity in the rap scene, the mixtape has accomplished several things for Trippie Redd, making it a vital addition to his discography.