Philly rapper Lil Uzi Vert was never stylistically timid, experimenting with genre boundaries as early as their 2017 emo/rap-dabbling effort Luv Is Rage 2. Even with their adventurous background, Uzi has never taken things quite to the extremes found on third studio album The Pink Tape, which flits from sinister trap bangers like the Travis Scott-assisted "Aye" to pop-friendly moments like "Endless Fashion" featuring Nicki Minaj to chugging groove metal and rap synthesis on "Suicide Doors," and even on to straight-up metalcore with help from Bring Me the Horizon on "Werewolf." Plenty of rappers have expanded their sound by bringing in unexpected elements of metal and hardcore, but few have covered System of a Down as Uzi faithfully does on "CS" (shorthand for one of their biggest songs, "Chop Suey!"). Among the more extreme metal moments, The Pink Tape also gets into frantic and bubbly electronic beats on "x2" and moody, vaporous atmospheric trap on "Patience," which is bolstered by Don Tolivers contributions. ~ TiVo Staff
Rovi
現行最高峰のカリスマ・ラッパーによる、フル尺では約3年ぶりの3作目。ジャージークラブを自己流に消化した先行曲"Just Wanna Rock"を筆頭にトラップやレイジ、エモなどをベースにしつつ、ヘヴィーなロックやニューメタルなど自身の嗜好を好き勝手にごちゃ混ぜにしたサウンドで、トラヴィス・スコットやニッキー・ミナージュ、さらにはブリング・ミー・ザ・ホライズンやBABYMETALらを招いてボーダレスにジャンルを横断する。トレイラー映像で「AKIRA」をモチーフに渋谷の街並みを描いたり、"Nakamura"では人気レスラーの中邑真輔について綴るなど日本への偏愛も感じさせる傑作だ。
bounce (C)Masso 187um
タワーレコード(vol.477(2023年8月25日発行号)掲載)