Only four months after being released from prison, from where he released the mixtape Heart Break Kodak, Kodak Black dropped this second studio album, Dying To Live. This 16 track album includes collaborations with artists such as Lil Pump, Travis Scott, Offset and Juice WRLD. The album ranges from deep and fragile introspection to aggressive confidence and borderline bragging.
The tracks featuring other artists, such as Gnarly with Lil Pump and the single ZEZE with Travis Scott and Offset, are not the album’s most profound nor substantial moments. However, amongst the other tracks we find some deep reflections and seemingly genuine, hard-hitting lyrics. Kodak Black jumps between emotions here. On tracks such as Testimony and Close To The Grave he opens up and faces his inner demons with sometimes remorseful lyrics, “sorry lord the devil got a hold on me” he states repeatedly on the latter of these two tracks. At other times the Florida rapper completely flips the switch. He replaces vulnerability with confidence and almost brags about his criminality and how he’s never going to change. He talks about his house arrest and his release from jail on Take One and Identity Thief respectively and states “I ain't never stop thuggin’, I'm like this forever” on This Forever. In trying to understand Kodak Black’s character, this is certainly an interesting one. © Euan Decourt/Qobuz