Following a few years of relatively little activity mainly made up of EP releases and a joint mixtape, North Carolina rapper and mainstream superstar
DaBaby delivered
Baby on Baby 2, his fourth studio album and the sequel to his 2019 studio debut
Baby on Baby. As always, the album comprises high-impact vocal performances over muscular beats, with
DaBaby keeping his flows relentless and aggressive on most tracks and only occasionally adding touches of pop on moments like the chorus of "Boogeyman" or the R&B-adjacent melodic lines of "Keep It Cute." The album is brief, with 14 tracks clocking in at just over half-an-hour, and
DaBaby is joined by only one featured artist,
Anthony Hamilton, who adds a passionate vocal hook and other inflections to "Blank."
DaBaby's blunt force is on full display, much as it is with all of his projects, but after several years' worth of albums, mixtapes, singles, and other output occupying more or less the same lane, the material on
Baby on Baby 2 begins to feel one-dimensional and interchangeable.
DaBaby is capable of dynamic artistry, and his range of expression can be deep when he focuses, but his being stuck in high gear for the majority of his career makes that level of focus hard to reach. As ever, the songs here are energetic and fun, but ultimately feel a little disposable, with
DaBaby's work becoming more and more like a particular and brawny mood than any specific creative statement. ~ TiVo Staff