The insanely successful Baton Rouge has already released three projects in 2023: Richest Opp in May, April’s Don’t Try This at Home, and January’s I Rest My Case. “Richest Opp” by NBA YoungBoy Sounds Stale. With a lot of filler and a few powerful, emotionally honest songs on each album and mixtape, they were met with mediocre reviews upon their debut. Similarly, Decided 2, his most recent release from 2023, rides the highs of YoungBoy’s contagious delivery but is also occasionally weighed down by monotonous raps and meaningless narrative. Throughout the EP, YoungBoy makes extensive use of his R&B repertoire, giving a lot of the record catchy melodies and some of his best hooks in a long time. “Free Sex,” the album’s lead single, begins with a corny acoustic guitar and synth melody, but YoungBoy’s passionate vocals give the song a certain momentum and drive. As the song progresses, YoungBoy performs a vocal impersonation of Thugger, adjusting his tone to emphasize his singing technique more than his actual lyrics. “Since she took my soul, Now this bitch, she has to go, I’m a man, I need control, It feels like I’m dying slowly, and she doesn’t even seem to know,” he screams.
Additionally, YoungBoy shares some raw, deep-fried funk that served as inspiration for his 2022 album 3800 Degrees. Though it’s only present for a little period of time on Decided 2, it’s good to hear the artist return to that sound, which was one of his best works to date. With only 13 tracks, it was also one of YoungBoy’s lesser endeavors; it would have been good to see him apply such restraint on Decided 2. The length and regularity of his releases elevate the question of “what is the purpose of a YoungBoy” album to the level of existential reflection. Each release is not considered especially noteworthy, unique, or significant due to the frequency. Though the first version of Decided, which featured 11 tracks, is a longer and more successful project, Decided 2 is occasionally a very good album and a nice opportunity to illustrate the ways he has matured since he dropped Decided in 2018. The demand for quality control only increases with each new YoungBoy release. I don’t think Decided 2 should have had 18 tracks.
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