Pusha T - "DAYTONA"

Pusha T for years now has been stunning modern Hip Hop fans with his crushing deliveries and unbelievable energy. Whether it be in legendary duo Clipse or on his own, whenever I see Pusha releasing something I know it's usually pretty solid.  With 2013's "My Name Is My Name", Pusha proved he was more than just a Mixtape rapper with a slick set of tunes.  Tracks like the confident "King Push" and "Numbers on the Boards" reminded us just how gifted Push really was.  But tracks like the epic "Hold On" showed that he had so much more to give us still, and was pushing out into different sounds by the day. Pusha returned in 2015 with his very short "Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude".  While it was only 33 minutes, however, I do really think this was a very solid release.  The production was just so dark and murky, and better than anything he'd ever touched.  It had some decent features and Pusha sounded hungry as ever.  But this album really got me hungry for more.  More than anything, I just wanted to hear another Pusha T album in full.  And he's certainly made us wait hasn't he.  Pusha is back with a brand new, short, sweet, album, let's chat about it

This short and sweet album starts off with “If You Know You Know”.  And for starts, Pusha is absolutely not letting a second go, and and sounds refreshed and ready to kill.  He sounds so focused, and by the time this icy cold beat drops, I’m floored.  Pusha has this uncanny ability to always come across like he’s on a mission and being laser focused, making for an almost consistently confident sound.  Add that with this absolutely wild beat and incredible production, you’ve got me hooked.  His wordplay is clever, I would swear his flow is better than ever, and his lines are driving me nuts.  This is one hell of an intro.  Then we have the much more sleazy “The Games We Play”, which has this very soulful beat.  Pusha however, hasn’t changed a bit.  He sounds just as confident and dropping great reference after the next.  I can’t even get my head around this beat though, which samples this bluesy guitar and soulful horn so well.  And even though this is so much more laid back Pusha absolutely comes off relentless.  For a guy whose getting up there, he has incredible energy, which yes, may be the cocaine, but that’s for a different debate.  It’s exhausting to hear Pusha go this hard, but it’s the most hyped I’ve been listening to any Rap this year.  As this album rolls on, I have to say some of the beats and the production are just as brilliant as Push himself.  “Hard Piano” is just so much more current and cutting than some of the other tracks, blasting everyone from Harvey Weinstein to Matt Lauer.  All of that matched up with this very classy, yet gloomy beat, and you have one wild track.  The vocal snipped for a chorus is also seriously nice, and Rick Ross sounds right at home on this beat.  ”Hard Piano” is classy, but it also hits hard, it’s freakin’ great man.  But the time we get to “Come Back Baby”, I literally can’t be mad with this production at all.  I feel like every beat and instrumental just has so much personality.  Then of course, we have Pusha here who’s at his most chilling and vicious.  It’s broken up very nicely by this big sing-a-long chorus.  It works fantastically though.  Now, lyrically if you’re not into Pusha’s usual onslaught, this is all gravy.  And my GOD, some of this man’s wordplay is unreal.  I mean, did you hear that?  He called himself Rich Flair.  Genius. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j98tczxXKtE

Then we have “Santeria” which is almost a Psychedelic jam.  It has this beat built around guitar licks, but it works.  Now, if there’s one track I’m not telling everyone about here, it’s this one.  But trust me, this is far from bad.  It’s just as confident and cutting.  But for me, of all of the short tunes here, this one seems to have the most unfinished business.  I can’t help but feel listening here that this is a little bit rushed.  But Pusha is such a damn pro that he makes even his weakest moments have a snap to them.  Not to mention, some of the imagery on this track is insane.  Then we have “What Would Meek Do?” featuring friend of the world Kanye West.  Like, how freakin’ talented is Pusha?  This guy seriously has enough technique for 4 MC’s on this track.  After the last few mellow tunes, I love hearing just how intense and aggressive this one is.  Not to mention, I continue to absolutely love some of the imagery.  And while *Ahem* “SCOOPITY POOP” will grate on my nerves until the day I die, Kanye’s verse once it gets going is actually really refreshing to hear from him.  Energy, charisma, a killer instinct, whatever you’re into in Rap, it’s here.  Then we have the haunting and controversial “Infrared”.  Pusha here is at his most political and cryptic, but like I said it’s also surprisingly haunting.  Then, of course, we have all of the undertones that may or may not be aimed directly at Drake (which spoiler alert, it is).  This one is just the cutting and gritty finale I needed.  King Push is not for the weak of heart. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Give A Listen To: "If You Know You Know", "The Games We Play", "Come Back Baby", "What Would Meek Do?"

Least Favorite Track:"Santeria" (If I had to choose one, it's not a terrible tune).

Genre: Hardcore Hip-Hop

Overall Thoughts:  Pusha T with his latest album tries out a daring yet obvious new strategy.  That strategy my friends, is coming out with an album where literally all of the material is good, can someone tell J Cole this strategy?  It may be only a few minutes more than most EP's nowadays, but with Pusha's lack of time, he finds a focus I haven't heard from him in years.  His performances here are killer, is wordplay has never been more on point, and he hasn't sounded this charismatic in years.  Wrap this all together with some classy beats and some of Kanye's best production in years, and I really don't have anything bad to say about this at all.  I mean yea, I wish it was a little bit longer, but that's nitpicking at this point.  Case and point, I haven't been this excited about a Rap project all year.