YG's fifth album My Life 4Hunnid sees him at his best and his most forgettable. Across this trim, 32-minute project, the Compton rapper shuffles between his signature brand of stomping West Coast hip-hop and a more regionless breed of sing-rap that doesn't feel distinct to his creative personality. There are only a handful of tracks where YG goes solo, including the riotous single "FTP." One of the greatest songs the 30-year-old MC has ever released, the militant anti-police anthem is the spiritual follow-up to his magnum opus, "FDT" (Fuck Donald Trump), and was a staple at Black Lives Matter protests all throughout the summer. It has a timeless energy that already makes it feel like a classic after just a few months, and it checks all the boxes for an excellent YG track: bouncy beat; self-assured delivery; plain yet engrossing hook ("Fuck the police"). The romping opener "Jealous" hits the same hard-talking sweet spot and features a trunk-knocking piano beat that recalls the effective simplicity of Kendrick Lamar's "HUMBLE.". "Blood Walk" is probably the best feature match-up: Lil Wayne has a reliably solid verse and D3szn's voice works well on the hook, but YG still outshines them both with a fiery 16 that contains multi-rhyme bars like, "Blood walkin' of the hip, clip talkin'/ Baby case shells, kickflip, Tony Hawk". "Out On Bail" includes a touching reference to his late friend Nipsey Hussle, but the middle of the record takes an odd turn into a cluster of melodic, slow-paced ballads on which YG has very little presence. Lil Tjay, Calboy, Lil Mosey, and an upstart named Tay 2xs sound fine doing what they do, but YG is at his best when he's rapping with a puffed-out chest, not wallowing in moody slow-burners. Fortunately, the album ends on a great one-two of "FTP" and the murky "Laugh Now Kry Later." On the latter, he describes a three-way call with his mother and grandmother where they're warning him to be safe and sending prayers his way. He respects their concerns enough to shout them out, but the hook insinuates that he's taking a different, faster approach to life—"Gon’ live a li’l bit, before life take you/ Laugh now, cry later, do yourself a favor." It's at times like that, when he sounds both carefree and confident, where YG excels. You have to dig a little bit to find it on My Life 4Hunnid but when you hear it you know it. © Eli Enis/Qobuz