In a Venn diagram of rap styles, Detroit and Atlanta hold little middle ground. The former is a rap that's relentless and outlandish, one that spills in and out of the four-beat structure on a whim; the latter's MCs anchor themselves to melodies, patterns, and a steady trickle of hi-hats. Yet between them sits (quite literally, if his recent mixtape covers are anything to go by) a single figure, a rapper who combines radio-ready melody with relentless flow. His name is
42 Dugg -- and with his unique, drawling vocals, he manages to synthesize these styles with ease. However, while
Dugg's fusion has proved apt for upstart, trigger-clutching anthems, we've rarely seen the aftermath of that story -- a void that his latest mixtape,
Free Dem Boyz, attempts to fill. As its title suggests,
FDB is the product of sentencing after sentencing -- its cover names 11 of
Dugg's associates, with a further 27 highlighted in its collage of mug shots. In this light, his yelps become cries; his signature whistle, typically a prelude to glorious trash-talking, becomes a deflated outward breath.
This change of pace colors many of his anthems with a potent third dimension. At the top of the rankings is the positively menacing "Free Woo," which retains
Dugg's snarling boasts while lacing in stories of uncertainty and betrayal. Similar narratives arrive in the equally excellent "Maybach" and "Judge Please" -- and even the fist-thumping "4 Da Gang" is closed with a bittersweet "2018 was the year my dawg died." The nearly four-minute "Alone" -- a statement piece that stands out among two-minute bangers -- is a moonlit test of grief, a career highlight that pays cutting tribute to the costs of reckless living. If
Young & Turnt, Vol. 2 was a victory lap dipped in introspection, then
Free Dem Boyz flips the formula: while there are moments of victory here, even the highs are built on foundations of loss. ~ David Crone